Patent ID: 7162160

Claim:
A method of monitoring operation of a fiber optic transceiver, comprising: in a memory within a fiber optic transceiver, storing a first set of digital equivalents of a plurality of predetermined setpoints for a bias current associated with a transmitter within the fiber optic transceiver, a second set of digital equivalents of a plurality of predetermined setpoints for an output power associated with the transmitter within the fiber optic transceiver; acquiring, at an integrated circuit within said fiber optic transceiver, input signals associated with operation of said fiber optic transceiver, wherein the input signals include the bias current and the output power; comparing the bias current to each digital equivalent in the first set of digital equivalents, the output power to each digital equivalent in the second set of digital equivalents; determining that said input signals conflict with at least one of the first set of digital equivalents and second set of digital equivalents; generating an alarm flag based on said conflict; and storing the alarm flag in a predefined location within the memory; and allowing a host to read from host specified locations within the memory, including the predefined location in which the alarm flag is stored.