Patent ID: 8917996
Filing Date: 2014-12-23
Classification: G01D,H04B,H04J,H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for remote sensor communications, comprising: an optical connection having a length greater than about one meter; a remote receiver operably connected to a first end of said optical connection, said remote receiver comprising: a photovoltaic assembly (PVA) for providing electrical power for use by the remote receiver in response to optical energy provided thereto; a remote sensor; and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) located in proximity to said remote sensor and comprising a JESD204-compliant serial transmitter element, said ADC operably connected to said remote sensor and receiving analog data therefrom, said ADC configured to digitize and serialize said analog data; and to transmit said serialized digitized data over said optical connection through a JESD204-complaint serial interface, wherein the analog data is serialized through the JESD204-compliant serial transmitter element of the ADC; a processor module operably connected to a second end of said optical connection, said processor module comprising: interface circuitry comprising a JESD204-compliant receiver element, said interface circuitry configured to receive said serialized digitized data from said optical connection and recover digitized data from said serialized digitized data; and a processor operably connected to said interface circuitry and configured to receive and process said digitized data; and a power-by-light (PBL) module operably coupled to said PVA, said PBL module comprising: a laser spaced apart from said remote receiver and said processor module, wherein said laser provides optical energy to said PVA; wherein at least a portion of said optical connection employs wavelength division multiplexing to transmit at least a sync signal and clock signal to said ADC from said processor.