Abstract: A telecommunications module with a circuit board including pairs of connectors mounting on both sides of the circuit board held within a housing by structure that holds the circuit board offset from the front and rear of the module and connectors accessible openings in the rear wall of the module. A telecommunications patch panel including one or more modules mounted to the rear of a faceplate, each module with a circuit board including pairs of electrically linked connectors mounting on both sides of the circuit board held within the module by structure that holds the circuit board offset from the front and rear of the module with connectors accessible through a rear wall of the module and through the faceplate. A method of assembling a telecommunications module and a method of assembling a telecommunications patch panel including one or more modules attached to the rear of a faceplate.

Abstract: An optical fiber cable management panel is provided with slideable drawers and structure within the drawers for cable management and/or connection to other devices. Tray inserts drop into the drawers to provide the appropriate management and connection devices. A movable take-up mechanism manages the cable entering and exiting the drawers at side openings. Stackable pivoting storage trays on the tray insert include a detent arrangement for holding each tray in a pivoted access position. The tray inserts further include a front key, and a back tab mounting arrangement for mounting the tray inserts to the drawers, and side radius limiters including notches for extending over raised portions of the drawer. The take-up mechanism includes a U-shaped trough section and cable retention tabs. A control mechanism is provided for controlling movement of the take-up mechanism relative to the drawer.

Abstract: A telecommunications device including a chassis having a card housing for containing a plurality of splitter cards. The card housing includes front and back ends. The front end of the card housing defines an access opening for allowing the splitter cards to be inserted into or removed from the card housing. The device also includes a plurality of card edge connectors for providing electrical connections with the splitter cards. The card edge connectors are located within the card housing adjacent to the back end of the housing. Each card edge connector is arranged in a generally horizontal orientation. The device further includes forwardly facing LINE, POTS and DATA connectors that are electrically connected to the card edge connectors. At least the LINE and POTS connectors are positioned in a generally horizontal orientation.

Abstract: A telecommunications device including a plurality of splitter cards mounted within a chassis. The device also includes a circuit board and a plurality of card edge connectors for providing electrical connections between the splitter cards and the circuit board. The device further includes POTS connectors electrically connected to the card edge connectors by first tracings of the circuit board, LINE connectors electrically connected to the card edge connectors by second tracings of the circuit board, and DATA connectors electrically connected to the card edge connectors by third tracings of the circuit board. The POTS and LINE connectors are arranged in pairs with the POTS and LINE connectors of each pair being electrically connected to a common one of the card edge connectors. The POTS and LINE connectors of at least some of the pairs are inverted in orientation relative to one another.

Abstract: A telecommunications device including a plurality of splitter cards mounted in a chassis. The device also includes a circuit board and plurality of card edge connectors for providing electrical connections between the splitter cards and the circuit board. The device further includes POTS connectors, LINE connectors and DATA connectors. The circuit board includes a first layer having first tracings that electrically connect contacts of at least one of the POTS, LINE or DATA connectors to at least one of the card edge connectors; a second layer having second tracings that electrically connect contacts of at least one of the POTS, LINE or DATA connectors to at least one of the card edge connectors; and a third layer having third tracings that electrically connect contacts of at least one of the POTS, LINE or DATA connectors to at least one of the card edge connectors. The second layer is positioned between the first and third layers. A majority of the second layer is covered by a grounding plane.

Abstract: A telecommunications device including a chassis having a card housing for containing a plurality of splitter cards. The housing includes front and back ends. The front end defines an access opening for allowing the splitter cards to be inserted into or removed from the card housing. The device also includes a plurality of card edge connectors for providing electrical connections with the splitter cards. The card edge connectors are located within the card housing adjacent to the back end of the housing. The device further includes LINE, POTS and DATA connectors electrically connected to the card edge connectors. Guide members are located adjacent the back end of the housing for directing the splitter cards into the card edge connectors as the splitter cards are inserted into the card housing. The guide members include ramps aligned at oblique angles relative to a direction of insertion of the splitter cards.

Abstract: A circuit panel chassis having a plurality of angled slots in a top surface thereof. The angled slots improving flame containment inside the circuit panel chassis while providing for cooling the circuit components of the circuit panel.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for batch processing semiconductor lasers producing substantially contamination free laser bar end surfaces for optimal growth of end surface layers are provided. The method includes loading a laser cell comprising a plurality of laser bars and an empty cassette capable of holding a plurality of laser bars into a cleaving chamber and pumping the cleaving chamber down to a desired pressure. Next, a cleaving cycle is performed in which an end laser bar is cleaved off the laser cell. The laser bar is deposited in the cassette, while the laser cell is positioned for a subsequet operation. The cleaving cycle repeats until a plurality of laser bars are cleaved off the laser cell and loaded into the cassette. The cassette is then moved into a deposition chamber where a layer of material is deposited on at least one end surface of all of the laser bars in the cassette.

Abstract: A system and method provide for accessing a plurality of communication lines. Each of a number of line access devices is coupled to at least one of the communication lines. A patch circuit, associated with each line access device, provides for manually establishing a cross-connection between a first and second communication line. A bus couples the first communication line with the patch circuit. A locking circuit is coupled to the bus and the patch circuit. The locking circuit selectively enables and disables patch circuit access to the first communication line in response to a control signal. The line access devices may each comprise a single line card or a front and rear line card pair. A redundant power supply arrangement provides for keep-alive backup power for the front line card in response to a failure of primary supply power delivery to the front line card.

Abstract: An access network adapted to be coupled to a local exchange over a high-speed link is provided. The access network has a digital line carrier having a port adapted to be coupled to the high-speed link and a plurality of line cards. Each line card has at least one port adapted to be coupled to a transceiver. The digital line carrier selectively connects a transceiver associated with a port of one of the plurality of line cards of the digital line carrier with a transceiver associated with a port of another line card of the digital line carrier based on a signal sent to and returned by the local exchange.

Abstract: A system and method for accessing a number of communication lines by one or more testing devices are disclosed. Each of the communications lines is coupled through the system and includes a first termination at a first telecommunications termination site and a second termination at a second telecommunications termination site. The system includes a number of line access devices, each of which is coupled to at least one of the communication lines terminating at the first telecommunications termination site and at least one of the communication lines terminating at the second telecommunications termination site. One or more monitoring busses are defined by a number of relays, one or more of which is coupled to one of the line access devices. A test device interface, which is selectively coupled to the bus, provides bi-directional connectivity between the selected communication line and a selected testing device coupled thereto.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for distributing power in a media converter system. The method involves converting an input voltage to an intermediate voltage and transmitting the intermediate voltage to a downstream converter. The downstream converter converts the intermediate voltage to a usable output voltage that is supplied to the media converter ports. The apparatus includes a main power supply for creating the intermediate voltage and downstream converters located remotely from the main power supply for converting the intermediate voltage to the usable output voltage. Transmission cables are also included for providing the intermediate voltage to the downstream converters. The apparatus may also include a bus with connections for the power supply and a power distribution module. The power supply and power distribution module utilize identical connections thereby providing flexibility in positioning the power supply and distribution module in a chassis.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed that permit multi-directional fiber optic connections to a device. The multi-directional aspect of the fiber optic connections permit the connections to be aligned closely with the direction of travel of the fiber optic cables that interface with the device. Closely aligning the fiber optic connections on the device with the fiber optic cables' direction of travel maximizes the bend radius of the fiber optic cable near the point of connection or eliminates the bend altogether and reduces the likelihood of a broken fiber or signal attenuation.

Abstract: A system and method provide for accessing a plurality of communication lines. Each of a number of line access devices is coupled to at least one of the communication lines. A patch circuit, associated with each line access device, provides for manually establishing a cross-connection between a first and second communication line. A bus couples the first communication line with the patch circuit. A locking circuit is coupled to the bus and the patch circuit. The locking circuit selectively enables and disables patch circuit access to the first communication line in response to a control signal. The line access devices may each comprise a single line card or a front and rear line card pair. A redundant power supply arrangement provides for keep-alive backup power for the front line card in response to a failure of primary supply power delivery to the front line card.

Abstract: A fiber termination block including a frame structure adapted to be connected to a fiber distribution rack. The frame structure includes a front end and a rear end. A front fiber optic adapter array is positioned adjacent the front end of the frame structure. A plurality of rear modules are mounted at the rear end of the frame structure. Each of the rear modules defines a front opening. At least one coupler is mounted within each of the rear modules. A plurality of fiber optic cables are provided for transmitting fiber optic signals between the front fiber optic adapter array and the couplers. The fiber optic cables extend through the front openings of the rear modules to access the couplers.

Abstract: A method for controlling a plurality of service units in a telecommunications system with a multi-carrier transmission scheme is provided. Specifically, in one embodiment, the method includes broadcasting control signals for the service units over a plurality of control channels distributed in a number of subbands of a frequency bandwidth. The method further includes identifying the service unit to use the control signal with an identifier.

Abstract: A digital to analog converter is provided. The converter includes a multi-bit counter, a first and a second plurality of logic gates coupled to the multi-bit counter, a digital input selectively coupled to the first and second plurality of logic gates. . The converter further includes a first AND gate coupled to an output of the first plurality of logic gates and a second AND gate coupled to an output of the second plurality of logic gates. In addition, the converter includes a clock coupled to an input of the first and second AND gates and an input of the multi-bit counter and a filter coupled to an output of the first and second AND gates, wherein the filter includes an output for an analog signal based on the digital input.

Abstract: An optical communication system is provided. The optical communication system includes an optical fiber, an optical transmitter, and an optical receiver. The optical transmitter is coupled to the optical fiber. The optical transmitter is adapted to encode a pulse amplitude modulated optical signal based on at least two, independent input signals. The optical receiver is coupled to the optical fiber. The optical receiver is adapted to decode the pulse amplitude modulated optical signal to reproduce the at least two, independent input signals as output signals.