Abstract: A manner of processing bit-interleaved data traffic in a communication network. In the increasingly-common scenario where data traffic is bit interleaved and scrambled using a PRBS (pseudo-random binary sequence) before it is transmitted from a sender to a receiver, the receiver is configured to receive the transmitted bit stream and decimate it, that is, remove the bits of the bit stream that are allocated for the receiver, prior to descrambling. To accomplish this, the receiver employs an LFSR (linear feedback shift register) similar or identical to the one used by the sender to scramble the data. The LFSR is initialized by employing helper bits inserted by the sender or an initialization unit, and may employ other techniques for phase adjustment or state skipping depending on the nature of the transmitted bit stream.

Abstract: An optical line terminal transmitter front-end, an optical network terminal receiver front-end and a bit-interleaved passive optical network (BIPON). In one embodiment, the transmitter front-end includes: (1) a bit interleaver configured to group and interleave a plurality of user bit-streams to yield a combined single bit-stream, (2) an encoder coupled to the bit interleaver and configured to encode multiple bits of the single bit-stream into a multi-level code corresponding to a 2m-level multi-level signal and (3) a multi-level modulator coupled to the encoder and configured to modulate the multi-level code into the 2m-level multi-level signal.

Abstract: A virtual personal computer is implemented in a communication system comprising a plurality of central offices each of which communicates with a plurality of client devices over a corresponding access network. A given one of the central offices comprises at least one compute server and at least one storage server. The virtual personal computer is configured by allocating physical processing resources of the compute server and physical storage resources of the storage server to that virtual personal computer. User access is provided to the virtual personal computer via one of the client devices. The virtual personal computer can be dynamically reconfigured by altering the allocation of at least one of the physical processing resources and the physical storage resources to the given virtual personal computer responsive to particular applications selected by the user to run on the given virtual personal computer.

Abstract: An optical line terminal transmitter front-end, an optical network terminal receiver front-end and a bit-interleaved passive optical network (BIPON). In one embodiment, the transmitter front-end includes: (1) a bit interleaver configured to group and interleave a plurality of user bit-streams to yield a combined single bit-stream, (2) an encoder coupled to the bit interleaver and configured to encode multiple bits of the single bit-stream into a multi-level code corresponding to a 2m-level multi-level signal and (3) a multi-level modulator coupled to the encoder and configured to modulate the multi-level code into the 2m-level multi-level signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing a communication signal in an optical network. A network node typically includes a transmit train for generating transmissions and a receive train for receiving transmissions from another network node. The network node may be, for example, an OLT or an ONU. In a receiver implementing the described solution, a photodiode is employed to convert received optical signals into electrical signals that are then provided to a TIA or other device for producing a differential output having an inverted output and a non-inverted output. One of the outputs is delayed one bit and attenuated, then combined with the other output to produce an equalized signal for further processing by the receive train. The solution may be analogously applied on the transmit side for introducing pre-distortion, either in addition to or in lieu of in the receiver.

Abstract: In a dual speed passive optical network, an optical line termination (OLT) transmits a communication signal having a 10-Gb/s partition and a 2.5-Gb/s partition. The 10-Gb/s partition includes a 10 G data signal and a 2.5 G clock signal so that the PLL of a 2.5 G (legacy) optical network termination (ONT) can remain locked while a 10 G ONT is receiving data. The 2.5 G clock signal includes 1-bit spike signals of greater amplitude than the 10 G data signal.

Abstract: A directly modulated multi-electrode DFB laser is used to transmit information in a TWDM environment where the output power and the output wavelength of the laser output signal are determined by the ratios of bias currents simultaneously applied to the electrodes of the laser by a control circuit. The total amount of current applied to the electrodes is kept to a constant value to maintain the temperature of the laser constant. The electrodes of the DFB laser are positioned so as not to experience any thermal coupling between them or with any other component of the DFB laser.

Abstract: A manner of mitigating the self heating effect of a laser or other light source such as a laser in a network node of a communication network. A self-heating mitigation module is provided, the self-heating mitigation module includes one or both of a self-heating adjustment module to accelerate self heating at the beginning of a transmission and a sub-threshold lasing module that applies a sub-threshold current between transmissions. The self-heating adjustment module and the sub-threshold lasing module are preferable both used together and driven by a common signal, for example the burst_enable signal that facilitates transmission from the light source.

Abstract: A manner of processing bit-interleaved data traffic in a communication network. In the increasingly-common scenario where data traffic is bit interleaved and scrambled using a PRBS (pseudo-random binary sequence) before it is transmitted from a sender to a receiver, the receiver is configured to receive the transmitted bit stream and decimate it, that is, remove the bits of the bit stream that are allocated for the receiver, prior to descrambling. To accomplish this, the receiver employs an LFSR (linear feedback shift register) similar or identical to the one used by the sender to scramble the data. The LFSR is initialized by employing helper bits inserted by the sender or an initialization unit, and may employ other techniques for phase adjustment or state skipping depending on the nature of the transmitted bit stream.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for multiple bit rate optical data transmission. A passive optical network includes an optical line termination unit (OLT) connected to one or more optical network units (ONUs) by optical elements. The OLT is capable of performing downstream transmission to the ONUs at each of a variety of different bit rates, and each ONU performs upstream transmission at one or more bit rates. The OLT can sense a bit rate of a received transmission and change its operation so as to receive and process the transmission exhibiting the sensed bit rate. Each of the ONUs receives and processes downstream transmissions at one or more bit rates, but each ONU is capable of maintaining a phase and frequency lock to downstream transmissions at all bit rates supported by the OLT. One or more of the ONUs may also receive and process downstream transmissions exhibiting different or changed bit rates.

Abstract: A signal strength corresponding to an incoming optical burst from each of a plurality of optical nodes is measured. The measurements can be performed at system start-up, configuration/installation of the optical nodes and/or at certain intervals of operation of the optical nodes. Signal strength information for the optical nodes based on the measurements is stored in memory. When scheduling the optical nodes for transmission, a preferred transmission order is determined in response to the stored signal strength information. In an embodiment, the preferred order is determined to reduce differences in signal strength levels between consecutive optical bursts.

Abstract: A signal strength corresponding to an incoming optical burst from each of a plurality of optical nodes is measured. The measurements can be performed at system start-up, configuration/installation of the optical nodes and/or at certain intervals of operation of the optical nodes. Signal strength information for the optical nodes based on the measurements is stored in memory. When scheduling the optical nodes for transmission, a preferred transmission order is determined in response to the stored signal strength information. In an embodiment, the preferred order is determined to reduce differences in signal strength levels between consecutive optical bursts.

Abstract: A virtual personal computer is implemented in a communication system comprising a plurality of central offices each of which communicates with a plurality of client devices over a corresponding access network. A given one of the central offices comprises at least one compute server and at least one storage server. The virtual personal computer is configured by allocating physical processing resources of the compute server and physical storage resources of the storage server to that virtual personal computer. User access is provided to the virtual personal computer via one of the client devices. The virtual personal computer can be dynamically reconfigured by altering the allocation of at least one of the physical processing resources and the physical storage resources to the given virtual personal computer responsive to particular applications selected by the user to run on the given virtual personal computer.

Abstract: In a dual speed passive optical network, an optical line termination (OLT) transmits a communication signal having a 10-Gb/s partition and a 2.5-Gb/s partition. The 10-Gb/s partition includes a 10 G data signal and a 2.5 G clock signal so that the PLL of a 2.5 G (legacy) optical network termination (ONT) can remain locked while a 10 G ONT is receiving data. The 2.5 G clock signal includes 1-bit spike signals of greater amplitude than the 10 G data signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for clock and data recovery that is advantageous in burst-mode systems is disclosed. This clock and data recovery method allows a) fast locking to a rapidly changed phase of the transmission clock, and b) stable tracking of a slowly changing phase of the transmission clock. Such fast locking minimizes the “guard band” between consecutive transmission bursts, while stable tracking provides reliable data tracking, resulting in the efficient use of bandwidth. A plurality of clock signals, is generated, each having a different phase. The phase of an input signal data stream is determined and a desired clock signal in the plurality that corresponds to the phase of the input data stream is selected and used to sample the input signal data stream.

Abstract: A clock recovery method is disclosed wherein the FIFO delay of data words and the phase difference between a data word and a receiver clock are used to time data transmissions from a transmitter. The phase difference between the data word and the receiver clock is determined by the offset of a word relative to a desired position in a storage buffer. The FIFO delay is determined either by measuring the difference between a read pointer and a write pointer in the FIFO or, alternatively, by calculating the difference between a timestamp of the time a data word entered the FIFO and the current time as the data word is read from the FIFO.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for clock and data recovery that is advantageous in burst-mode systems is disclosed. This clock and data recovery method allows a) fast locking to a rapidly changed phase of the transmission clock, and b) stable tracking of a slowly changing phase of the transmission clock. Such fast locking minimizes the “guard band” between consecutive transmission bursts, while stable tracking provides reliable data tracking, resulting in the efficient use of bandwidth. A plurality of clock signals, is generated, each having a different phase. The phase of an input signal data stream is determined and a desired clock signal in the plurality that corresponds to the phase of the input data stream is selected and used to sample the input signal data stream.

Abstract: A clock recovery method is disclosed wherein the FIFO delay of data words and the phase difference between a data word and a receiver clock are used to time data transmissions from a transmitter. The phase difference between the data word and the receiver clock is determined by the offset of a word relative to a desired position in a storage buffer. The FIFO delay is determined either by measuring the difference between a read pointer and a write pointer in the FIFO or, alternatively, by calculating the difference between a timestamp of the time a data word entered the FIFO and the current time as the data word is read from the FIFO.

Abstract: A course wavelength division multiplexed optical network for transmitting time division multiplexed optical signals is disclosed. For downstream transmission, an optical line terminal generates a plurality of single wavelength optical signals having embedded time division multiplexed data streams. The single wavelength optical signals have channel spacing of at least approximately 20 nm. The single wavelength optical signals are multiplexed onto a multi-wavelength optical signal for transmission via an optical fiber. The multi-wavelength optical signal is demultiplexed into its component single wavelength signals using a course wavelength division demultiplexer. Each of the single wavelength signals is then split into multiple identical single wavelength signals for transmission to end users. Each of the users extracts its associated data stream from its assigned time slot.