Transceiver module sleep mode

An apparatus comprising:

• an optical transmitter, having an optical transmitter portion and an electrical transmitter portion, and configured to convert an electrical signal to an optical signal, and transmit the optical signal;
• an optical receiver, having an optical receiver portion and an electrical receiver portion, configured to receive an optical signal and convert the optical signal to an electrical signal;
• and
• a passive power controller configured to passively detect whether or not a cable is coupled with the optical transmitter and, if not, to place at least the optical transmitter portion in a sleep mode,
• wherein the passive power controller includes a back reflection detector configured to detect a level of back reflection encountered by the optical transmitter,
• wherein the passive power controller configured to, when the back reflection is above a certain threshold, place at least the optical transmitter portion in a sleep mode, and
• wherein the passive power controller is configured such that sleep mode includes reducing power consumption of the sleeping portions of the apparatus to a level sufficient to allow the back reflection detector to detect if a cable becomes coupled with the optical transmitter.

A system comprising:

• an optical cable configured to facilitate the transmission of an optical signal;
• an electrical communication system configured to transmit and receive at least one electrical signal;
• and
• an electro-optical module including:
• an electrical interface configured to interface with the electrical communication system, receive a received electrical signal, and transmit a transmitted electrical signal,
• an optical transceiver including an optical transmitter configured to convert the received electrical signal to a transmitted optical signal, and an optical receiver configured to convert a received optical signal to the transmitted electrical signal,
• a passive power controller configured to passively detect whether or not the optical cable is coupled with the optical transmitter, and if not to place the electro-optical module in a sleep mode, and
• an active power controller configured to receive an electrical signal via the electrical interface and, based at least in part upon the value of the electrical signal to either place or remove the electro-optical module from a low power mode,
• wherein the passive power controller is configured to place the electro-optical module in the sleep mode even if the active power controller does not indicate that the electro-optical module should be placed in a low power mode.

A method comprising:

• passively detecting whether or not an optical cable is coupled with an optical transmitter;
• and
• if not, placing, at least portions of, the optical transmitter in a sleep mode,
• wherein an optical receiver is connected to an end of the optical cable opposite the optical transmitter;
• wherein detecting includes utilizing a micro-switch to detect whether or not the optical cable is coupled with the optical transmitter,
• wherein detecting further includes detecting whether or not the optical cable is coupled with the optical receiver, and
• wherein placing includes, if the cable is not coupled with the optical receiver placing the optical receiver in the sleep mode.