Patent ID: 8515282

Claim:
A method for enabling an alternating current (AC) coupling of burst data signals received at an optical line terminal (OLT), wherein the OLT comprises a medium access control (MAC) module, a burst optical receiver, an AC coupling circuit and an AC coupling control circuit, and is operable in a passive optical network (PON), the method comprising: generating, utilizing the MAC module, an AC balanced hold-over pattern; inputting the generated AC balanced hold-over pattern to the AC coupling circuit in the absence of a burst data signal being received by the AC coupling control circuit, wherein the AC coupling circuit and the AC coupling control circuit are connected between the MAC module and the burst optical receiver; inputting a received burst data signal to the AC coupling circuit during the reception of the received burst data signal by the AC coupling control circuit; and generating, utilizing the MAC module, a reset signal to control the AC coupling control circuit to input the generated AC balanced hold-over pattern to the AC coupling circuit, wherein the reset signal is generated following receipt of the received burst data signal.