Patent ID: 8385751

Claim:
A communication apparatus, comprising: a control circuit including a memory, the control circuit being configured to monitor a characteristic of an optical path and store a plurality of values of the characteristic in the memory, the control circuit supplying a first control signal indicative of an average of the plurality of values of the characteristic; a driver circuit configured to receive the first control signal and select a first one of a plurality of drive signal formats in response to the first control signal; and an optical modulator, the driver circuit supplying a first drive signal to the optical modulator in accordance with the selected first one of the plurality of drive signals formats, such that the optical modulator supplies first optical pulses having a first one of a plurality of pulse shapes, wherein, in response to a change in the characteristic, the control circuit supplies a second control signal to the driver circuit, the driver circuit selects a second one of the plurality of drive signal formats in response to the second control signal, and the driver circuit supplies a second drive signal to the optical modulator in accordance with the selected second one of the plurality of drive signal formats, such that the optical modulator supplies second optical pulses having a second one of the plurality of pulse shapes.