# US 8,335,433 B2 · Wavelength division multiplexing serial video signals over optical interfaces using the XFP form factor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,335,433 B2 - Document ID: US8335433B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/241,560 - Filed: 2008-09-30 - Published: 2009-04-02 - Granted: 2012-12-18 - Earliest claimed: 2007-10-02 - Assignees: Semtech Canada Corporation - Inventors: Gareth M. Heywood; Ryan S. Latchman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8335433B2 ## CPC - H04N 7/22: Adaptations for optical transmission - G02B 6/4292: {the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements} - H04J 14/02: Wavelength-division multiplex systems - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - H04J: MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION (transmission in general H04B; peculiar to transmission of digital information H04L5/00; systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal H04N7/08; in exchanges H04Q11/00; stereophonic systems H04S) ## Abstract Certain pins of an XFP connector are re-purposed to enable the connector to receive, for example, four 11.88 Gb/s serial data streams (for a receiver), or output four 11.88 Gb/s serial data streams (for a transmitter). The four data streams are wavelength division multiplexed inside the XFP module for transmission over a single optical fiber, providing a total interface capacity of 47.52 Gb/s. An XFP receiver module is defined to convert the WDM signal back to four 11.88 Gb/s serial data streams. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical transmitter module for transmitting high bandwidth video signals over a single optical fibre using wavelength division multiplexing, comprising: a device housing having an XFP connector, wherein certain pins of the XFP connector are re-purposed for receiving a plurality of serial differential input (SDI) signals; a plurality of optical transmitter circuits contained within said device housing for converting said SDI signals into serial optical signals; and a wavelength division multiplexer contained within said device housing for combining said serial optical signals into an optically multiplexed signal for transmission over a single optical fibre. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical transmitter module of claim 1 wherein said certain pins that are repurposed for receiving the plurality of SDI signals include a pair of reference clock pins and a pair of power supply pins. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The optical transmitter module of claim 1 additionally comprising four optical signal paths, one signal path for each of the received SDI signals, each of said four optical signal paths providing for trace equalization and re-timing prior to inputting said signal to one of said plurality of optical transmitter circuits. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The optical transmitter module of claim 1 wherein said wavelength division multiplexer is configured to received four 3 to 12 Gb/s (nominal) serial optical streams and combine said streams to produce a 12 to 48 Gb/s (nominal) output signal, respectively. ### Claim 5 An optical receiver module for receiving high bandwidth video signals that are transmitted over a single optical fibre, comprising: a device housing having an XFP connector, wherein certain pins of the XFP connector are re-purposed for outputting a plurality of serial differential input (SDI) signals; a wavelength division multiplexer contained within said device housing for receiving a high bandwidth video signal from a single optical fiber and for separating the high bandwidth video signal into a plurality of serial optical signals; and a plurality of optical receiver circuits contained within said device housing for converting said plurality of serial optical signals into a plurality of SDI signals to be output. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The optical receiver module of claim 5 wherein said certain pins that are repurposed for outputting a plurality of SDI signals include a pair of reference clock pins and a pair of power supply pins. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The optical receiver module of claim 5 additionally comprising four optical signal paths, one signal path for each of said plurality of optical receiver circuits, each of said four optical signal paths providing for re-timing and a trace driver for outputting said signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The optical receiver module of claim 5 wherein said wavelength division demultiplexer is configured to received a 12 to 48 Gb/s (nominal) signal and to produce therefrom four 3 to 12 Gb/s (nominal) serial optical streams, respectively. ### Claim 9 A method of optically transmitting high bandwidth video signals over a single optical fibre using wavelength division multiplexing, comprising: receiving a plurality of serial differential input (SDI) signals at a device housing having an XFP connector, wherein certain pins of the XFP connector are re-purposed for receiving certain of said plurality of SDI signals; converting said SDI signals into serial optical signals; and combining said serial optical signals into an optically multiplexed signal for transmission over a single optical fibre using a wavelength division multiplexer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein said receiving comprises receiving a plurality of SDI signals at XFP reference clock pins and XFP power supply pins re-purposed for the receipt of said SDI signals. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 additionally comprising trace equalization and re-timing of each of said received SDI signals prior to said converting. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein said combining comprises combining four 3 to 12 Gb/s (nominal) serial optical streams to produce a 12 to 48 Gb/s (nominal) output signal, respectively. ### Claim 13 A method of optically receiving high bandwidth video signals that are transmitted over a single optical fibre, comprising: receiving a high bandwidth video signal from a single optical fibre; separating the high bandwidth video signal into a plurality of serial optical signals; converting said plurality of serial optical signals into a plurality of serial differential input (SDI) signals; and outputting said plurality of SDI signals using an XFP connector, wherein certain pins of the XFP connector are re-purposed for outputting certain of said plurality of SDI signals. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein said outputting comprises outputting a plurality of SDI signals at XFP reference clock pins and XFP power supply pins re-purposed for the output of said SDI signals. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 additionally comprising re-timing and driving each of said SDI signals prior to said outputting. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein said separating comprises separating a 12 to 48 Gb/s (nominal) signal to produce therefrom four 3 to 12 Gb/s (nominal) serial optical streams, respectively.