Lan-Hopper Systems, Inc.

Net-Hopper System, Inc.

Net-Hopper Systems, Inc.

Bert A Lindgren

R James Bateman

Stephen G Bavington

An apparatus for making connections between a first plurality of optical channels and a second plurality of optical channels includes at least one fiber channel rotator, that includes a rotatable member, having a peripheral edge, disposed along a rotational plane and is rotatable about an axis. A first optical connector is optically coupled to a first optical channel and is in sliding engagement to the rotatable member adjacent to the peripheral edge. A rotational driver is coupled to the rotatable member so as to selectively cause the rotatable member to rotate about the axis and thereby direct the first optical connector to a selected angular position. The apparatus also includes at least one tower that includes a track, disposed adjacent to the rotatable member and transverse to the rotational plane of the rotatable member. A second optical connector, complementary to the first optical connector, is optically coupled to a second optical channel and is slidably engaged with the track so as to be able to move along the track. A linear driver drives the second optical connector along the track so as to cause the second optical connector to be moved to a selected linear position along the track. A controller, in control communication with rotational driver and the linear driver, causes the rotational driver to rotate the first optical connector to the selected angular position and causes the linear driver to move the second optical connector to the selected linear position, so that the first optical connector is adjacent the second optical connector. An actuator selectively causes the first optical connector and the second optical connector to engage, so that the first optical channel becomes optically coupled to the second optical channel.

Optical fiber connection patching system

An apparatus for looping-back an optical signal in an optical communications system includes a transmitting station and a receiving station optically coupled to the transmitting station by a transmission fiber and reception fiber. Data is transmitted from the transmitting station to the receiving station through the transmission fiber and is also transmitted from the receiving station to the transmitting station through the reception fiber. The apparatus includes a beam splitter having an input port, an output port and a tap port, operationally coupled to the transmission line. The beam splitter is capable of diverting a preselected beam portion of an optical data beam being transmitted through the transmission fiber to the tap port. A tap fiber that is operationally coupled to the tap port allows the preselected beam portion to propagate therethrough. An optical analyzer, optically coupled to the tap fiber, regenerates the preselected portion, thereby creating a return beam. A return fiber, optically coupled to the optical analyzer, transmits the return beam. An optical switch, optically coupled the to reception fiber and to the return fiber, selectively optically couples the return fiber to the transmitting station through the reception fiber and selectively decouples the return fiber from the transmitting station. A switch controller, operationally coupled to the optical switch, causes the optical switch to optically couple the return fiber to the reception fiber.

Active optical loop-back system

An apparatus for controlling attenuation of optical signals routed through a matrix switch capable of optically coupling a selected transmission station of a plurality of transmission stations to a first port and optically coupling a second port to a reception station includes a first variable attenuator that is optically coupled to the first port so that an optical path length exists between the first variable attenuator and the transmission station. The apparatus includes an optical analyzer that has an input port and an output port. The input port is optically coupled to the variable attenuator and the output port is optically coupled to the second port. Thus, the input port is coupled to the first port through the first variable attenuator. A control unit controls the first variable attenuator so as to cause an optical signal passing therethrough to be attenuated by a predetermined amount based on the optical path length between the transmission station and the first variable attenuator so that the optical signal entering the input port has a signal strength within a predetermined range.

Optical analyzer with variable attenuators at inputs and outputs

A method and apparatus for providing a plurality of digital devices, including protocol analyzers, work stations, cable testers, and the like, with a data signal received from one of a plurality of target networks is. A plurality of data ports, including at least one target data port, a plurality of device data ports, and a plurality of intermediate data ports. Data channels establish a plurality of device data paths between a plurality of digital devices and a corresponding plurality of device data ports and a target data path between one of the target networks and at least one of the target data ports. A switch establishes a first data path between any selected one of the plurality of target data ports and a respective first intermediate data port. A replicator replicates a first data signal from the first intermediate data port at least to a second intermediate data port and to a third intermediate data port. A switch establishes a second data path between the second intermediate data port and a first selected data port of the plurality of device data ports and establishes a third data path between the third intermediate data port and a second selected data port of the plurality of device data ports. Thus, data can be selectively exchanged between any one of the plurality of target networks and at least any two of the plurality of digital devices.

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Decatur, GA, United States of America

Bert A Lindgren