Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for in circuit biasing and testing of a modulated laser and optical receiver in a wavelength division multiplexing optical transceiver board

US6580531B1 · kind B1 · utility

70Cited by
12References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 30, 1999
Grant dateJun 17, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 30, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S5/0201
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for in-circuit biasing of a modulated laser and bit error rate testing of an optical transmitter and/or optical receiver under the control of a test controller. The test controller is communicably coupled to an interface of a module under test, as well as to external test equipment. The test controller modifies operational parameters of the modulated laser, in order to obtain a desired output power and to obtain a predetermined extinction ratio. The operational parameters of the laser include a laser bias current, an electro-absorption modulator offset bias current and a modulation depth. The disclosed test controller also determines whether the optical transmitter and/or receiver exhibit acceptable bit error rates. The disclosed test controller uses a variable optical attenuator, in combination with an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) to control an optical signal to noise ratio for a signal terminating at either the transmitter or the receiver of the optical transceiver under test. The system measures a number of relatively low bit error rates corresponding to a number of generated signal to noise ratios and, based upon the measured values, projects a sig…

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