An optical engine (112A, 112B) comprising: a low-speed Tx line; a low-speed Rx line, wherein a low-speed Tx signal is transmitted on the low-speed Tx line and a low-speed Rx signal is received on the low-speed Rx line; an optical transceiver device (116A, 116B) comprising: an optical Tx lane and an optical Rx lane, wherein the optical transceiver device (116A, 116B) is configured to convert a high-speed electrical Tx signal into a high-speed Tx optical signal provided on the optical Tx lane, and convert a high-speed Rx optical signal received on the optical Rx lane into a high-speed electrical Rx signal, wherein the low-speed Tx signal and the low-speed Rx signal have a data rate that is lower than a data rate of the high-speed electrical Tx signal and a data rate of the high-speed electrical Rx signal; characterized in that the optical transceiver device (116A, 116B) further comprises a laser control pin operable to control a laser configured to provide light on the optical Tx lane; and an optical detect pin operable to provide an indication as to light detected at the optical Rx lane; a control circuit (118A, 118B) is configured to: selectively route the low-speed Tx signal at the low-speed Tx line to the laser control pin of the optical transceiver device (116A, 116B) in real time such that the optical transceiver device (116A, 116B) converts the low-speed Tx signal to a low-speed optical Tx signal at the optical Tx lane; and/or selectively route the low-speed Rx signal on the optical detect pin to the low-speed Rx line in real time; and a Tx signal conditioning circuit (170A, 170B) is coupled to the laser control pin and/or a Rx signal conditioning circuit (170A, 170B) is coupled to the optical detect pin, wherein: the Tx signal conditioning circuit (170A, 170B) is configured to condition the low-speed Tx signal prior to the optical transceiver device (116A, 116B); and the Rx signal conditioning circuit (170A, 170B) is configured to condition the low-speed Rx signal received from the optical transceiver device (116A, 116B). a low-speed Tx line; a low-speed Rx line, wherein a low-speed Tx signal is transmitted on the low-speed Tx line and a low-speed Rx signal is received on the low-speed Rx line; an optical transceiver device (116A, 116B) comprising: an optical Tx lane and an optical Rx lane, wherein the optical transceiver device (116A, 116B) is configured to convert a high-speed electrical Tx signal into a high-speed Tx optical signal provided on the optical Tx lane, and convert a high-speed Rx optical signal received on the optical Rx lane into a high-speed electrical Rx signal, wherein the low-speed Tx signal and the low-speed Rx signal have a data rate that is lower than a data rate of the high-speed electrical Tx signal and a data rate of the high-speed electrical Rx signal; characterized in that the optical transceiver device (116A, 116B) further comprises a laser control pin operable to control a laser configured to provide light on the optical Tx lane; and an optical detect pin operable to provide an indication as to light detected at the optical Rx lane; a laser control pin operable to control a laser configured to provide light on the optical Tx lane; and an optical detect pin operable to provide an indication as to light detected at the optical Rx lane; a control circuit (118A, 118B) is configured to: selectively route the low-speed Tx signal at the low-speed Tx line to the laser control pin of the optical transceiver device (116A, 116B) in real time such that the optical transceiver device (116A, 116B) converts the low-speed Tx signal to a low-speed optical Tx signal at the optical Tx lane; and/or selectively route the low-speed Rx signal on the optical detect pin to the low-speed Rx line in real time; and selectively route the low-speed Tx signal at the low-speed Tx line to the laser control pin of the optical transceiver device (116A, 116B) in real time such that the optical transceiver device (116A, 116B) converts the low-speed Tx signal to a low-speed optical Tx signal at the optical Tx lane; and/or selectively route the low-speed Rx signal on the optical detect pin to the low-speed Rx line in real time; and a Tx signal conditioning circuit (170A, 170B) is coupled to the laser control pin and/or a Rx signal conditioning circuit (170A, 170B) is coupled to the optical detect pin, wherein: the Tx signal conditioning circuit (170A, 170B) is configured to condition the low-speed Tx signal prior to the optical transceiver device (116A, 116B); and the Rx signal conditioning circuit (170A, 170B) is configured to condition the low-speed Rx signal received from the optical transceiver device (116A, 116B). the Tx signal conditioning circuit (170A, 170B) is configured to condition the low-speed Tx signal prior to the optical transceiver device (116A, 116B); and the Rx signal conditioning circuit (170A, 170B) is configured to condition the low-speed Rx signal received from the optical transceiver device (116A, 116B).