Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.

Tektronix, Inc.

Garry N Link

David W Entrikin

Roland E Andrews

Christopher G Martinez

Michael R Engbretson

Transimpedance amplifiers that provide moderate bandwidth and very large overdrive current capabilities while consuming a minimum amount of power supply current. Existing transimpedance amplifier topologies use a quiescent current somewhat larger than the overdrive current that must be tolerated while the present invention reduces the value of the quiescent current and can tolerate bi-directional overdrive current several times larger than the current consumption of the circuit itself. The preferred embodiment of the invention is arranged such that stability of the circuit is ensured under all operating conditions, including overdrive conditions. Various embodiments are disclosed.

Efficient high overdrive transimpedance amplifiers

The present invention is a method and apparatus for controlling a drive current of an optical transmitter having a laser. A sensing circuit generates a sensing signal responsive to an intensity of an optical radiation emitted by the laser. An error circuit is coupled to the sensing circuit to generate an error quantity in response to the sensing signal. An updating circuit is coupled to the error circuit to update a control quantity based on the error quantity synchronously with an input signal. The control quantity controls the drive current.

Local control for burst mode optical transmitters

A semiconductor laser driver circuit that provides single supply operation over a wide supply voltage range (e.g., 3 V to 5.5 V), is capable of high speed data transmission, and is programmable over a wide laser modulation current range (such as 5 mA to 60 mA). The circuit includes temperature sensitive circuits to adjust for changes in Vbe over the operating temperature range, and to adjust a bias current to maintain transistor g.sub.m in the presence of temperature changes. Also included is an adaptive drive feature to accommodate different laser drive currents. Details of these and other features are disclosed.

High speed semiconductor laser driver circuits

Laser modulation control apparatus and methods which provide direct control of the transmitted optical extinction ratio of a semiconductor laser. A relatively low frequency and low amplitude pilot tone is superimposed on the signal used to drive the laser. Setting the amplitude of the pilot tone to a fixed fraction of the laser modulation current causes the transmitted optical power to vary a fixed fraction of the optical data amplitude at the pilot tone frequency. By using feedback to control the laser modulation current, the amplitude of the variation can be maintained at a desired value, which in turn maintains the transmitted optical data amplitude at a constant value, regardless of variations due to operating temperature or laser aging. A separate control loop is employed to maintain the average optical power at a fixed value. Since the optical data amplitude and the average optical power remain constant, the optical extinction ratio is also constant. Alternate embodiments are disclosed.

Laser modulation control method and apparatus

A laser diode driver with automatic power control in which start-up characteristics are controlled to avoid unsafe power levels at a driven laser is disclosed. The laser diode driver according to the invention produces a bias control signal that controls a bias current source such that the bias current supplied to the laser is maintained below a predetermined level during a start-up period.

Laser diode driver having automatic power control with smooth enable

A differential attenuator is described that is capable of automatic calibration using electronically adjustable circuit elements. The differential attenuator has positive and negative inputs and outputs. A resistor and capacitor couple the positive side input and output, while a matching resistor and capacitor couple the negative side input and output. Shunt resistors and shunt capacitors coupled to the positive and negative outputs are augmented and made electronically adjustable by multipliers having their signal inputs coupled to the respective side output nodes. The outputs of one set of multipliers are coupled to the other ends of the shunt resistors, while their multiplication coefficients are controlled by a dc.sub.-- control signal. The outputs of another set of multipliers are capacitively coupled back to their respective side output nodes, while their multiplication coefficients are controlled by an ac.sub.-- control signal. Through the use of these controls a wide range of side-to-side component variations can be compensated to maximize the common mode rejection ratio achievable.

Differential attenuator common mode rejection correction circuit

An integrated oscillator includes an amplifier having first and second voltage inputs, and first and second current outputs, and a current mirror having an input coupled to the second current output of the amplifier and an output coupled to the first current output of the amplifier. The output of the current mirror and the first current output of the amplifier are coupled through a bonding pad to an external capacitor. A first comparator has a first input coupled to the first current output of the amplifier and a second input for receiving a first threshold voltage, and a second comparator has a first input coupled to the first current output of the amplifier and a second input for receiving a second threshold voltage. A flip-flop has a first input coupled to the output of the first comparator, a second input, and an output coupled to the second voltage input of the amplifier. A first multiplexer has a first input for receiving a reference voltage, a second input coupled to the output of the second comparator, and an output coupled to the first voltage input of the amplifier. A second multiplexer has a first input coupled to the output of the second comparator, a second input for receiving an enable signal, and an output coupled to the second input of the flip-flop. The output of the second comparator forms a one-shot output node responsive to the enable signal, and the output of the flip-flop forms a free-running oscillator output node.

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Aloha, OR, United States of America

Garry N Link