Methods and systems for providing full avionics data services over a single fiber

An optical transceiver comprising:

• a first optical transmitter and receiver pair configured for operation at a first wavelength;
• a second optical transmitter and receiver pair configured for operation at a second wavelength;
• and
• an optical coupler configured to couple optical signals from said first optical transmitter and receiver pair and said second optical transmitter and receiver pair and route the coupled optical signals from said optical coupler to a single optical fiber, said optical coupler further configured to separate the data package transmissions into two optical paths, filter the second wavelength from a first of the two optical paths, and filter the first wavelength from a second of the two optical paths.

An avionics unit, comprising:

• a processing device;
• a computer memory associated with said processing device, said memory configured to store at least application data associated with said unit, health maintenance data associated with said unit, and configuration data associated with said unit;
• an optical transceiver comprising a first optical transmitter and receiver pair configured for operation at a first wavelength and a second optical transmitter and receiver pair configured for operation at a second wavelength;
• and
• at least one communication controller configured to simultaneously provide a communications interface between said processing device and said optical transceiver, application data transmitted from and received by said processing device via said first optical transmitter and receiver pair, configuration data received by said processing device via said second optical transmitter and receiver pair, and health maintenance data transmitted from said processing device via said second optical transmitter and receiver pair.

An aircraft network for providing full avionics data services over a single optical fiber, said network comprising:

• a first avionics unit comprising an optical interface;
• a second avionics unit comprising an optical interface;
• a single optical fiber configured to provide at least a portion of a communications path between said first avionics unit and said second avionics unit, each said optical interface comprising an optical transceiver comprising a first optical transmitter and receiver pair configured for operation at a first wavelength and a second optical transmitter and receiver pair configured for operation at a second wavelength;
• and
• a multi-port network hub controller and a plurality of said single optical fibers, said first avionics unit optically connected to said multi-port network hub controller using one of said single optical fibers, and said second avionics unit optically connected to said multi-port network hub controller using one of said single optical fibers.

A communications system, comprising:

• a plurality of hubs, each said hub comprising a plurality of optical interfaces;
• and
• a plurality of modules each comprising at least one optical interface, each said module optically coupled to at least two of said hubs, each said optical interface comprising:
• an optical transceiver comprising:
• a first optical transmitter and receiver pair configured for operation at a first wavelength;
• a second optical transmitter and receiver pair configured for operation at a second wavelength;
• and
• an optical coupler configured to couple optical signals from said first optical transmitter and receiver pair and said second optical transmitter and receiver pair and route the coupled optical signals from said optical coupler to a single optical fiber, said optical coupler further configured to separate the data package transmissions into two optical paths, filter the second wavelength from a first of the two optical paths, and filter the first wavelength from a second of the two optical paths.