Circuit and method for limiting current to prevent roll-over in laser diodes
US8670473B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 30, 2011 |
| Grant date | Mar 11, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 19, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S5/06832
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to an optical power monitoring circuit including an automatic power control (APC) loop and a microcontroller unit (MCU), and a method for monitoring the same. The APC loop comprises a laser diode (LD) and a feedback loop to maintain a laser optical power. The MCU is configured to (i) monitor a bias current using a current sense circuit, (ii) monitor a rate of change of the bias current with time, and (iii) adjust a target power of the APC loop. By monitoring the bias current and the rate of change, and comparing them against thresholds, the target power can be adjusted by the MCU, to prevent roll-over in the laser diode, damage to the laser, and/or a hard failure in the data links that use the laser.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.