Abstract: An optical communication system includes a transceiver with a light source, a transition lens and an optical medium. Each of the light source, the transition lens and the optical medium define a corresponding axis. The light source defines a normal launch axis. The transition lens defines an optical axis. The optical medium defines a longitudinal axis. A relative misalignment from a coaxial alignment of the corresponding axes of at least one the light source, the transition lens and the optical medium is used to reduce a back reflection incident at the light source. Such misalignments can be achieved by one or both of angular adjustments and offsets of the axes.

Abstract: An optical transceiver module includes at least one light source configured to emit an optical transmit signal having a transmit wavelength, at least one light detector configured to detect an optical receive signal having a receive wavelength, and an optical coupling system having at least one reflective-and-focusing (RAF) lens and at least one optical filter that discriminates the first and second wavelengths. The optical coupling system defines a transmit path and a receive path, each formed within one or more contiguous regions of the optical coupling system.

Abstract: An adapter includes a housing with opposed openings for receiving a first connector that is mechanically and optically mateable with a second connector to form one or more optical signal communication links. The housing is arranged with a slot for receiving a flexible material having an index of refraction that approximates the index of refraction of aligned pairs of optical fibers. The flexible material is appropriately sized to cover the fibers from each of the connectors. The optical fiber ends of a respective connector can be cleaned by inserting the connector in the adapter and advancing the flexible material. Once the optical fiber ends of both connectors have been cleaned and the flexible material further advanced, the connectors can be reinserted in the adapter to establish an optical signal link between the optical fibers.

Abstract: In an optical data communication system transmitter, in which a laser is driven with a laser modulation signal in response to a serial data stream, the laser driver adds peaking to a bit other than the first bit following a bit transition.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a router. The router includes a storage, a forwarding table management mechanism, and a longest prefix matching mechanism. The storage stores, in a data structure corresponding to a rich prefix node associated with a trie, a plurality of network address prefixes represented by the trie. The forwarding table management mechanism expresses a respective network address prefix using one or more of: 1) a traversal path on the trie from a root node to a subtrie of the trie; and 2) an encoded representation of a node in the subtrie. The longest prefix matching mechanism matches a network address with a longest prefix from the network address prefixes stored in the data structure corresponding to the prefix node.

Abstract: An optical communications module is provided with an optical coupling system that includes a reflective and focusing (RAF) lens and an index-matching material that together allow air gaps along the optical pathway, which are typically associated with the use of refractive optical elements used in known optical communications modules, to be eliminated. Eliminating these air gaps allows Fresnel reflection along the optical pathway to be eliminated, or at least greatly reduced. Eliminating or reducing Fresnel reflection reduces insertion loss and optical crosstalk in the optical communications module.

Abstract: A method for selecting a hash function, a method for storing and searching a routing table and devices thereof are provided. The method for selecting a hash function includes: hashing data to be hashed by using a current alternative hash function; decoding a hash result; accumulating decoded results until no carry occurs during the accumulation; and selecting a current alternative hash function with no carry generated as a formal hash function. The method for storing a routing table includes: dividing the routing table into a next-level node pointer portion and a prefix portion for being stored; and selecting a hash function by using the above method for selecting a hash function. The method for searching a routing table includes: directly searching an IP address to be searched according to a directly stored length of a next-level node pointer portion for storing the routing table; and reading a prefix node according to a searched result.

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: 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 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: Embodiments of the invention include an active optical cable and method for controlling the operation of the active optical cable based on the detection of signal loss, e.g., due to fiber breakage, within the active optical cable. The active optical cable includes first and second optical transceivers, each with an open fiber control module coupled between the transmission side and the receiver side of the respective optical transceiver. The transmission side of each optical transceiver is coupled to the receiver side of the other optical transceiver via a plurality of transmission channels, such as a plurality of optical fibers. Each open fiber control module is configured to detect an optical power level of an optical signal received by the receiver side of the optical transceiver within which the open fiber control module resides and, based on such detection, control the operation of the corresponding transmission side of the optical transceiver.

Abstract: A pluggable module connected to the backplane or other connection interface of an information system unit so as to provide additional functionality thereto (such as a communications interface to an electrical or fiber optics cable), and arranged to draw electrical power from the system. In order to prevent excessive in-rush current on connection, the module is provided with power control circuitry which is adapted to incrementally increase the supply voltage to components within the module in a manner so as to avoid power supply glitches in the system, such as a substantial voltage drop, and/or excessive current flow.

Abstract: An electro-optical transceiver module having at least one parallel optical transmit lane and at least one parallel optical receiver lane, the module comprising optical receiver lane signal detection circuitry to detect a loss of signal on one or more of the receive lanes, and optical transmit lane control circuitry to control a optical transmit lane corresponding to the receive lane, on which a loss of signal was detected to transmit a signaling mode optical signal indicating the loss of signal on the receive lane. In a multiple lane parallel optic embodiment, and by signaling a loss of a signal on a per lane basis, a break or fault in a sub-set of fibers of a parallel optical link will not result in the entire parallel optic link being lost.

Abstract: A method for selecting a hash function, a method for storing and searching a routing table and devices thereof are provided. The method for selecting a hash function includes: hashing data to be hashed by using a current alternative hash function; decoding a hash result; accumulating decoded results until no carry occurs during the accumulation; and selecting a current alternative hash function with no carry generated as a formal hash function. The method for storing a routing table includes: dividing the routing table into a next-level node pointer portion and a prefix portion for being stored; and selecting a hash function by using the above method for selecting a hash function. The method for searching a routing table includes: directly searching an IP address to be searched according to a directly stored length of a next-level node pointer portion for storing the routing table; and reading a prefix node according to a searched result.

Abstract: A printed circuit board having a pattern of fiducial marks on opposed edges of the board for assuring accuracy and alignment of an electrical connector printed on the board. The fiducial marks are printed as staggered indicia extending orthogoral to the printed contact row array of the electrical connector so that when the board is cut or routed, an inspection process can determine if the physical edges of the board, which determine the pin alignment with a mating receptacle, are within specification.

Abstract: An integrated optoelectronic module and optical fiber for coupling a pair of information system devices having an electrical input/output interface using optical signal communication including an optical fiber; a housing on at least one end of the optical fiber including an electrical connector for coupling with one of said information system devices; an electro-optic subassembly disposed in the housing for coupling to the information system device integrally coupled and attached to the optical fiber for transmitting an optical signal over the fiber; a circuit disposed in the housing for detecting the power of the received optical signal; and a communications interface for communicating the received power level to allow setting of the remove optics transmitter.

Abstract: A fiber optic communications cable for providing a short range, high speed data communications link between information system units, including an optical fiber with an integral housing at each end having an electrical connector extending from the housing and adapted to mate with a corresponding electrical connector on an external information system unit for transferring an information signal between the cable and the unit. A signal converter in the integral housing's converts the information signal between an electrical signal and a corresponding optical signal.

Abstract: A fiber optic communications cable for providing a short range, high speed data communications link between information system units, including an optical fiber with an integral housing at each end having an electrical connector extending from the housing and adapted to mate with a corresponding electrical connector on an external information system unit for transferring an information signal between the cable and the unit. A signal converter in the integral housing's converts the information signal between an electrical signal and a corresponding optical signal.

Abstract: An electro-optical transceiver module having at least one parallel optical transmit lane and at least one parallel optical receiver lane, the module comprising optical receiver lane signal detection circuitry to detect a loss of signal on one or more of the receive lanes, and optical transmit lane control circuitry to control a optical transmit lane corresponding to the receive lane, on which a loss of signal was detected to transmit a signaling mode optical signal indicating the loss of signal on the receive lane. In a multiple lane parallel optic embodiment, and by signaling a loss of a signal on a per lane basis, a break or fault in a sub-set of fibers of a parallel optical link will not result in the entire parallel optic link being lost.

Abstract: A pluggable module connected to the backplane or other connection interface of an information system unit so as to provide additional functionality thereto (such as a communications interface to an electrical or fiber optics cable), and arranged to draw electrical power from the system. In order to prevent excessive in-rush current on connection, the module is provided with power control circuitry which is adapted to incrementally increase the supply voltage to components within the module in a manner so as to avoid power supply glitches in the system, such as a substantial voltage drop, and/or excessive current flow.