Patent ID: 8861952

Claim:
An optoelectronic device comprising: a plurality of optical transmitters configured to emit a plurality of transmit optical signals representative of a plurality of transmit electrical signals, each of the plurality of transmit optical signals including primary data, and the plurality of optical transmitters including a plurality of default optical transmitters; a plurality of optical receivers configured to receive a plurality of receive optical signals and generate a plurality of receive electrical signals, each of the plurality of receive optical signals including primary data; and a controller configured to determine whether a remote device to which the optoelectronic device is communicatively coupled is status-link enabled, and: when the remote device is status-link enabled: effectively modulate transmitter bias currents for at least two of the optical transmitters with a low frequency status link signal such that first status data is simultaneously conveyed with primary data on at least two of the plurality of transmit optical signals; and detect second status data simultaneously received with primary data on at least two of the plurality of receive optical signals; or when the remote device is not status-link enabled: transition the optoelectronic device to or maintain operation in a low transmit power mode; and transmit the plurality of transmit optical signals including primary data to the remote device using the plurality of default optical transmitters.