Protocol specific transceiver firmware
AssigneeFinisar Corporation
InventorsGerald L. Dybsetter, Jayne C. Hahin, Luke M. Ekkizogloy
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Abstract
An optical transceiver (or optical transmitter or optical receiver) that has at least one processor, and a memory. The optical transceiver is capable of implementing any one of a number of protocols depending on how the optical transceiver is configured in microcode. In order to so configure the optical transceiver, the optical transceiver is provided with one of a particular set of microcode, each of the set of microcode being capable of implementing a different protocol when received into the memory and executed. To implement the protocol, the provided microcode is then executed by the optical transceiver. To implement a different protocol, different microcode may be provided to the optical transceiver and executed.
Claims18
In an optical transceiver that includes a memory and at least one processor, a method comprising the following:
- an act of receiving microcode that is configured to implement the specified data communication protocol into the memory, wherein the microcode is one of a set of microcode, wherein each of the set of microcode is capable of implementing a different data communication protocol when received into the memory and executed, wherein the act of receiving microcode that is configured to implement the specified data communication protocol into the memory comprises the following:
- an act of receiving, via a first device, access information needed to access the microcode;
- and
- an act of using the access information to access the microcode;
- and
- an act of executing the received microcode, wherein the microcode is structured such that when executed by the at least one processor, the optical transceiver is caused to perform transceiver operational functions of the specified data communication protocol so as to enable data communications between the first device and a second device each communicatively coupled to the optical transceiver.
An opto-electronic module comprising:
- a memory;
- a laser transmitter
- at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory so as to be capable of executing microcode from the memory;
- and
- a mechanism for receiving microcode into the memory, wherein the laser transmitter is configured to operate using different data communication protocols depending on the microcode stored in the memory so as to enable transmission of data from a first device to a second device via the opto-electronic module, wherein the mechanism for receiving microcode configured to implement the different data communication protocols into the memory is configured to receive, via the first device, access information needed to access the microcode, and use the access information to access the microcode.
An opto-electronic module comprising:
- a memory;
- a photodiode receiver;
- at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory so as to be capable of executing microcode from the memory;
- and
- a mechanism for receiving microcode from a remote source into the memory, wherein the photodiode receiver is configured to operate using different data communication protocols depending on the microcode stored in the memory so as to enable reception of data at a first device from a second device via the opto-electronic module, wherein the mechanism for receiving microcode configured to implement the different data communication protocols into the memory is configured to receive, via the first device, access information needed to access the microcode, and use the access information to access the microcode.
In an optical transceiver that includes a memory and at least one processor, the optical transceiver being capable of implementing any one of a plurality of optical communication protocols depending on how the optical transceiver is configured in microcode, a method for configuring the optical transceiver to implement a specific one of the plurality of optical communication protocols, the method comprising the following:
- an act of receiving microcode that is configured to implement the specified optical communication protocol into the memory, wherein the microcode is one of a set of microcode, wherein each of the set of microcode is capable of implementing a different optical communication protocol when received into the memory and executed, wherein the act of receiving microcode that is configured to implement the specified data communication protocol into the memory comprises the following:
- an act of receiving, via a first device, access information needed to access the microcode;
- and
- an act of using the access information to access the microcode;
- and
- an act of executing the received microcode, wherein the microcode is structured such that when executed by the at least one processor, the optical transceiver is caused to perform transceiver operational functions of the specified optical communication protocol,
- wherein the specified optical communication protocol is selected from the group consisting of:
- 1G Synchronous Optical NETwork (“SONET”), 2G SONET, 4G SONET, 8G SONET, 10G SONET, 1G fibre channel, 2G fibre channel, 4G fibre channel, 8G fibre channel, 10G fibre channel, 1G Ethernet, 2G Ethernet, 4G Ethernet, 8G Ethernet, 10G Ethernet, 1G Gigabit Ethernet, 1G Gigabit Ethernet, 2G Gigabit Ethernet, 4G Gigabit Ethernet, 8G Gigabit Ethernet, 10G Gigabit Ethernet, 1G fast Ethernet, 2G fast Ethernet, 4G fast Ethernet, 8G fast Ethernet, 10G fast Ethernet, 1G optical Ethernet, 2G optical Ethernet, 4G optical Ethernet, 8G optical Ethernet, and 10G optical Ethernet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.