Patent ID: 7542685

Claim:
An apparatus for transmitting a signal for optical network applications, the apparatus comprising: a first optical transmitter; wherein the first optical transmitter comprises: a first light source configured to generate a first laser signal in response to a first laser drive signal, the first laser signal being characterized by a frequency chirp magnitude; a first data modulator configured to receive the first laser signal and a first data drive signal and output a first chirped partially return-to-zero signal, a modulation depth of the chirped partially return-to-zero signal being adjustable by a driving RF power of the light source; a first signal source configured to generate a first non-return-to-zero signal; a first clock and data recovery system configured to receive the first non-return-to-zero signal and generate the first laser drive signal and a first data control signal, the first laser drive signal being capable of modifying at least the frequency chirp magnitude; a first data driver configured to receive the first data control signal and generate the first data drive signal; a first adjustment system configured to receive a first laser control signal and the first laser drive signal and adjusts an amplitude of the first laser drive signal in response to the first laser control signal; a first control system configured to receive a first input signal from an optical receiver and output the first laser control signal in response to the first input signal, the first input signal being associated with the first chirped partially return-to-zero signal.