Field-tunable devices for optical communication

An optical communication method, comprising:

• providing an optical transmitter operable in a plurality of transmit modes, wherein each of the transmit modes corresponds to a respective operating range for a transmit power of the optical transmitter;
• receiving at least one user input;
• selecting one of the transmit modes based on the at least one user input;
• controlling the optical transmitter to operate in the selected transmit mode in response to the at least one user input, wherein the controlling comprises tuning the transmit power of the optical transmitter to the operating range corresponding to the selected transmit mode;
• providing an optical receiver operable in a plurality of receive modes, wherein each of the receive modes corresponds to a respective bias voltage for the optical receiver;
• selecting one of the receive modes based on the at least one user input;
• and
• controlling the optical receiver to operate in the selected receive mode in response to the at least one user input, wherein the controlling the optical receiver comprises applying, to the optical receiver, the bias voltage corresponding to the selected receive mode.

An optical communication system, comprising:

• an optical fiber;
• and
• an optical communication apparatus coupled to the optical fiber and having an optical transmitter operable in a plurality of transmit modes, wherein each of the transmit modes corresponds to a respective operating range for a transmit power of the optical transmitter, the optical transmitter configured to receive data and to modulate an optical signal with the data, the optical transmitter further configured to transmit the modulated optical signal through the optical fiber, the optical communication apparatus configured to receive at least one user input for selecting one of the transmit modes, the optical communication apparatus configured to operate the optical transmitter in the selected transmit mode such that the transmit power of the optical transmitter is tuned to the operating range corresponding to the selected transmit mode, wherein the optical communication apparatus has an optical receiver operable in a plurality of receive modes, wherein each of the receive modes corresponds to a respective bias voltage for the optical receiver, wherein the optical communication apparatus is configured to select one of the receive modes based on the at least one user input, and wherein the optical communication apparatus is configured to operate the optical receiver in the selected receive mode such that the bias voltage corresponding to the selected receive mode is applied to the optical receiver.