Patent ID: 7039323

Claim:
An optical transmitter for transmitting a first output data signal and a second output data signal, the optical transmitter comprising: a) a phase-locked-loop, the phase-locked-loop operable to receive a reference clock signal; b) a clock-recovery circuit, the clock-recovery circuit coupled to the phase-locked-loop, the clock-recovery circuit operable to receive a first input data signal, the clock recovery circuit generating a recovered clock signal; c) a first latch-decision circuit, the first latch-decision circuit receiving the recovered clock signal; d) a first latch, the first latch coupled to the first latch-decision circuit, the first latch operable to receive the first input data signal; e) a first electro-optical converter, the first electro-optical converter coupled to the first latch, the first electro-optical converter operable to transmit the first output data signal; f) a second latch-decision circuit, the second latch-decision circuit receiving the recovered clock signal; g) a second latch, the second latch coupled to the second latch-decision circuit, the second latch operable to receive the second input data signal; and h) a second electro-optical converter, the second electro-optical converter coupled to the second latch, the second electro-optical converter operable to transmit the second output data signal; wherein the first latch-decision circuit is configured to determine when to command the first latch to sample the first input data signal based upon (i) timing information received from the clock-recovery circuit and (ii) information extracted from the first input data signal.