Patent ID: 8095007
Filing Date: 2012-01-10
Classification: H04J

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for a wave division multiplexing-type optical communication system comprising: at least one of a modular integrated receiver and a modular integrated transmitter wherein the integrated receiver has an optical input port, and a plurality of electrical output ports carried by a first substrate; an optical element carried in the receiver module by the substrate with a multiple wavelength optical input coupled to the input port and a plurality of wavelength separated optical outputs, a plurality of optical-to-electrical converters carried in the receiver module by the substrate with each converter coupled to a respective optical output; a plurality of limiting amplifiers with each amplifier coupled to a respective converter and a respective electrical output with an output from each amplifier coupled to a member of the plurality of electrical output ports, and wherein the transmitter has a plurality of electrical input ports and an optical output port carried by a second substrate; a plurality of electrical-to-optical converters carried by the second substrate with each member of the plurality coupled to one of the electrical input ports; a many-to-one optical element with a plurality of inputs carried by the second substrate wherein each member of the plurality is coupled to a respective one of the electrical-to-optical converters with a multiple wavelength optical output coupled to the optical output port; and which includes the other of the transmitter module and the receiver module wherein the electrical outputs and inputs of the receiver module and the transmitter module are coupled to an electrical switching fabric.