Patent ID: 8744268

Claim:
A transceiver module for use in a passive optical network, the passive optical network comprising an optical line termination unit coupled to a service provider for providing downstream data and receiving upstream data in an optical format to and from subscribers; a passive optical splitter coupled to the optical line termination unit and disposed at a location remote therefrom, the passive optical splitter adapted to divide the downstream data into multiple, substantially identical downstream optical signals and further adapted to receive multiple upstream optical signals; and a plurality of transceiver modules, each associated a with a respective subscriber and adapted to receive a downstream optical signal and transmit an upstream optical signal, each transceiver module comprising: a housing comprising a base and a cover; a circuit board disposed in the housing, the circuit board comprising a triplexer optical sub-assembly, a digital transmitter, an analog receiver, a digital receiver, and a digital controller coupled to said digital transmitter, analog receiver and digital receiver, wherein the triplexer optical sub-assembly is coupled to an optical fiber to receive the downstream optical signal and convert it into a first electrical signal and a second electrical signal, wherein the analog receiver includes an amplifier and the digital controller is configured to control the amplifier to tune DC bias or a pre-distortion circuit to maintain linearity and to provide an electrical RF signal from the first electrical signal to an RF interface, wherein the digital controller is further configured to control the digital receiver to receive the second electrical signal and provide a digital signal according to one or more protocols to a digital interface, under the control of the digital controller, wherein the digital controller is further configured to control the digital transmitter to receive a digital signal from the digital interface and convert the digital signal to a format appropriate for inputting to the triplexer optical sub-assembly, wherein the RF interface comprises a three-pin RF connector exposed from the housing, and wherein the RF connector is coupled directly to the circuit board and two of the three pins are coupled to ground, wherein the RF connector is configured to couple to and mount against a second circuit board without any interface cable.