Patent ID: 8867925

Claim:
A method comprising: encoding data for transmission by an optical transmitter that is driven by a signal driver, where the encoding includes inverting the data for transmission into inverted data that is different from the data for transmission, the encoding is according to a criterion that specifies a reduction of an aggregate electrical current of the signal driver, and the encoding includes setting an indicator to indicate that the inverting has been applied; operating the signal driver according to the encoded data to produce an output electrical current by the signal driver; optically transmitting, by the optical transmitter according to the output electrical current, a packet containing the inverted data over an optical fiber, the packet containing the set indicator; detecting an idle packet; encoding the idle packet to produce an encoded idle packet, the encoded idle packet including inactive data bits and at least an active data bit to provide a data bit transition between an inactive data bit and the active data bit, wherein a number of inactive data bits exceeds a number of the at least one active data bit in the encoded idle packet; and sending, by the optical transmitter, the encoded idle packet to cause synchronization of the optical transmitter with a receiver of the encoded idle packet.