Patent · US Expired

Optical data link

US4330870A · kind A · utility

61Cited by
13References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 5, 1980
Grant dateMay 18, 1982
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 5, 2000

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04B10/1127
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The disclosed optical data link provides full-duplex, high-data rate optical communications between geographically separate data processing facilities by means of identical optical transceivers. Transmitter optics include an LED and a collimating Fresnel lens for providing a collimated, modulated light beam. Receiver optics include a focusing Fresnel lens and a photoreceptor for converting the impinging modulated light beam into corresponding electrical signals, which are amplified by a gain-controlled amplifier. The LED is selectively translatable along its optical axis to provide focal length correction for temperature-induced focal length distortion, while the photoreceptor is selectively translatable along its optical axis to provide, in addition to focal length correction, a preselected amount of optical energy attenuation. To control the output signal level from the gain-controlled amplifier, a microprocessor in the gain control loop is responsive to a signal level code to selectively enable successive levels of electronic attenuation in the gain-controlled amplifier, and, if the dynamic range of electronic attenuation is exhausted without achieving an optimum output signal l…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.