Patent ID: 7217041

Claim:
A method for connecting optical signals carried by optical fibers between an optical encoder readhead and an optical signal processing circuit including an optical signal processing IC, the method comprising: providing an optical signal processing IC having a plurality of photodetector portions arranged in a photodetector configuration; fixing the optical signal processing IC to a substrate at a first position and orientation; fixing a reference-surface block to the substrate in a second orientation and position based on the first position and orientation, the reference-surface block having at least a first reference surface; providing a fiber-optic end piece having at least a first corresponding-reference surface and a plurality of optical fiber locating features arranged relative to the first corresponding-reference surface and in a configuration that corresponds to the photodetector configuration; fixing a plurality of the optical fibers to the plurality of optical fiber locating features to provide a coupling configuration of optical fiber ends that nominally matches the photodetector configuration; and mounting the end piece relative to the reference-surface block such that the first corresponding-reference surface of the fiber-optic end piece abuts the first reference surface of the reference-surface block, the coupling configuration of optical fiber ends is aligned with the photodetector configuration, and the optical fiber ends and an end of the end piece are located proximate to a surface of the optical signal processing IC.