Patent ID: 7813247

Claim:
A hybrid laser diode driver (LDD) for driving a laser diode in response to receiving enable signals from a controller that is external to the hybrid LDD, the hybrid LDD comprising: a read channel to output a read current; a write channel to selectively output a write current; an oscillator channel to output an oscillator current; and a decoder that receives the enable signals from the controller, and based on the enable signals, controls timing of the currents output by the write channel; and registers to store amplitude values for the write channel; wherein the write channel includes a write digital-to-analog converter (DAC); wherein the write DAC of the write channel outputs the write current in response to one of the amplitude values stored in the registers being provided to an input of the write DAC of the write channel; wherein the decoder selects, in dependence on the received enable signals, which one of the amplitude values stored in the registers is provided to the input of the write DAC of the write channel, and when the one of the amplitude values stored in the registers is provided to the input of the write DAC of the write channel, to thereby control the amplitude and the timing of the write current output by the write channel; and wherein the read current output by the read channel, the write current output by the write channel and the oscillator current output by the oscillator channel are summed together to provide a current for driving the laser diode.