Patent ID: 7021837
Filing Date: 2006-04-04
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. An optical interface for a 4-channel opto-electronic transmitter-receiver module, said module having a module housing including at least one housing wall, an opening in said housing wall, a transmitter chip comprising a 4-diode laser diode array and a receiver chip comprising a 4-diode photodetector array, said transmitter chip and said receiver chip mounted in said opening; an optical head comprising an optical head body having a proximal face and a distal face, eight optical fibers extending through said body, each of said fibers having a fiber end on each said face, the fiber ends on said proximal face being grouped in two fiber end arrays each comprising four fiber ends evenly spaced from each other, said fiber end arrays being spaced apart from each other by a distance greater than the spacing between adjacent fibers in said arrays, the fiber ends on said distal face being evenly spaced from each other in a single array of eight fiber ends, said optical head body being secured to said module housing with said proximal face towards said housing wall and with each of said fiber end arrays in optical alignment with a corresponding one of said 4-diode laser diode array and said 4-diode photodetector array; whereby an 8-fiber optical fiber connector terminating an optical fiber transmission ribbon of eight evenly spaced fibers and coupled to said optical head body is optically interfaced to said single array of eight fiber ends on said distal face of the optical communication of said transmitter-receiver module via said optical fiber ribbon.