Patent ID: 8068745

Claim:
An optical communications transmitter module for communicating information, said optical communications transmitter module comprising an amplifier to amplify a modulated signal which forms an RF input to a laser, an output of said laser varying in accordance with said modulated signal, said optical communications transmitter module further comprising: (a) a detection circuit that can measure the power of said RF input to said laser; (b) a gain controller that can control a gain of said amplifier, said gain controller being connected to said detection circuit; and (c) a switch connected to said gain controller; wherein said detection circuit is adapted, in response to the activation of said switch, to measure the power of said RF input to said laser; wherein said gain controller is adapted, in response to the activation of said switch, to automatically vary said gain of said amplifier to cause a change in the power of said RF input to said laser so that the detection circuit can determine a power of said RF input that corresponds to a reduction in the noise and/or distortion associated with the optical communications transmitter module and so that the detection circuit can correlate said gain of said amplifier to the power of said RF input that corresponds to a reduction in the noise and/or distortion associated with the optical communications transmitter module; and wherein said gain controller can set said gain of said amplifier at a level corresponding to the power of said RF input that corresponds to a reduction in the noise and/or distortion associated with the optical communications transmitter module.