Patent ID: 8095005
Filing Date: 2012-01-10
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising: a receiver configured to be coupled to a first end of a multimode optical fiber and to receive a repeating optical test signal sequence of bits, said receiver having: a photodiode configured to convert said received optical test signal sequence of bits into analog electronic signals; an electronic dispersion compensation circuit configured to generate from said analog electronic signals a clock signal having a first rate corresponding to a bit rate of said optical test sequence of bits propagating through said multimode fiber; an analog-to-digital circuit configured to convert said analog electrical signals into digital electronic signals at a sampling rate that is lower than said first rate; and a digital signal processing circuit configured to process said digital electronic signals to determine a parameter to quantify a dispersion penalty due to propagation of said optical test signal sequence of bits along said multimode fiber, wherein said parameter is configured to indicate a suitability for said multimode fiber to carry traffic at data rates beyond originally designed data rates of said multimode fiber.