An optical transceiver (10, 100), comprising: a platform (28, 128, 402); a transmitter (12, 102) including a source (34, 134, 456) and transmitter optics (36, 136, 450) on the platform (28, 128, 402) that emits an optical beam collimated to one-quarter wave or less that diverges in a transmitter field- of-view, FOV (20, 120, 406); a receiver (16, 106) including a detector (32, 132, 460, 502) and receiver optics (26, 126, 452, 506) on the platform (28, 128, 402) that detects optical radiation in a receiver FOV (22, 122, 410, 476); a light pipe (50, 150, 200, 300, 353, 400, 464, 512) on the platform (28, 128, 402), said light pipe (50, 150, 200, 300, 353, 400, 464, 512) comprising, an input face (202, 414) and first reflective surface (204, 418) in the transmitter FOV (20, 120, 406) to intercept a portion of the beam along a first axis and re-direct the beam; a second reflective surface (210,420) and output face in the receiver FOV (22, 122, 410, 476) that redirects the portion of the beam along a second axis towards the receiver (16, 106) to create a virtual object in the receiver FOV (22, 122, 410, 476); and an optical channel (218, 306) that guides the redirected portion of the beam from the first reflective surface (204, 418) to the second reflective surface (210, 420) to offset the second axis from the first axis; a processor (40, 144, 471) that processes a signal generated by the receiver in response to the virtual object to perform one or more built-in tests, BIT, on the transceiver; and a diffuser on the output face that homogenizes the beam to increase the size of the virtual object in the receiver FOV (22, 122, 410, 476), wherein the diffuser comprises an array of micro lenses. a platform (28, 128, 402); a transmitter (12, 102) including a source (34, 134, 456) and transmitter optics (36, 136, 450) on the platform (28, 128, 402) that emits an optical beam collimated to one-quarter wave or less that diverges in a transmitter field- of-view, FOV (20, 120, 406); a receiver (16, 106) including a detector (32, 132, 460, 502) and receiver optics (26, 126, 452, 506) on the platform (28, 128, 402) that detects optical radiation in a receiver FOV (22, 122, 410, 476); a light pipe (50, 150, 200, 300, 353, 400, 464, 512) on the platform (28, 128, 402), said light pipe (50, 150, 200, 300, 353, 400, 464, 512) comprising, an input face (202, 414) and first reflective surface (204, 418) in the transmitter FOV (20, 120, 406) to intercept a portion of the beam along a first axis and re-direct the beam; a second reflective surface (210,420) and output face in the receiver FOV (22, 122, 410, 476) that redirects the portion of the beam along a second axis towards the receiver (16, 106) to create a virtual object in the receiver FOV (22, 122, 410, 476); and an optical channel (218, 306) that guides the redirected portion of the beam from the first reflective surface (204, 418) to the second reflective surface (210, 420) to offset the second axis from the first axis; an input face (202, 414) and first reflective surface (204, 418) in the transmitter FOV (20, 120, 406) to intercept a portion of the beam along a first axis and re-direct the beam; a second reflective surface (210,420) and output face in the receiver FOV (22, 122, 410, 476) that redirects the portion of the beam along a second axis towards the receiver (16, 106) to create a virtual object in the receiver FOV (22, 122, 410, 476); and an optical channel (218, 306) that guides the redirected portion of the beam from the first reflective surface (204, 418) to the second reflective surface (210, 420) to offset the second axis from the first axis; a processor (40, 144, 471) that processes a signal generated by the receiver in response to the virtual object to perform one or more built-in tests, BIT, on the transceiver; and a diffuser on the output face that homogenizes the beam to increase the size of the virtual object in the receiver FOV (22, 122, 410, 476), wherein the diffuser comprises an array of micro lenses.