Abstract:
A system for measuring gains of a plurality of photo diodes includes a chamber adapted to host the plurality of photo diodes and a temperature control unit configured to control the temperature within the chamber to a predetermined temperature. A control unit selects at least one of the plurality of photo diodes. A hosting unit is configured to provide a bias voltage to the selected photo diode at the predetermined temperature. A light source transmits photo signals to the selected photo diode at the predetermined temperature. A measurement unit configured to measure current signals generated by the selected photo diode in response to the photo signals under the bias voltage at the predetermined temperature.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure relates to electro-optical devices, specifically, the measurement of gain factors of photo diodes for telecommunication applications. 
     CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED INVENTIONS 
     The present invention is related to commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/741,805, filed on Dec. 19, 2003, titled “Bi-directional optical transceiver module having automatic-restoring unlocking mechanism”, commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/815,326, filed on Apr. 1, 2004, titled “Small form factor pluggable optical transceiver module having automatic-restoring unlocking mechanism and mechanism for locating optical transceiver components”, commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/850,216, filed on May 20, 2004, titled “Optical Transceiver module having improved printed circuit board”, commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/893,803, filed on Jul. 19, 2004, titled “Single fiber optical transceiver module”, and commonly assigned Chinese Patent Application No. 200420034040.X filed on Jun. 15, 2004, titled “An APD Bias Voltage Test Equipment”. The disclosures of these related applications are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Computers are increasingly being connected to communication lines and other devices or networks with the computers performing as servers to the peripherally connected computers or devices. The data transfer throughput of computer servers can be increased significantly by using fiber optic lines. 
     An important component of many optical communication systems is the photo-detector which converts the optical signal into electric current. However, to overcome the degrading effect of circuit noise inherent in the electronic component of the receiver (in pre-amplifier stage), the conversion of light into electricity must be accompanied by amplification. A commonly used photo-detector that simultaneously detects light and internally amplifies the current is the Avalanche Photo Diode (APD). An APD is a solid state device (reverse-biased p-i-n junction) that can generate high gains. Each absorbed photon is converted into a photo-current pulse whose total area is a large multiple of the electronic charge. This gain factor, however, is inherently noisy: the net gain fluctuates each time a photon is absorbed. 
     Gain factor of photo-current of APD affects the receiving sensitivity. A high gain factor generates a relatively high shot noise and therefore decreases the detecting sensitivity of the system, whereas a low gain factor generates a low photo-current pulse below the optimal level of sensitivity. The level of the photo-current gain factor for an APD depends on the bias voltage applied to the APD. A higher bias voltage on an APD translates to a higher gain factor. The key to improve detecting sensitivity of the system is to the bias voltage on the APD such that the APD generates a high photo-current pulse while keeping the shot noise as low as possible. 
     Because an APD works with high internal fields, it can be sensitive to changes in the operating temperature. When holding the APD bias voltage constant, an increase in temperature will decrease the avalanche gain. A temperature compensation circuit on the APD bias voltage supply is typically used if the required operating temperature range is large enough to significantly impact on receiver performance. 
     One commonly used methodology to compensate the APD bias voltage is based on the generation and use of an informal formula, derived from pervious experiences. The formula is first used to estimate the temperature-to-bias-voltage characteristics at various temperature environments. The parameters of the compensation circuit are adjusted during testing. Due to individual difference of optical-electronic components, there is a big error to the estimation methodology. Since there are many parameters affecting the compensation circuit, this methodology with a single informal formula offers a hard adjustment and a low efficiency. Sometimes the APD even cannot achieve a high sensitivity after the bias voltage compensation based on this methodology. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, the present application relates to a system for measuring gains of a plurality of photo diodes, comprising 
     a chamber adapted to host the plurality of photo diodes; 
     a temperature control unit configured to control the temperature within the chamber to a predetermined temperature; 
     a control unit configured to select at least one of the plurality of photo diodes; 
     a hosting unit configured to provide a bias voltage to the selected photo diode at the predetermined temperature; 
     a light source configured to transmit photo signals to the selected photo diode at the predetermined temperature; and 
     a measurement unit configured to measure current signals generated by the selected photo diode in response to the photo signals under the bias voltage at the predetermined temperature. 
     In another aspect, the present application relates to a system for measuring gains of a plurality of photo diodes, comprising 
     a chamber adapted to host the plurality of photo diodes; 
     a temperature control unit configured to control the temperature within the chamber to a predetermined temperature; 
     a control unit configured to select at least one of the plurality of photo diodes and to send a bias control signal; 
     a booster circuit comprising a digital potentiometer, configured to receive the bias control signal from the control unit wherein the digital potentiometer generates a bias voltage for the selected photo diode in response to the bias control signal; 
     a light source configured to transmit photo signals to the selected photo diode at the predetermined temperature; 
     a measurement unit configured to measure current signals generated by the selected photo diode in response to the photo signals under the bias voltage at the predetermined temperature, wherein the control unit is configured to receive the measured current signals from the measurement unit and to compute the gain factor of the selected photo diode at the predetermined temperature using the measured current signals. 
     In still another aspect, the present application relates to a method for measuring gains of a plurality of photo diodes, comprising 
     controlling the environment of a plurality of photo diodes to a predetermined temperature; 
     selecting a first photo diode from the plurality of photo diodes; 
     providing a bias voltage to the first photo diode at the predetermined temperature; 
     transmitting photo signals at a predetermined intensity to the first photo diode at the predetermined temperature; 
     measuring current signals generated by the first photo diode at the predetermined temperature in response to the photo signals; and 
     computing the gain factor of the first photo diode under the bias voltage diode at the predetermined temperature using the measured current signals and the predetermined intensity. 
     The disclosed apparatus measures the gain factor of an Avalanche Photo Diode (APD) as a function of temperature. The apparatus comprises a test chamber with its inside temperature accurately controllable and a hosting unit residing in the test chamber. A light source unit emits test light signals and transmits the test light signals through a fiber optical line to the hosting unit. A current/voltage measurement unit measures the photo-current generated by the APD and the bias voltage applied to the APD. A control unit controls the temperature inside the test chamber, and the bias voltage applied to the APD. 
     The disclosed methods and system provide efficient means to measure the gain factors of a plurality of photo diodes, which reduces the temperature equilibrium times in using a single diode test chamber to sequentially test multiple diodes. The test throughput is significantly increased and the costs of the measurement reduced. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram for an apparatus to measure the gain factors of a plurality of photodiodes as a function of temperature. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram for the hosting unit of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram for the power interface unit of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram for the data/control interface unit of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a block diagram for the switch unit of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following detailed description of the present invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present invention. 
     This invention is to provide an apparatus to the measurement of the bias voltage for a plurality of Avalanche Photo Diodes (APD) as well as their photo-currents at different temperatures. The apparatus automatically measures the bias voltage applied to each APD as a function of the environment temperature while maintaining the photo-current output of each APD at a proper level. The data obtained from the measurement is recorded with high efficiency and precision, which satisfies the testing requirements of mass production. 
     A block diagram for the apparatus is shown in  FIG. 1 . The apparatus comprises a light source unit  110 , an optical attenuator  115  and an optical splitter  120 , a test chamber  130 , a hosting unit  140 , a current/voltage measurement unit  150  and a control unit  160 . 
     The light source unit  110  produces the input for the multiple Avalanche Photo Diodes to be tested. The light from the light source unit  110  is sent to the optical attenuator  115 , where the source light&#39;s intensity is adjusted to the right level. The light through the optical attenuator  115  is sent to an optical splitter  120 , where the light is multiplexed into a number of light channels, for example eight channels, shown as light signals  170  in  FIG. 1 . Light signals  170  from the optical splitter are sent to the APD under the measurement directly through an optical fiber. The APD are clamped in the hosting unit  140 , which resides in the test chamber  130 . 
     The test chamber  130  has an electronic heater. By changing the power supplied to the electronic heater of the test chamber  130 , the temperature inside the test chamber  130  can be accurately changed. The temperature changes inside the test chamber  130  emulates the real environments temperature changes that an APD will be in when it is put in use in a real optical communication system. 
     Inside the test chamber  130  is the hosting unit  140  where a number of Avalanche Photo Diodes, for example eight, reside. These eight Avalanche Photo Diodes detect for any light signals from the light signal lines  170 . The hosting unit  140  also takes a control input line  195  from the control unit  160 . 
     The hosting unit  140  outputs the bias voltage applied on one of the eight Avalanche Photo Diodes, together with the photo-current the APD generates to the current/voltage measurement unit  150  through the APD bias voltage/current line  180 . The measurement unit  150  measures the bias voltage and the photo-current and produces the corresponding digital data for the measurements. Then the measurement unit  150  sends the digital readings, through the data cable  190 , to the control unit  160 . 
     The control unit  160  takes the digital readings of the bias voltage on an APD and the photo-current from the measurement unit  150  and records the digital reading in its memory unit. The control unit  160  then sends out a control signal, through the control signal line  195  to the hosting unit  140 . The control signal includes the information of temperature setting in the test chamber  130 , which APD is to be tested, and what bias voltage is to be applied to the APD. The control unit  160  sends control signal  195  to adjust the APD bias voltage to ensure the APD produces a proper level of photo-current at a certain input optical power. The software of the control unit  160  will do this work automatically 
     Before the tests get started, information such as the temperature range inside the test chamber  130  and the temperature increase step needs to be set the control unit  160 . The measurement may start with room temperature. The control unit  160  sends out control signals to the hosting unit  140  to test APD # 1 . Following this commend, a switch circuit inside the hosting unit  140  applies the bias voltage to APD # 1 . The photo-current from APD # 1  is measured by the measurement unit  150  and is sent to the control unit  160 . The control unit  160  keeps on adjusting the bias voltage on APD # 1  according to the photo-current readings from the measurement unit  150  until the photo-current from APD # 1  reaches to a proper level. At this point, the current/voltage measurement unit  150  shifts to the voltage measurement mode to measure the bias voltage applied to APD # 1 . After recording the bias voltage and the ambient temperature the measurement for APD # 1  is finished. 
     The control unit  160  then sends out control signals to the hosting unit  140  to test APD # 2 . The test goes on until all eight Avalanche Photo Diodes have been tested. Then the control unit sends out control signals to the hosting unit  140  and the test chamber  130  to increase the temperature inside the test chamber by the temperature increase step, 30 degrees Celsius for example. After the temperature inside the test chamber  130  reaches and stables at the desired level, the control unit  160  sends out control signals to the hosting unit  140  to test the eight Avalanche Photo Diodes one by one again, at a higher environment temperature this time. When the second round of measurement is finished on all eight Avalanche Photo Diodes, the control unit  160  sends out control signals to the test chamber  130  to raise the temperature by another 30 degrees Celsius. When the target temperature is reached, the control unit  160  instructs the hosting unit  140  to perform another round of test on the eight Avalanche Photo Diodes. This loop is kept on by the control unit  160  until the whole desired temperature range is covered. When the measurement is completed, the bias voltage as a function of the ambient temperature can be fit to an analytical function by a numerical fit. 
     A more detailed block diagram of the hosting unit  140  is shown in  FIG. 2 . The hosting unit  140  comprises a power interface  210 , a data/control interface unit  220 , a boost circuit  230 , a channel switch circuit  240 , and a set of sockets to rigidly hold the multiple Avalanche Photo Diodes  250  to be tested. 
     The power interface  210 , shown in  FIG. 3 , provides two power supplies that are used in the hosting unit  140 , a +5V power supply and a +3.3V power supply. The power interface  210  takes a +5V power input  260  from a USB interface of the control unit  160 , as well as a +3.3V power input  265  from the system power supply. The two power supplies are stabilized through the capacitors, transistors and inductors in the power interface  210 , and produce two power supplies  360  and  370  for the hosting unit  140  to use. 
     The data/control interface unit  220  provides control signals for the hosting unit  140 . A block diagram for the data/control interface unit  220  is shown in  FIG. 4 . The data/control interface unit  220  comprises two major blocks, a parallel interface  410  and an octal bus transceiver with 3-state outputs  420 . The parallel interface  410  accepts the control signal  195 , which comes from the control unit  160 . One piece of information in the control signal  195  is a 3-bit encoded channel select signal  470  that informs the hosting unit  140  which channel is to be tested. Another piece of information in the control signal  195  is the host select signal  460  which shifts the measurement mode of the current/voltage measurement unit  150  between current for measurement of photo-current and voltage for measurement of bias-voltage. 
     The data/control interface unit  220  also transmits the bias voltage control signal  480  to the boost circuit  230  for the bias voltage setting applied to the APD under tests shown in  FIG. 4 . The boost circuit  230  comprises two major blocks, a voltage boost circuit  430 , and a dual temperature controlled digital potentiometer  440 . The digital potentiometer  440  takes the bias voltage control signal  480  and changes the resistance value based on the bias voltage control signal  480 . The change in the resistance value causes the output of the voltage boost circuit  430  to change. This output of the boost circuit  430 , marked as part  450  in  FIG. 4 , is the input signal to provide the bias voltage of the APD under test. 
     The outputs from the data/control interface unit  220  and the boost circuit  230 , the channel select signal  470 , the host select signal  460  and the bias voltage control signal  450 , are connected to the channel switch block  240 . 
     The channel switch block  240  comprised five major blocks, a decoder  510 , two drivers  520  and  530 , a double-pole double throw relay  540  and eight pieces of single pole single throw relay arrays  550 . 
     The decoder  510  takes the coded channel select signal  470  and decodes the 3-bit channel select into 8-bit channel select signals  515 . Of these eight channel select signals, only the bit for the APD to be tested is set low while the other seven are set high. For example, a channel select  515  value of 1111 — 1110 means that channel  1  is selected and this channel is closed, while all the other seven channels are open. 
     The decoded channel select signal  515  has a low driving power. Driver  520  raises the driving powers of the channel select signals  515 to channel select signals  525 . 
     The eight pieces of single-pole-single-throw relay arrays  550  take the channel select signal  525  as well as the bias voltage input  450  as the inputs. Depending on the channel select signal  525 , one of the eight APD is selected and the bias voltage supply  450  is applied to the selected APD. For example, if the channel select signal  525  is 1111 1110, channel  1  is selected. The single-pole single-throw array # 1  is closed while the other seven arrays are open. The bias voltage supply  450  is applied to APD # 1 . If channel select signal  525  is 0000 — 0010, channel  2  is selected. The single-pole single-throw array # 2  is closed while the other seven arrays are open. The bias voltage supply  450  is then applied to APD # 2 . Unit  550  generates output signals  270  (the bias voltage on each of the Avalanche Photo Diodes) and  545  (the photo-current produced by the APD under the test). The photo-current produced by the APD under the test  545  is an input to a double-pole-double-throw relay  540 . Two other inputs to unit  540  are the bias voltage input  450 , and a current/voltage select signal  536 . The current/voltage select signal  536  is the output of a driver  530 , which raises the driving power of the current/voltage select signal  470 , which comes from bus transceiver  420 . Depending on the value of the current/voltage select signal  470 , unit  540  outputs either the photo-current from the APD currently under test, signal  580 , or the bias voltage applied to the APD, signal  590 . The combination of signals  580  and  590  makes signal  180 , which is the input to the current/voltage measurement unit  150 . Coupled with unit  540 , the measurement unit  150  measures the photo-current  580  or the bias voltage  590  depending on the value of the current/voltage select signal  536 . 
     During the test, when the bias voltage is applied to APD # 1 , a photo-current is generated by APD # 1  and this photo-current is measured by the measurement unit  150 . With the photo-current as a feedback input, the control unit  160  sends out control signals to the hosting unit  140  to adjust the bias voltage on APD # 1 . With the adjusted bias voltage on APD # 1 , another photo-current from APD # 1  is measured and feeds back to the control unit  160 . This process is repeated until the photo-current from APD # 1  reaches to a proper level. The measurement for APD # 1  at this current temperature is finished, and the optimal values of bias voltage and the corresponding photo-current are recorded by the control unit  160 . 
     The control unit  160  then sends control signals to the hosting unit  140  to measure APD # 2  and the process is repeated on the rest of the Avalanche Photo Diodes in the hosting unit  140 . 
     The control unit  160  then sends control signals to the hosting unit  140  to raise the temperature in the test chamber  130  by a fixed number of degrees, 30 degrees for example. And the above measurements are repeated on all of the Avalanche Photo Diodes at the new temperature. Then the temperature is raised again for the same measurements at a different temperature point. This process is repeated until the whole pre-determined temperature range is covered. 
     The recorded data at the control unit  160  for each individual APD as a function of its environment temperature produces an accurate character for the variation of the proper bias voltage of the individual APD with respect of temperature changes. Using the data points produced by this apparatus, a functional curve can be fit between the bias voltage applied and its ambient temperature using a numerical fitting method. This curve produces a bias voltage compensation value at any given ambient temperature that is more accurate than bias voltage compensation calculated by using any general formula. 
     The temperature compensation of APD is applicable to minimizing temperature variations in opto-electrical and electro-optical signal transformations in optical transceiver devices comprising APDs. Details of the structures and operations of optical transceiver devices are disclosed in the above referenced and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/741,805, filed on Dec. 19, 2003, titled “Bi-directional optical transceiver module having automatic-restoring unlocking mechanism”, commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/815,326, filed on Apr. 1, 2004, titled “Small form factor pluggable optical transceiver module having automatic-restoring unlocking mechanism and mechanism for locating optical transceiver components”, commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/850,216, filed on May 20, 2004, titled “Optical Transceiver module having improved printed circuit board”, commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/893,803, filed on Jul. 19, 2004, titled “Single fiber optical transceiver module”, and commonly assigned Chinese Patent Application No. 200420034040.X filed on Jun. 15, 2004, titled “An APD Bias Voltage Test Equipment”. 
     Another advantage of the apparatus is that it is capable of measuring multiple Avalanche Photo Diodes with a single temperature equilibration. The apparatus consists of sockets that can hold multiple Avalanche Photo Diodes that allows measurements of the multiple Avalanche Photo Diodes at each temperature point. The apparatus reduces the temperature equilibrium time and diode mounting time in using a single diode test chamber to sequentially test multiple diodes. 
     Yet another advantage of this apparatus is, all the measurements at each and every temperature points on each any every APD inside the test chamber are made automatically, controlled by the software system installed in the control system. And all of the measurement results are automatically recorded in the control unit. Once the apparatus is properly set up, it can be easily used in the calibration for a big number of avalanche photo diodes. 
     Finally, although the number eight has been used as an example in the discussion for the total number of Avalanche Photo Diodes tested in the apparatus, the discussion should not be limited to only eight. The apparatus can be expanded to measure any number of Avalanche Photo Diodes within the physical limit of the hosting unit and the test chamber. To make a full use of the decoder for the channel selection signals, it is better to make the number of Avalanche Photo Diodes in the test 2 n  where n is a digital number. 
     Part Numbers 
     
         
           110  light source unit 
           115  optical attenuator 
           120  optical splitter 
           130  test chamber 
           140  hosting unit 
           150  current/voltage measurement unit 
           160  control unit 
           170  Input optical signals 
           180  APD bias voltage/current signal line 
           190  data cable 
           195  Control signal line 
           210  power interface 
           220  data/control interface unit 
           230  boost circuit 
           240  channel switch circuit 
           250  Series of APD&#39;s 
           260  +5V system power supply 
           265  +3.3V system power supply 
           270  bias voltage on individual APD (VPD[7:0]) 
           310  USB interface 
           320  Serial interface 
           330  voltage stabilizing IC 
           340  Inductor 
           360  +5V output signal 
           370  +3.3V output signal 
           381  capacitor 
           382  capacitor 
           383  capacitor 
           384  capacitor 
           385  capacitor 
           386  capacitor 
           391  diode 
           392  diode 
           410  parallel interface 
           420  bus transceiver (Octal bus transceiver with 3-state outputs) 
           430  voltage boost circuit 
           440  digital potentiometer 
           450  bias voltage input 
           460  3 bit channel select signal 
           470  host current/voltage select signal 
           480  VPDin control signal 
           510  decoder 
           515  decoded 8-bit channel select signals 
           520  drivers 
           525  channel select signals with higher driving power 
           530  drivers 
           536  host current/voltage select signal with higher driving power 
           540  double-pole-double-throw relay 
           545  photo-current from APD 
           550  eight pieces of single-pole-single-throw relay arrays 
           580  photo-current sent to current/voltage measurement unit 
           590  bias voltage sent to current/voltage measurement unit