Abstract: An electronic assembly tester for testing an electrical component of an optoelectronic device. The electrical component includes a transmit and receive port. The tester includes of a base, an arm, and a hinge. The arm includes a flex circuit and cables. The arm is rotated into a closed position to form a temporary electrical connection between the electrical component and the flex circuit. Other configurations for forming a temporary electrical connection between the test circuit and the electrical component are possible. The electrical component is evaluated by providing a data signal to the transmit portion of the electrical component and evaluating a return data signal obtained from the receive portion of the electrical component.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to an improvement in the ability of test systems to test bit processing capacities of electronic devices, and in particular an improvement in their ability to test the operation of an electronic device's transmitter and receiver circuitry. Data generated by a BERT is transmitted in an electrical form to a DUT and a master device. The DUT transmits data received in an electrical form to the master device in an optical form and the master device transmits data received in an electrical form to the DUT in an optical form. The master device and the DUT then transmit data received in an optical form back to the BERT in an electrical form. The data received from the DUT and the master device, respectively, is separately tested for bit errors. Do so enables to calculation of bit error rates for two distinguishable data paths through the DUT.

Abstract: Method and apparatus of attenuating an optical signal without adding extra components is presented. The drive current of the optical signal source is set to meet a predetermined bandwidth requirement and exceed a predetermined amplitude requirement. An optical isolator that is used to prevent back-reflections from reaching the optical signal source is used to achieve the desired amount of attenuation. More specifically, the invention includes controlling the attenuation by tuning an angle ? between the transmission axis of a polarizer that is part of the optical isolator and the original polarization state of the optical signal. By increasing the angle ?, the amount of attenuation is increased; by decreasing the angle ?, the amount of attenuation is decreased. The invention allows continuous tuning of the angle ?.

Abstract: Systems and methods for testing bit processing capacities of electronic devices and for reducing or eliminating jitter that compromises the ability of electronic devices to perform this task. Embodiments include circuitry and a methodology for locating and employing a data signal delay—in conjunction with a latch—to reduce or eliminate jitter from serial encoded data generated by a serializer/deserializer. The data signal delay ensures that the latch latches a state of the serial encoded data at a position within a data signal cycle of minimum jitter.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to an improvement in the ability of test systems to test bit processing capacities of electronic devices, and in particular an improvement in their ability to test the operation of an electronic device's transmitter and receiver circuitry. Data generated by a BERT is transmitted in an electrical form to a DUT and a master device. The DUT transmits data received in an electrical form to the master device in an optical form and the master device transmits data received in an electrical form to the DUT in an optical form. The master device and the DUT then transmit data received in an optical form back to the BERT in an electrical form. The data received from the DUT and the master device, respectively, is separately tested for bit errors. Do so enables to calculation of bit error rates for two distinguishable data paths through the DUT.

Abstract: An apparatus for coupling light from a light source into an optical waveguide having an entrance aperture for receiving light to be transmitted by the waveguide. The entrance aperture has a numerical aperture that may vary over the aperture. The apparatus includes an optical element that conditions the light from the light source and a diffractive optical element. The diffractive optical element generates a plurality of light spots from the light source. The light from each light spot enters the entrance aperture of the waveguide at a different point on the entrance aperture. Each of the light spots has a numerical aperture that is less than the numerical aperture of the entrance aperture at the point on the entrance aperture at which the light from that light spots enters the entrance aperture.

Abstract: An electronic assembly tester for testing an electrical component of an optoelectronic device. The electrical component includes a transmit and receive port. The tester includes of a base, an arm, and a hinge. The arm includes a flex circuit and cables. The arm is rotated into a closed position to form a temporary electrical connection between the electrical component and the flex circuit. Other configurations for forming a temporary electrical connection between the test circuit and the electrical component are possible. The electrical component is evaluated by providing a data signal to the transmit portion of the electrical component and evaluating a return data signal obtained from the receive portion of the electrical component.

Abstract: Method and apparatus of attenuating an optical signal without adding extra components is presented. The drive current of the optical signal source is set to meet a predetermined bandwidth requirement and exceed a predetermined amplitude requirement. An optical isolator that is used to prevent back-reflections from reaching the optical signal source is used to achieve the desired amount of attenuation. More specifically, the invention includes controlling the attenuation by tuning an angle &thgr; between the transmission axis of a polarizer that is part of the optical isolator and the original polarization state of the optical signal. By increasing the angle &thgr;, the amount of attenuation is increased; by decreasing the angle &thgr;, the amount of attenuation is decreased. The invention allows continuous tuning of the angle &thgr;.

Abstract: An apparatus for coupling light from a light source into an optical waveguide having an entrance aperture for receiving light to be transmitted by the waveguide. The entrance aperture has a numerical aperture that may vary over the aperture. The apparatus includes an optical element that conditions the light from the light source and a diffractive optical element. The diffractive optical element generates a plurality of light spots from the light source. The light from each light spot enters the entrance aperture of the waveguide at a different point on the entrance aperture. Each of the light spots has a numerical aperture that is less than the numerical aperture of the entrance aperture at the point on the entrance aperture at which the light from that light spots enters the entrance aperture.