Abstract: The present invention relates to a scheduling unit adapted to aggregate data units from a plurality of input ports to a common output port according to a service sequence. The service sequence identifies which particular input port must be served for a particular service slot. A scheduling unit according to the present invention features optimized jitter and queue occupancy figures. This is achieved by allotting a number of service slots to each input port in proportion to its service share, next by determining for each input port a corresponding number of candidate positions uniformly spaced over the service sequence, finally by resolving any contention between the so-determined candidate positions. A service slot is assigned first and foremost to the input port which has the highest number of candidate positions considered while determining the service sequence yet not assigned to any service slot, next which gets the highest service share.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a scheduling unit adapted to aggregate data units from a plurality of input ports to a common output port according to a service sequence. The service sequence identifies which particular input port must be served for a particular service slot.

Abstract: A laser transmitter comprising a laser diode (1) and a monitoring photodiode (2) adapted to receive a small part (LS1) of a light signal (LS) of the laser diode and to derive therefrom an output current (SC). The transmitter further comprises regulation means (4) adapted for receiving the output current and for sending a signal (CS) to a current driver (5) in order to regulate the input current (IC) of the laser diode (1) as a function of this output current (SC). The transmitter also comprises a register (6) adapted to store data to be used by the regulation means (4) or to be read by a serial interface, and pattern detection means (7) adapted to scan all the traffic and thus all the packets of the upstream flow to the laser diode (1) to check whether pre-determined bit-patterns are present.