Finisar Corporation

Darin James Douma

Lewis B Aronson

Donald Arthur Ice

Stephen T Nelson

Lucy G Hosking

Christopher R Cole

Rudolf J Hofmeister

Greta Light

Chris Togami

James Edward Stewart

Anthony Ho

The-Linh Nguyen

Andreas G Weber

Hongyu Deng

Frank J Flens

Mark J Farley

Samantha R Bench

John C Dirkson

Jeffrey Bryant Price

Maziar Amirkiai

Rudy Hofmeister

Philip D Shapiro

Stephan C Burdick

Martin Andre Kalberer

J Christopher Dries

Linda Liu

Phillip Anthony Kiely

Anthony W Ho

The 'Linh Nguyen

Stephen W Hosking

James Walter Stewart

A system may include a substrate and a lens component. The substrate may include pads and solder protuberances. Each solder protuberance may be located on a pad. The lens component may define grooves sized to receive at least a portion of the solder protuberances. The lens component may be positioned relative to the substrate such that at least a portion of each solder protuberance is positioned within the grooves.

Component alignment

A multi-channel optoelectronic device is configured to establish a redundant status link with a remote device. The optoelectronic device can transmit N transmit optical signals to the remote device over a plurality of transmit channels and receive N receive optical signals from the remote device over a plurality of receive channels. The optoelectronic device includes one or more spare transmit and receive channels. When used with a remote device having spare transmit and receive channels, each device can establish a status link with the other and use the status link to switch out transmit and/or receive channels to identify and permanently switch out the worst transmit and/or receive channels. Alternately, the device can interoperate with a non-status-link enabled remote device by determining that the remote device is not status-link enabled, transitioning to a low transmit power mode, and transmitting and receiving over a plurality of default transmit and receive channels.

Redundancy and interoperability in multi-channel optoelectronic devices

A device having a plug that is configured to mechanically interface with a receptacle external to the device. The plug also has an electrical interface that electrically interfaces with the receptacle even though the external receptacle has a mechanical and electrical interface shaped to interface with an integrated cable that includes an optical communication mechanism for communicating over most of the length of the integrated cable, and even though the device itself has a full electrical communication channel communicatively coupling a data communication endpoint of the device with the electrical interface of the plug.

Electrical device with electrical interface that is compatible with integrated optical cable receptacle

An optical receiver assembly that is configured to avoid the introduction of feedback in an electrical signal converted by the assembly is disclosed. In one embodiment, an optical receiver assembly is disclosed, comprising a capacitor, an optical detector provided with a power supply being mounted on a top electrode of the capacitor, and an amplifier mounted on the reference surface. The assembly further includes an isolator interposed between the reference surface and the capacitor, wherein the isolator includes a bottom layer of dielectric material that is affixed to a portion of the reference surface, and a metallic top plate that is electrically coupled both to a ground of the amplifier and to the capacitor. This configuration bootstraps the amplifier ground to the amplifier input via the photodiode top electrode of the capacitor to cancel out feedback signals present at the amplifier ground.

Discrete bootstrapping in an optical receiver to prevent signal feedback

An integrated cable configured to communicate over much of its length using one or more optical fibers includes an electrical connector at least one end. The electrical connector at a first end of the integrated cable and an optoelectronic device coupled to or included in the other end of the integrated cable may utilize a bidirectional status link to transmit status data to each other. If the status data indicates that optical signals transmitted over the optical channels between the two devices are not potentially exposed to view, the two devices may operate above nominal eye safety limits. Otherwise, the two devices may operate at or below nominal eye safety limits. If the second optoelectronic device is not status-link enabled, the first optoelectronic device may operate at or below nominal eye safety limits.

Eye safety and interoperability of active cable devices

A low inductance structure for improving the integrity of data signals carried in an optical subassembly is disclosed. In one embodiment the optical subassembly comprises a housing containing a lens assembly and an optical isolator. The optical subassembly further includes an optoelectronic package having a base defining a mounting surface that cooperates with a cap to define a hermetic enclosure. First and second signal leads of the subassembly include ends that extend into the hermetic enclosure. A submount is disposed on the base mounting surface. A low inductance structure is integrally formed with the submount and includes a dielectric body interposed between the first and second leads. The body includes shaped edges and conductive pad structures in electrical communication with conductive traces disposed on the submount. Each pad structure is also in electrical communication with a respective one of the first and second signal leads via a plurality of wirebonds.

Low inductance optical transmitter submount assembly

A transistor outline package having a feedthrough via and lead configuration that maximizes the amount of usable area on a header of the package is disclosed. In one embodiment, the package includes a header having an interior surface that includes a first and second lead assembly. The first lead assembly includes two vias having a first diameter, with each first via being positioned along a first pin circle imaginarily defined on the interior surface of the header. Each first via also includes first leads received therein. The second lead assembly includes four vias having a second diameter each, with each second via being positioned along a second pin circle that has a diameter greater than that of the first pin circle. Each second via includes second leads received therein. This configuration increases usable area on the header interior surface between the leads, enabling relatively larger submounts to be placed thereon.

Non-uniform feedthrough and lead configuration for a transistor outline package

An embodiment disclosed herein relates to a communications module. The communications module includes a body composed of a plastic resin and a plurality of conductive traces and contact pads defined on a portion of a surface of the body. The module also includes at least one substantially vertical ridge defined on the body surface, and at least one pocket defined on the body suitable for receiving an electronic component. The communications module may also include a body composed of a plastic resin and conductive features defined on a surface of the body configured to render the communications module operable without implementing a printed circuit board as part of the body. Additional embodiments relate to systems and methods for attaching one or more optical transmit assemblies to the communications module and for electrically connecting conductive traces in a temporary fashion on the surface of the body of the communications module.

Molded communications module having integrated plastic circuit structures

An optical transmission system includes more optical channels than electrical channels. If an optical channel is not functioning, the signals may be diverted to another optical channel since there are more optical channels than electrical channels. Embodiments of the present invention also relate to switches for switching the electrical channels to particular optical channels on either or both of the transmission and reception side. The switches include switching elements and selector elements for routing the electrical signals between the electrical channels and optical channels. In one embodiment, the multiple optical channels are incorporated into a single cable. The single cable may have the electrical interface for a number of electrical channels exposed for mechanical and electrical coupling with an external port, whereas the optical channels may be hidden within the cable coating.

Parallel high-speed communication links with redundant channel architectures

A robust and redundant status link is established by a first multi-channel optoelectronic device with a second multi-channel optoelectronic device in a multi-channel communication link. Transmitter bias currents are effectively modulated with a status link modulation signal representative of status data and subsequently modulated with primary data modulation signals. The resulting signals are transformed into optical signals and transmitted over the link as main communication links combined with a status link. At the second device, the optical signals are received and converted to electrical signals. The receipt of the optical signals creates multiple receiver bias currents, which may be monitored to detect the status link modulation signal. The second device may adjust various operating parameters in response to the information conveyed by the status link. For instance, devices can use status links to operate above nominal eye safety limits and/or to adjust transmit power to compensate for degradation effects.

Status link for multi-channel optical communication systems

A translation circuit for mediating between a fiber-optic controller chip and a host device. The translation circuit may be on a fiber-optic transponder. The controller chip includes a phase locked loop that outputs a short synchronization signal when a hunting frequency passes through a target data signal frequency while hunting for a data signal and outputs a synchronization signal when the phase locked loop is locked onto a data signal. The translation circuit distinguishes between the synchronization signals and generates a lock signal when the phase locked loop is locked onto a data signal, but does not when the hunting frequency passes through the target data signal frequency. The lock signal may be used by a host device into which the fiber-optic transponder has been in installed. Errors from misinterpreted signals can thus be mitigated.

Circuit for converting a transponder controller chip output into an appropriate input signal for a host device

An active cable that is configured to communicate over much of its length using one or more optical fibers, and that includes an integrated electrical connector at at least one end. The active cable includes a power transmission spanning the length of the optical fiber(s). Thus, electrical power from one end of the optical cable may be provided to an opposite side of the optical cable. The cable may be an electrical to optical cable, and electrical to electrical cable, or one of many other potential configurations.

Growing community of inventors

Monrovia, CA, United States of America

Darin James Douma