Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for use in a parallel optical transmitter or transceiver to compensate for variations in optical crosstalk in an optical output power monitoring system that are caused by lasers being enabled and/or disabled. In particular, the method and apparatus cause adjustments to be made to the reference value of each optical channel based on determinations of whether one or more lasers of the other optical channels have been disabled or enabled. By making these adjustments, the average optical output power level of each laser of each channel can be maintained at a desired or required level even if one or more of the lasers of one or more of the other channels is enabled or disabled.

Abstract: In a connector system, a first connector is mechanically and optically mateable with a second connector to form one or more optical signal communication links A wiping cleaner is included on at least one of the first and second connectors for cleaning an optical port of the other of the first and second connectors when the connectors are plugged together.

Abstract: An optical cable connector is disclosed herein. The optical cable connector includes a housing; an aperture on a side of the housing for receiving unsplit duplex optical cable; a sharp edge, disposed within the housing and positioned to split a portion of the optical cable into two optical fibers when the cable is inserted into the aperture, the fibers for carrying optical signals; and electro-optical transceivers, disposed within the housing and aligned with the two optical fibers to receive the optical signals, the transceivers configured to convert the optical signals into electrical signals. Integrating the sharp edge within the connector precludes a user from having to manually split optical cable prior to inserting the cable into the connector, thereby making the connector relatively easy to use and reducing the likelihood the user will be injured.

Abstract: A consumer input/output (CIO) optical transceiver module, an active optical cable that incorporates a CIO optical transceiver module, and a method for using a CIO optical transceiver module in an active optical cable are provided. In contrast to optical transceiver modules currently used in active optical cables, which utilize parallel arrays of laser diodes and parallel arrays of photodiodes, the CIO optical transceiver module includes two singlet laser diodes and two singlet photodiodes for providing two high-speed transmit channels and two high-speed receive channels, respectively. Because the singlet laser diodes and photodiodes of the CIO optical transceiver module are less costly than the parallel arrays of laser diodes and parallel arrays of photodiodes that are used in known active optical cables, the CIO optical transceiver module can be manufactured at relatively low costs with high quality, and therefore is well suited for consumer applications.

Abstract: An optical transmitter relaxes the tolerance between a source assembly and a fiber receptacle to facilitate passive alignment. The source assembly includes a light source and a lens. The lens is held at a fixed distance away from the light source using precise support structures typically formed by photolithographic processes. The fiber receptacle includes an optical element. The fiber receptacle is adapted to hold an optical fiber at a fixed distance from the optical element. The lens substantially collimates light from the light source into the form of collimated light. The optical element focuses the collimated light onto the aperture of the optical fiber.

Abstract: A transceiver module includes a receptacle assembly that isolates the signal ground potential at which an opto-electronic subsystem operates from the chassis ground potential at which the transceiver module housing is maintained, while also helping maintain optical alignment of the system elements. The receptacle assembly can include a receptacle made of metal, a coupling made of metal, and a connector made of a dielectric material. The connector is interposed between the receptacle and the coupling to electrically isolate the signal ground potential of the opto-electronic subsystem from the chassis ground potential of the housing and receptacle. As the metal receptacle is mounted in an opening of the housing, it helps shield the housing against EMI.

Abstract: A module retention and electromagnetic interference (EMI) cage has a substantially flat, rectangular metal frame with retaining clip portions and EMI-shielding contact fingers. The frame has surface-mount legs to facilitate surface mounting the cage to the circuit board. An array connector is mounted on the circuit board within a central region of the cage. An electronic module can be inserted or plugged into the cage in conjunction with connecting the module to the array connector. As the module is inserted into the cage, the module resiliently deflects the EMI-shielding contact fingers. At approximately the same time as the connector of the electronic module mates with the array connector, the retaining clip portion mates with a portion of the housing to retain the module in this position.

Abstract: An active optical cable is provided that is well suited for consumer applications. In contrast to known Quad Small Form-Factor Pluggable (QSFP) active optical cables, the active optical cable incorporates at least one consumer input/output (CIO) optical transceiver module that is well suited for consumer applications. The plug housing of the known QSFP active optical cable has been modified to house at least one CIO optical transceiver module that utilizes laser diode and photodiode singlets, rather than the parallel laser diode and photodiode arrays used in the known QSFP active optical cables. These features reduce the overall cost of the active optical cable and make it well suited for consumer applications.

Abstract: A protective socket is provided for use with a parallel optical transceiver module. When the parallel optical transceiver module is seated within a receptacle of the protective socket, the side walls and bottom that define the receptacle of the protective socket protect the internal components of the parallel optical transceiver module from dirt, dust, gases, and other airborne matter.

Abstract: A connector having a Ball-Grid Array on one side of a connector circuit board and a socket recess on the other side of the connector circuit board can be used to mate an opto-electronic transceiver module to a system circuit board. A base portion of the transceiver module can be received in the socket recess. Within the socket recess, an exposed portion of the connector circuit board has an array of resilient conductive contacts corresponding to an array of conductive pads on the lower surface of the base portion of the transceiver module.

Abstract: A parallel optical communications device is provided that has a mounting core that functions as a mounting system for mounting core components of the parallel optical communications device. In addition, the mounting core functions as a heat dissipation system for the core components of the parallel optical communications device, and also protects the core components and other elements of the communications device from dust and damage that can be caused by handling and other factors. In addition to performing the aforementioned functions, the mounting core is configured to enable the parallel optical communications device to be made extremely small in size while also protecting signal integrity.

Abstract: An opto-electronic communication module includes a module body and a circuit board having an edge with conductive castellations extending between opposing surfaces of the circuit board. At least one opto-electronic communication device, such as an opto-electronic light source or an opto-electronic light receiver, is mounted on a surface of the circuit board in an orientation in which its optical signal communication axis is normal to the surface of the circuit board and aligned with an optical signal communication port of the module body.

Abstract: An optical communications system and method are provided in which multiple parallel optical communications modules are mid-plane mounted on a PCB motherboard. Each module is connected to an optical fiber ribbon cable. The modules are configured to have very low profiles and/or to provide an angular coupling of the ribbon cable to the module. In both cases, the module configurations obviate the need to leave a significant amount of space between a module and the one behind it for the purpose of providing room for the ribbon cable to exit the module without the cable being bent beyond its minimum bend radius. This feature allows the module mounting density on the motherboard PCB to be very high and allows the modules to be mounted closer to their respective hub ICs, which increases mounting density and allows the modules to be mounted closer to their respective hub ICs.

Abstract: A floating heat sink device is provided that attaches to a cage in a floating configuration that enables the heat sink device to move, or “float”, as the parallel optical communications device secured to the cage moves relative to the cage. Because the heat sink device floats with movement of the parallel optical communications device, at least one surface of the parallel optical communications device maintains continuous contact with at least one surface of the heat sink device at all times. Ensuring that these surfaces are maintained in continuous contact at all times ensures that heat produced by the parallel optical communications device will be transferred into and absorbed by the floating heat sink device.

Abstract: An opto-electronic module system includes an opto-electronic module having an optics engine module mounted on an opto-electronic module substrate. The optics engine module includes an opto-electronic light source and an opto-electronic light receiver mounted on an optics engine module substrate. The opto-electronic module substrate has an aperture that is aligned with the opto-electronic light source and the opto-electronic light receiver.

Abstract: An adapter is provided that has both an electrical coupling configuration that complies with the RJ-45 wiring standard for electrical communications and an optical coupling configuration for optical communications. The adapter is configured as an interface for at least two modular connector assemblies to enable the modular connector assemblies to communicate with each other either optically or electrically, depending on whether the plugs of the assemblies are configured to have optical or electrical communications capabilities.

Abstract: A modular connector assembly is provided that has both an electrical coupling configuration that complies with the RJ-45 wiring standard and an optical coupling configuration that provides the assembly with optical communications capabilities. In addition, the modular connector assembly is configured to have backwards compatibility with existing 8P8C jacks and plugs that implement the RJ-45 wiring standard. Consequently, the modular connector assembly may be used to communicate optical data signals at higher data rates (e.g., 10 Gb/s and higher) or to communicate electrical data signals at lower data rates (e.g., 1 Gb/s).

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for use in a parallel optical transmitter or transceiver to compensate for variations in optical crosstalk in an optical output power monitoring system that are caused by lasers being enabled and/or disabled. In particular, the method and apparatus cause adjustments to be made to the reference value of each optical channel based on determinations of whether one or more lasers of the other optical channels have been disabled or enabled. By making these adjustments, the average optical output power level of each laser of each channel can be maintained at a desired or required level even if one or more of the lasers of one or more of the other channels is enabled or disabled.

Abstract: A transceiver module includes a housing assembly, a single optical cable receptacle, an electronics subassembly in the housing assembly having a generally planar substrate, and an optics subsystem. The optics subsystem redirects an optical beam between the surface of the substrate and an optical axis of the receptacle. The structure of the housing assembly promotes airflow through the transceiver module. The transceiver module can be plugged into a chassis or cage of an electronic system. A latching mechanism can be included to secure the transceiver module in the cage. A tab can be included to facilitate un-latching and removal of the transceiver module from the cage.

Abstract: A TO-can header assembly is provided that has improved heat dissipation and thermal resistance characteristics. The TO-can header assembly includes a relatively large ceramic heat dissipation block that functions as both a carrier for the laser diode and as a heat dissipation device. The ceramic heat dissipation block is in contact with the upper mounting surface of the header to allow a relatively large amount of heat to quickly pass from the laser diode through the heat dissipation block and into the upper mounting surface of the header. The cylindrical side wall of the header is smooth, rather than notched, and at least a substantial portion of the smooth cylindrical side wall is in continuous contact with an external heat sink device. Heat moves rapidly from the header into the external heat sink device where it is dissipated, thereby reducing the thermal resistance of the header.