Abstract:
Optical modules as used in various types of communication systems are formed to include a flexible substrate to support various optical, electronic, and opto-electronic module components in a manner that can accommodate various packaging constraints. The flexible substrate is formed of a polyimide film is known to exhibit excellent electrical isolation properties, even though the films are generally relatively thin (on the order of 10-100 μms, in most cases). The flexible polyimide film is sized to accommodate the constraints of a given package “footprint”; more particularly, sized to fit an open ‘floor area’ within package, allowing for a populated film to be placed around various other “fixed-in-place” elements . The polyimide film is easily cut and trimmed to exhibit whatever topology is convenient, while providing enough surface area to support the affixed components and associated optical fiber traces.
Abstract:
An optical switch is configured in a “dual-ganged” switch geometry to provide for the simultaneous switching of a selected transmit/receive pair of optical signal paths between a specific optical communication device and an optical communication network. A biaxially-symmetric signal redirection component may be used to direct the signals between the selected channel and the optical communication device. A specific waveguide (e.g., fiber) array topology within the dual-ganged switch (DGS) breaks the symmetry between the network transmit/receive arrays and a pair of transmit and receive signal paths associated with the communication device to improve isolation and minimize the possibility of cross-talk between non-selected waveguides in the transmit and receive arrays. The possibility of “hits” during switching between channels can be eliminated, and is controlled by dictating the process or switching steps used to rotate the biaxially-symmetric signal redirection element.
Abstract:
An OTDR system utilizes a laser source that is turned “on” and kept powered until its light reaches the end of the fiber span being measured (i.e., until the fiber span is fully illuminated). At any point in time after the fiber is fully illuminated, the laser source can be turned “off”. The return (reflected and backscattered) signal is directed into a photodetector of the OTDR, and is measured from the point in time when the fiber span starts to be illuminated. The measurements are made by sampling the return signal at predetermined time intervals—defined as the sampling rate. The created power samples are then subjected to post-processing in the form of a differentiation operation to create a conventional OTDR trace from the collected data.
Abstract:
An OTDR system utilizes a laser source that is turned “on” and kept powered until its light reaches the end of the fiber span being measured (i.e., until the fiber span is fully illuminated). At any point in time after the fiber is fully illuminated, the laser source can be turned “off”. The return (reflected and backscattered) signal is directed into a photodetector of the OTDR, and is measured from the point in time when the fiber span starts to be illuminated. The measurements are made by sampling the return signal at predetermined time intervals—defined as the sampling rate. The created power samples are then subjected to post-processing in the form of a differentiation operation to create a conventional OTDR trace from the collected data.
Abstract:
An OTDR system utilizes a laser source that is turned “on” and kept powered until its light reaches the end of the fiber span being measured (i.e., until the fiber span is fully illuminated). At any point in time after the fiber is fully illuminated, the laser source can be turned “off”. The return (reflected and backscattered) signal is directed into a photodetector of the OTDR, and is measured from the point in time when the fiber span starts to be illuminated. The measurements are made by sampling the return signal at predetermined time intervals—defined as the sampling rate. The created power samples are then subjected to post-processing in the form of a differentiation operation to create a conventional OTDR trace from the collected data.
Abstract:
An OTDR system utilizes a laser source that is turned “on” and kept powered until its light reaches the end of the fiber span being measured (i.e., until the fiber span is fully illuminated). At any point in time after the fiber is fully illuminated, the laser source can be turned “off”. The return (reflected and backscattered) signal is directed into a photodetector of the OTDR, and is measured from the point in time when the fiber span starts to be illuminated. The measurements are made by sampling the return signal at predetermined time intervals—defined as the sampling rate. The created power samples are then subjected to post-processing in the form of a differentiation operation to create a conventional OTDR trace from the collected data.
Abstract:
An optical amplifier module is configured as a multi-stage free-space optics arrangement, including at least an input stage and an output stage. The actual amplification is provided by a separate fiber-based component coupled to the module. A propagating optical input signal and pump light are provided to the input stage, with the amplified optical signal exiting the output stage. The necessary operations performed on the signal within each stage are provided by directing free-space beams through discrete optical components. The utilization of discrete optical components and free-space beams significantly reduces the number of fiber splices and other types of coupling connections required in prior art amplifier modules, allowing for an automated process to create a “pluggable” optical amplifier module of small form factor proportions.
Abstract:
An optical switch is configured in a “dual-ganged” switch geometry to provide for the simultaneous switching of a selected transmit/receive pair of optical signal paths between a specific optical communication device and an optical communication network. A biaxially-symmetric signal redirection component may be used to direct the signals between the selected channel and the optical communication device. A specific waveguide (e.g., fiber) array topology within the dual-ganged switch (DGS) breaks the symmetry between the network transmit/receive arrays and a pair of transmit and receive signal paths associated with the communication device to improve isolation and minimize the possibility of cross-talk between non-selected waveguides in the transmit and receive arrays. The possibility of “hits” during switching between channels can be eliminated, and is controlled by dictating the process or switching steps used to rotate the biaxially-symmetric signal redirection element.
Abstract:
An optical amplifier module is configured as a multi-stage free-space optics arrangement, including at least an input stage and an output stage. The actual amplification is provided by a separate fiber-based component coupled to the module. A propagating optical input signal and pump light are provided to the input stage, with the amplified optical signal exiting the output stage. The necessary operations performed on the signal within each stage are provided by directing free-space beams through discrete optical components. The utilization of discrete optical components and free-space beams significantly reduces the number of fiber splices and other types of coupling connections required in prior art amplifier modules, allowing for an automated process to create a “pluggable” optical amplifier module of small form factor proportions.
Abstract:
A doped fiber amplifier (e.g., an erbium-doped fiber amplifier—EDFA) module is configured to include metrology functionality for performing real-time measurements of the fiber spans connected to the EDFA. In one embodiment, a separate component utilized to perform optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR) measurements is embedded with the EDFA module. The OTDR measurement component includes its own laser source and detector, which are used to analyze the input and output fiber spans associated with the EDFA. In another embodiment, the pump laser of the EDFA is also used as the optical probe light source for the OTDR component, where the source is either “switched” or “shared” between performing amplification and providing OTDR measurements. In yet another embodiment, a “dual pump” source is included with the OTDR component itself and modified to utilize one laser for amplification and the other for OTDR purposes.