Patent ID: 8509624

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: an optical transmitter, having an optical transmitter portion and an electrical transmitter portion, and configured to convert an electrical signal to an optical signal, and transmit the optical signal; an optical receiver, having an optical receiver portion and an electrical receiver portion, configured to receive an optical signal and convert the optical signal to an electrical signal; and a passive power controller configured to passively detect whether or not a cable is coupled with the optical transmitter and, if not, to place at least the optical transmitter portion in a sleep mode, wherein the passive power controller includes a micro-switch arranged so as to detect when a cable is coupled with the optical transmitter; wherein the micro-switch includes an actuator that when depressed closes the micro-switch; wherein the micro-switch is arranged such that the act of coupling a cable with either the optical transmitter or the optical receiver depresses the actuator; and wherein the passive power controller is configured to assume that a cable is coupled with the optical transmitter if the micro-switch is closed.