Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein to provide analog-to-digital converter techniques. For example, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an analog-to-digital converter architecture is disclosed that utilizes optical techniques to convert an analog electrical signal to a digital electrical signal.

Abstract: A method for performing parallel digital-to-analog conversion of an n-bit digital input data signal at a frequency of fs including receiving the n-bit digital input data signal; generating M?1 delayed input data signals, M being the number of parallel conversions channels, the M?1 delayed input data signals having respective increasing amount of unit delay, the digital input data signal and the M?1 delayed input data signals forming M digital signals; holding the M digital signals for a first time period; performing a data transformation of the M digital signals using an M×M Hadamard matrix; generating M (n+m)-bit transformed digital data signals; converting each of the M transformed digital data signals to M analog signals; and performing a reverse data transformation of the M analog signals based on the M×M Hadamard matrix to generate an output analog signal indicative of the n-bit digital input data signal.

Abstract: An optical receiver and method of operating therfor. A photodiode converts a received optical signal to an electrical signal, which is provided to both high gain and low gain signal paths. First analog-to-digital converter ADC) circuitry is coupled to convert a high gain output signal into a first plurality of digital signals, while second ADC circuitry converts a low gain output signal into a second plurality of digital signals. A control unit is configured to monitor the amplitude of at least one of the low gain and high gain output signals. If the amplitude of the monitored signal falls below a predetermined threshold, the control unit is configured to select data provided by the first ADC circuitry. Otherwise, data provided by the second ADC circuitry is selected.

Abstract: A modulator, including an integrator (118), a bistable device (110), an adder (102) and a feedback loop (116) is provided. A method for converting a continuous time signal to a binary signal is also provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein to provide various optical techniques. For example, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a pulse position modulation discriminator architecture is disclosed for discriminating temporal positions of PPM-encoded optical pulses by converting them from time modulated to frequency modulated signals. As another example, time division multiplexed optical signals may be translated to wavelength division multiplexed optical signals. One or more of the architectures disclosed herein may be implemented, for example, to provide PPM to FM or time to wavelength conversion for receiver or transmitter applications.

Abstract: A duo-binary encoder performs a parallel processing and an optical duo-binary transmission apparatus using the encoder to enhance transmission capability. The duo-binary encoder has a judgment unit for judging whether an odd number or even number of ‘0’s exists in data input signals of N channels, a toggle unit for toggling an output signal of the judgment unit when a number of ‘0’s is even, an intermediate signal generation unit for determining whether phases of other channels are shifted or not, according to an data input signal on the basis of a predetermined channel of the N channels. A phase division unit divides data into a first data group having non-shifted phases and a second group of data that require a phase shift, according to an output signal of the intermediate signal generation unit and the data input signal. The divided first and second data groups are then output.

Abstract: A microwave frequency deflection cell analog to digital converter is provided. The phase velocity of an optical wave is effectively reduced to that of a microwave frequency electro-magnetic signal in an optical deflector. The electro-optic effect is used for a controlled deflection of an optical beam. The angle of beam deflection varies in accordance with an applied voltage, which may be a signal in the microwave frequency range. A device of the invention includes a birefringent crystal having transmission line conductors arranged to create an electric field in the crystal in response to an applied voltage, and mirrors arranged to create a multi-bounce path through the crystal for a light beam directed into the crystal on an entrance path that is non parallel to the mirrors. The multi-bounce path effectively slows the velocity of the optical wave to that of the voltage wave, permitting deflection or modulation of the beam by microwave frequency electrical signals.

Abstract: A system and method for quantizing a photonic signal involves passing the photonic signal through a photonic crystal. The photonic crystal has localized defects for splitting the photonic signal into a plurality of quantized photonic components and for directing the quantized photonic components to a set of optical detectors. A digital conversion of the photonic signal can occur by performing a threshold comparison of the quantized components, either in the electrical domain through comparators or in the optical domain through optical limiters.

Abstract: Inverters are efficient array-internal threshold detectors or comparators in digital imaging systems which use time-to-threshold A/D conversion, particularly CMOS image sensor arrays. The inverters compare sensor outputs to implicit inverter thresholds, with inverter outputs switching on threshold crossings. The inverters can have constituent transistors of with minimum size. Alternatively, non-minimum transistor dimensions can be selected to obtain desired threshold levels. Other logic circuits can also act as threshold detectors.

Abstract: Inverters are efficient array-internal threshold detectors or comparators in digital imaging systems which use time-to-threshold A/D conversion, particularly CMOS image sensor arrays. The inverters compare sensor outputs to implicit inverter thresholds, with inverter outputs switching on threshold crossings. The inverters can have constituent transistors of with minimum size. Alternatively, non-minimum transistor dimensions can be selected to obtain desired threshold levels. Other logic circuits can also act as threshold detectors.

Abstract: Interference caused by the propagation of a transmit signal transmitted from a transmit antenna to a receive antenna is effectively cancelled by an improved signal cancellation system. The system includes an interference cancellation signal generator that generates a time-delayed and amplitude-reduced representation of said transmit signal. A summing stage is operably coupled to the interference cancellation signal generator and the receive antenna. The summing stage subtracts the time-delayed and amplitude-reduced representation of the transmit signal from a receive signal to substantially cancel the interference. The interference cancellation signal generator preferably includes a novel programmable optical delay line that introduces a variable amount of optical delay to an optical signal derived from said transmit signal in addition to a thyristor-based sigma delta modulator that converts samples of the transmit signal to into a digital signal in the optical domain.

Abstract: An optical digital-to-analog conversion is realized by employing either a continuous wave or pulsed laser optical signal. The laser optical signal is split into a plurality of mutually coherent optical beams, which are phase shift modulated by bits of a digital data sequence to be converted to an analog signal. The phase shift modulated optical beams are recombined to realize the desired digital-to-analog converted optical signal.

Abstract: A signal converter for converting a digital input signal to an optical modulation signal includes a pilot signal-superimposing circuit which superimposes a pilot signal on a bias control signal, a monitor circuit for providing a monitor signal by receiving a part of the optical modulation signal supplied from the optical modulator, a first feedback system for providing an amplitude control signal to control an amplitude of the digital input signal through a frequency deviation signal obtained from the monitor signal, and a second feedback system for providing the bias control the bias signal through a multiplying frequency deviation signal obtained from the monitor signal.

Abstract: A Delta-Sigma Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) that can have a very high sampling rate (over 100 GHz) and which is preferably optically sampled to help achieve its very high sampling rate. The sampling rate can be many times higher than the regeneration speed of the electronic quantizers used in the ADC.

Abstract: The present invention aims at achieving an optical signal processing system which converts a higher speed optical signal to electrical signals by time-demultiplexing the signal with low-speed electrical signals. The present invention offers an improved optical signal processing system that converts a serial pulse train optical signal with transmission speed N to parallel pulse train electrical signals.

Abstract: An optical duo-binary transmission apparatus using an optical duo-binary transmission method is disclosed. The apparatus includes a duo-binary encoder that performs parallel processing. The duo-binary encoder includes a level change detection unit for detecting that levels of data input signals of N channels input at an nth input of channels change from 0 to 1, or from 1 to 0; a judgment unit for judging whether a number of level changes detected by the level change detection unit is odd or even; and a toggle unit for toggling an output signal of the judgment unit when the number of level change is odd.

Abstract: A circuit for processing the outputs of an array of photoconductive detectors, includes amplifiers (101) for amplifying the detector outputs and analogue-to-digital converters (109) for digitizing the amplified outputs. The A to D converters oversample the detector signals. A digital processor (110) then applies a linearity correction to the digitized signals. The circuit is particularly suitable for processing the signals from an array of photoconductive detectors in an FT-IR microscope.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for adaptively determining threshold values in a decision device, such as a decision slicer. In one embodiment, a slicer receives one or more updated threshold values during operation to adaptively accommodate changes in the received signal or the channel that may occur over time. The updated threshold value is based on a MIN value and a MAX value. The MIN values represent a value related to a recently received input that was determined to qualify for a particular slicer output and was less than the particular slicer output value. The MAX values represent a value related to a recently received input that was determined to qualify for a particular slicer output and was greater than the particular slicer output value. In one embodiment, the MAX and MIN value computation is based on scaling factors that dampen the rate of change of the threshold value.

Abstract: A serial photonic digital-to-analog converter employs a heterojunction thyristor device configured for optically-controlled sampling/switching to convert a digital word encoded by a serial digital optical data signal (e.g., serial optical bit stream) into a corresponding analog electrical signal. A voltage reference is operably coupled to the electrical input terminal of the heterojunction thyristor device. The voltage reference cooperates with the heterojunction thyristor device to sequentially generate at its electrical output terminal a voltage signal representing contribution of each bit of the digital word encoded in the serial digital optical data signal. A summing network is operably coupled to the electrical output terminal of the device. The summing network sequentially sums contribution of the voltage signal over the sequence of bits to produce an analog electrical signal corresponding to the digital word for output therefrom.

Abstract: Communication systems and methods are disclosed that route, detect, and decode encoded optical signals at network nodes based on channel codes assigned to the network nodes. In an example communication system, a network hub includes a channel selector that encodes an optical signal with a channel code assigned to one or more network nodes. The channel selector is configured to encode based on a channel selection signal provided to the channel selector and can include one or more fiber Bragg coders. Code-switched communication systems can include one or more nodes configured in ring, tree, or bus architectures.

Abstract: Device converts an analogue signal representing charges resulting from the photo-detection of electromagnetic radiation into a digital signal. Device includes (a) a number of photo-detectors connected in rows and columns through of buses, the photo-detectors in one column sharing the same column bus, itself connected to an output stage by through a row bus, and between each photo-detector and the column bus, (b) an integrator, to integrate the charges arriving from the photo-detector, (c) means for resetting the integrator, and (d) a comparator to compare the voltage Vp from the integrator with an internally predefined threshold voltage Vs, characterized in that it also includes a processing device, a clock, the clock controlling the processing device and the processing device receiving a binary value present at the output of the comparator at each signal from the clock.

Abstract: The present invention relates to all-optical OR and XOR logic elements employing saturable absorbers as optical gates. Saturable absorbers are arranged in paths of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer, respectively. If the total power of an input optical signal and a continuous wave signal is higher than a transparent input power of the saturable absorbers, the input optical signal passes through the saturable absorbers, and then the optical signals through the two paths are combined, so that it is possible to obtain the operational characteristics of the OR and XOR logic elements. According to the present invention, unlike the optical logic element using a cross-phase modulation by a semiconductor optical amplifier, phase difference depending upon the input optical power is not generated between two paths, so that it is possible to alleviate a restriction of an allowable range of the input optical power.

Abstract: An opto-electronic A/D converter includes a tunable laser for wavelength modulating a narrowband coherent electromagnetic beam by the amplitude of the analog signal. A grating transforms the wavelength modulated beam into a corresponding angularly modulated beam. A set of kinoforms diffract the angularly modulated beam into a bundle of diffracted beams. Detectors determine the digital signal by repeatedly sampling the spatial power distribution of the diffracted beams.

Abstract: A high speed D/A converter includes a phase aligner, and a vector summation block. The phase aligner operates to ensure precise phase alignment between corresponding bits of a parallel N-bit digital signal having a data rate of at least 2 GHz. The vector addition block performs a vector addition of the phase-aligned bits of the parallel N-bit digital signal. Each bit of the parallel N-bit digital signal can be weighted to ensure a correct additive contribution to the analog signal level appearing at the output of the D/A converter. Vector addition of the weighted bits can be accomplished using a microwave signal combiner network in the form of either a multistage parallel cascade of impedance matched junctions, or a linear cascade of junctions.

Abstract: This invention discloses a hybrid photonic analog-to-digital converter using superconducting electronics to achieve a high-speeds. This scheme differs from most current designs by combining two systems, photonic and superconducting, to utilize each system for optimal performance. The photonic system performs the optical sampling of the signal with very low aperture and jitter errors. This optically sampled data is then converted to an electronic signal via an optoelectronic switch and quantized in the superconducting system. The high-speed (>100 GHz) superconducting electronic system transforms the quantized signal into a binary output. This invention allows for analog-to-digital conversion at much higher speeds than available with current electronic analog-to-digital converters.

Abstract: A method of transmitting data from a host computer to a portable information device is disclosed. Optical pulses are displayed by illuminating an area of pixels, or optical zone, on a display monitor. Time series of optical pulses are displayed, including a bit stream that provides clocking information displayed within an optical zone concurrently with a data bit stream encoded using a standard encoding scheme (such as a serial or parallel transmission scheme or a combination thereof), and then detecting and downloading the bit stream data by using a suitably configured sensing device connected to a portable information device. If the display monitor is a color display monitor, brightness of each primary color may be used as an independent transmission channel. In addition, multiple optical zones may be used to transmit data, which allows the present invention to be used with monochrome display monitors.

Abstract: The present invention is configured to include a code conversion circuit that is supplied with first and second signals having a first bit rate, and generates and outputs, through Exclusive-OR operation, third and fourth signals from which signals obtained by simply bit-multiplexing the first and second signals and having a bit rate twice the first bit rate are obtained, and an optical transmission circuit that performs optical modulation by a both-side electrode Mach-Zehnder type optical modulator using the third and fourth signals output by the code conversion circuit, and outputs an optical signal that is Exclusive-OR of the third and fourth signals. Hence, the output optical signal is Exclusive-OR of the third and fourth signals, that is, a signal obtained by simply bit-multiplexing the first and second signals and having a twice bit rate, and thus it is possible to transmit a high-speed optical signal having a twice bit rate with respect to the electronic signals.

Abstract: The space of the two-dimensional blinking pattern is divided into a plurality of resolution sub-spaces onto which the data to be transmitted is mapped in an encoding process. A data-receiving apparatus with a resolution thereof reduced to an insufficient level due to a long distance between the data-receiving apparatus and the data-transmitting apparatus is capable of reading a two-dimensional blinking pattern obtained as a result of a process to encode the data to be transmitted in a low-resolution sub-space. On the other hand, a data-receiving apparatus with a sufficient resolution is capable of reading a two-dimensional blinking pattern resulting from a process to encode the data to be transmitted in a high-resolution sub-space.

Abstract: A D/A converter is provided which is capable of avoiding an increase in occupied areas of the D/A converter on a board and of obtaining an output characteristic being excellent in linearity, which enables achievement of the D/A converter having a small integral-linearity error (INL) and a small differential-linearity error (DNL). The reference current composite blocks are cascaded between current controlling device groups and an output switch. At least one out of reference current composite blocks divides composite reference current amounts based on a predetermined weight and outputs them.

Abstract: A pipeline/subranging architecture is used to provide a circuit for analog to a digital conversion. A course analog to digital converter, a fine analog to digital to converter, combining logic circuitry and a digital to analog converter are used, together with a voltage to current converter and a current to voltage converter. A residual signal is formed as the difference between the input signal and an output signal of the coarse analog to digital conversion, the latter output signal having been converted to analog form by the analog to digital converter. The residual signal is then scaled appropriately and applied to the fine analog to digital converter. A final output signal is based on the output signals of the coarse digital to analog converter and the fine digital to analog converter.

Abstract: In the invention, an analog signal is converted to an optical deflection. In preferred embodiments, an N-bit parallel output is obtained. A particularly preferred embodiment patterns the light beam with a spatial filter into an N-bit binary light pattern that is then collected and sensed by optical detectors.

Abstract: A method of photonic analog-to-digital conversion including the steps of using an analog signal to modulate a laser, splitting the modulated optical output into 2N paths, attenuating the different paths along a gradient, then splitting each path again and recombining with an adjacent path in such a way that only one path has significant energy. An implementation architecture is also provided which includes a laser source, a modulator for modulating the laser source in accordance with an analog input signal, a first splitter section for splitting the modulated optical output into 2N paths, and for attenuating the different paths along a gradient, an interferometer section for splitting each path again and for recombining the signals in such a way that only one path has significant energy, and a decoder section for outputting a digital word corresponding to the analog input signal.

Abstract: In the invention, an analog signal is converted to an optical deflection. In preferred embodiments, an N-bit parallel output is obtained. A particularly preferred embodiment patterns the light beam with a spatial filter into an N-bit binary light pattern that is then collected and sensed by optical detectors.

Abstract: An optical analogue to digital (A/D) converter for converting an input analogue voltage signal into a digital output, comprising means for frequency modulating an optical signal with an input analogue voltage signal, delay means for splitting the frequency modulated optical signal and generating at least one differentially delayed signal and at least one reference signal, at least one combining means arranged to combine the or one of the delayed optical signals with the or one of the reference signals, and at least one converter means for converting a combined signal output from an associated one of the combining means to a digital code.

Abstract: In OCDM systems, optical signals have hitherto been transmitted to the receiving end in the optical transmission channel assigned at the transmitting end. This type of transmission is rigid and makes possible only simple network topologies, such as, for example, point-to-point. The object of the invention is to make possible a flexible allocation of channels. The code converter according to the invention serves to convert an optical signal from a first optical transmission channel to a second optical transmission channel, and includes a first optical filter for filtering the first optical transmission channel, an optical broadband source and a second optical filter for filtering the second optical transmission channel.

Abstract: A light to frequency converter includes a temperature coefficient generator, a programmable gain amplifier, and a current controlled oscillator having at least one photodiode configured to receive incident light, the at least one photodiode configured for generating a photodiode control current. The temperature coefficient generator outputs a bandgap reference voltage with temperature coefficient compensation (VBG_TC) in response to a bandgap reference voltage (VBG). The programmable gain amplifier is responsive to the bandgap reference voltage with temperature coefficient compensation (VBG_TC) for outputting an oscillator reference voltage (VREF).

Abstract: A delta-sigma modulator has a first node at which is produced a difference signal equal to the difference in magnitude between a continuous time analog signal and an analog feedback signal generated from a digital output signal; an integrator, coupled to the first node, to integrate the difference signal, thereby producing a first integrated signal; a photonic sampler, coupled to the integrator, to sample the first integrated signal, thereby producing a sampled integral signal; a quantizer, coupled to the sampler, to quantize the sampled integral signal, thereby producing the digital output signal; wherein an output of the quantizer is coupled to the first node through a digital to analog converter.

Abstract: An analog to digital converting device has a photo-coupled switching device that is composed of a plurality of input channels, and each input channel is composed of a pair of photo relays, wherein each photo relay is controlled by an A/D converting module to be turned on/off. Since the photo relay has high impedance, the isolation between two adjacent channels is enhanced, and possible damage from an interference voltage that occurs across two adjacent channels is avoided.

Abstract: A method of converting an analog signal to a digital signal includes (a) filtering the analog signal to the range 0≦fx≦fB; (b) sampling the filtered signal at a rate fS>>fN, where fS is the sampling frequency, fN=2fx is the Nyquist frequency of the sampled signal, and fB≦fS/2 is the constrained signal bandwidth; (c) converting the sampled signal to an optical sampled signal: (d) converting the optical sampled signal from a temporal signal to a spatial signal; (e) illuminating a smart pixel array with the spatial signal; (f) processing the spatial signal with an error diffusion neural network to produce a 2-D binary image; and (g) averaging rows and columns of the 2-D binary image using a digital low pass filter and a decimation circuit.

Abstract: A photonically sampled analog-to-digital converter using parallel channels of sampling and quantizing. The parallel combination achieves cancellation of the spurs that result from the nonlinear transfer function of the samplers. The samplers feed a dual-detector optoelectronic receiver that has differential inputs for suppression of laser intensity noise. The outputs of the multiple photonic samplers are averaged to reduce the effects of shot or thermal noise from the optoelectronic receiver of a sampler. The errors produced by the quantization process can be reduced by using a delta-sigma modulator-based analog-to-digital convertor as the quantizer which provides noise-spectrum shaping and filtering.

Abstract: In OCDM systems, optical signals have hitherto been transmitted to the receiving end in the optical transmission channel assigned at the transmitting end. This type of transmission is rigid and makes possible only simple network topologies, such as, for example, point-to-point. The object of the invention is to make possible a flexible allocation of channels. The code converter according to the invention serves to convert an optical signal from a first optical transmission channel to a second optical transmission channel, comprises a first optical filter for filtering the first optical transmission channel, an optical broadband source and a second optical filter for filtering the second optical transmission channel.

Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter including a first module of the type having a series of processor stages, each of the stages performing two conversions of the signal output by the preceding stage, firstly an analog-to-digital conversion and secondly a digital-to-analog conversion, followed by subtracting the signal obtained from the output signal of the preceding stage to provide the analog output signal of the stage. The first module further assembles together the signals digitized by each stage (S1, . . . , Si) so as to provide an assembled digital signal (SN(nT) which represents the input signal (e(nT) of the converter in digital form.

Abstract: An opto-electronic A/D converter includes a tunable laser (10) for wavelength modulating a narrowband coherent electromagnetic beam by the amplitude of the analog signal. A grating (12) transforms the wavelength modulated beam into a corresponding angularly modulated beam. A set of kinoforms (14) diffract the angularly modulated beam into a bundle of diffracted beams. Detectors (18, 20) determine the digital signal by repeatedly sampling the spatial power distribution of the diffracted beams.

Abstract: A photonically sampled analog-to-digital converter using parallel channels of sampling and quantizing. The parallel combination achieves cancellation of the spurs that result from the nonlinear transfer function of the samplers. The samplers feed a dual-detector optoelectronic receiver that has differential inputs for suppression of laser intensity noise. The outputs of the multiple photonic samplers are averaged to reduce the effects of shot or thermal noise from the optoelectronic receiver of a sampler. The errors produced by the quantization process can be reduced by using a delta-sigma modulator-based analog-to-digital convertor as the quantizer which provides noise-spectrum shaping and filtering.

Abstract: Luminance or color modulation of a display screen is used to transfer data to an external receiving device. At least a portion of the display screen is modulated, such as by intensity modulation, to represent a data digit. By using a plurality of intensity levels greater than 2, it is possible to represent data digits having a numerical base greater than 2. For example, providing modulation with ten different intensity levels allows each modulation “dwell” to represent a decimal digit. The modulation is sensed by a photodetector in the external receiving device and converted to the corresponding data digit.

Abstract: An optical data format converter and method using a Terahertz Optical Asymmetric Demultiplexer (TOAD) to increase or decrease the duty cycle of an optical signal. To increase the duty cycle, such as converting RZ pulses to NRZ format, the optical data is injected at the clock input port of the TOAD and a continuous wave (CW) laser feeds the data input port. A stretched copy of the input signal will appear at the output port of the TOAD, with the output pulse width determined by the TOAD sampling window. To decrease the duty cycle, the optical data is injected at the data input port of the TOAD and a pulsed control signal is injected at the clock input port. The switching window is selected to be smaller than that period of the NRZ signal causing only the portion of the NRZ signal that overlaps the window to appear at the output of the TOAD.

Abstract: An optical-to-electrical converter includes an input port configured to receive an optical signal. The converter further includes a splitter configured to split the received I optical signal into a plurality of optical signals. An optical stage has a plurality of parallel stages, and each parallel stage receives a corresponding one of the plurality of identical signals and outputs a corresponding one of a plurality of sampled optical signals within a corresponding sampling window. A plurality of delay circuits receive a clock signal having a plurality of clock pulses separated by a clock period. The delay circuits respectively output a plurality of control pulses at a plurality of delayed timings with respect to each clock pulse of the clock signal. An electrical stage receives the plurality of sampled optical signals and processes the optical signals at a sampling rate corresponding to the clock period of the clock signal.

Abstract: An optical analog-to-digital converter (ADC) comprises an analog input, an electromagnetic wave generator operatively connected to the analog input, an intensity discriminating material to refract an output electromagnetic wave, and an electromagnetic wave detector. The electromagnetic wave generator must be able to produce an output wave of sufficient intensity to induce a change in the refractive index of the intensity discriminating material. The electromagnetic wave generator must also be able to produce an output wave of varying intensity, the intensity being dependent on the analog input. An intensity discriminating material is one that has a different index of refraction for electromagnetic waves of different intensities. The method of converting an analog signal to a digital signal includes the steps of providing an analog input and generating an electromagnetic wave therefrom with the wave generator.

Abstract: A photonic, wide-band analog to digital converter and method for converting an analog electrical signal to a digital electrical signal by electrical signal processing wherein the analog electrical signal is first converted to an optical signal having a wavelength which is a function of the amplitude of said analog electrical signal. The optical signal is then filtered in a plurality of optical filter channels to create N optical bit signals forming an N bit binary word indicating the wavelength of said optical signal. These optical bit signals are then each converted to an electrical bit signal to form an electrical binary word.

Abstract: A fully optical converter for converting an analog signal into a digital signal includes an amplitude to optical wavelength converter for converting the analog signal into an optical signal which varies in wavelength in accordance with an amplitude of the analog signal, a splitter for applying the optical signal over a desired number of light paths, an interferometer connected to each of the light paths, unequal path lengths in each leg of the interferometers to allow optical interference to deliver a complementary sinusoidal transfer function to the optical signal to generate two complimentary output signals and a dual detector connected to each of the interferometers for generating a digital bit in response to the two complimentary output signals, wherein each of the digital bits together form a parallel digital word. The fully optically based converter is automatic and independent of interactive techniques, thus providing for an expedited conversion rate.