Avago Technologies General IP (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Ravi Teja Kotamraju

Faouzi Chaahoub

Georgios Asmanis

Michael Allen Robinson

Samir Aboulhouda

A gearbox IC is incorporated into an optical communications system to enable an optical link that incorporates the system to achieve data rates that are at least double that which are currently achievable in optical links. The gearbox IC performs data rate conversion and phase alignment. In the transmit direction, the gearbox IC receives N lanes of electrical data signals having a data rate of X Gbps and outputs N/2 lanes of electrical data signals having a data rate of 2X Gbps. In the receive direction, the gearbox IC receives N/2 electrical data signals having a data rate of 2X Gbps and converts the N/2 electrical data signals into N electrical data signals having a data rate of X.

Method and apparatus for performing data rate conversion and phase alignment

An integrated circuit is incorporated into a communications system to enable a channel to achieve data rates that are at least double that which are currently achievable. The integrated circuit combines serial data signals using recovered clock and serial data signals in reference and non-reference clock domains. The integrated circuit rate converts recovered serial data in one of the clock domains, performs a phase alignment at the converted data rate, and returns the rate converted and phase-aligned serial data to the recovered data rate in response to the recovered clock from the remaining clock domain. Thereafter, the recovered and aligned serial data signals are combined. The phase alignment is monitored in circuitry that detects when a threshold offset is violated. When the threshold offset is violated a synchronization circuit is enabled.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Ravi Teja Kotamraju