Patent ID: 7001082

Claim:
A fiber optic connector, the connector comprising: a plug portion having a first end and a second end, where the first end receives at least one of: at least one first fiber optic cable providing optical energy, and, at least one second fiber optic cable for bi-directional optical data communications, a receptacle portion having a first end and a second end, the first end for mating with the second end of the plug portion, and the second end having, at least one first pin corresponding to the at least one first fiber optic cable, and, at least one second pin corresponding to the at least one second fiber optic cable, where the receptacle portion further includes at least one of: at least one first photodiode corresponding to the at least one first fiber optic cable for converting the received optical energy to at least one of analog and digital electrical energy for output on the at least one first pin, and, at least one second photodiode corresponding to the at least one second fiber optic cable for converting received optical digital communications data to at least one of analog and digital electrical signals for output on the at least one second pin, and where the at least one first photodiode is associated with a microprocessor with instructions for causing the microprocessor to monitor the optical energy received from the at least one first fiber optic cable.