Method and apparatus for controlling an optical transponder

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided in accordance with the present invention in which a control mechanism, such as for example, a microcontroller, provides an interface between an optical transponder and an external control system, such that monitoring and controlling of the optical components of the optical transponder are accomplished in an efficient and cost-effective manner. In some embodiments of the present invention, methods and apparatus provide for testing and calibration of the optical transponder without removing any portion of a protective housing within which the internal components of the optical transponder are disposed.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of monitoring and controlling an optical transponder module, comprising: 
 executing a software program, stored in a memory disposed within the optical transponder module, on a microcontroller disposed within the optical transponder module;    sensing characteristics of the optical transponder module; and    communicating information indicative of the sensed characteristics to one or more output terminals of the optical transponder module;    wherein the optical transponder module includes a case.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein sensing characteristics comprises sensing the temperature at one or more locations within the optical transponder module.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein sensing characteristics comprises sensing the temperature at one or more locations within the optical transponder module, sensing receive power, and sensing transmitter power.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein sensing the temperature comprises converting an analog signal representative of the temperature to a digital value and providing that digital value to the microcontroller, sensing receive power comprises converting an analog signal representative of receive power to a digital value and providing that digital value to the microcontroller, and sensing transmit power comprises converting an analog signal representative of transmitter power to a digital value and providing that digital value to the microcontroller.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein executing the software program comprises generating a plurality of digital values , converting the digital values to analog control signals and communicating the analog control signals to one or more opto-electronic circuits within the optical transponder module.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the case comprises a physically protective and thermally conductive case.  
     
     
         7 . An optical transponder, comprising: 
 a plurality of electrical and optical components disposed within a housing, the housing being adapted to be physically protective of the optical components, and further being adapted to conduct heat, at least while the optical transponder is in operation, away from the optical components;    a microcontroller, disposed within the housing, the microcontroller adapted to communicatively interface with a controller external to the housing;    a temperature sensor electrically coupled to the microcontroller;    a parameter memory, coupled to the microcontroller, adapted to store calibration information; and    a connector, disposed through the housing, adapted to provide electrical communication pathways between the electrical components and at least one device external to the housing, and to further provide electrical communication pathways between the microcontroller and at least one device external to the housing.    
     
     
         8 . The optical transponder of  claim 7 , wherein the electrical components comprise a parallel-to-serial converter adapted to receive a plurality of signal inputs and provide a serial bit stream at an output terminal; and a serial-to-parallel converter adapted to receive a serial bit stream at an input terminal and to provide a plurality of signal outputs.  
     
     
         9 . The optical transponder of  claim 8 , wherein the optical components comprise a laser adapted to provide an optical output signal; and a photodiode adapted to receive an optical input signal.  
     
     
         10 . The optical transponder of  claim 9 , wherein the temperature sensor comprises a thermistor.  
     
     
         11 . The optical transponder of  claim 7 , further comprising a programmable, non-volatile, program code memory disposed within the housing, and coupled to the microcontroller.  
     
     
         12 . The optical transponder of  claim 7  further comprising: 
 an A/D converter electrically coupled between the microcontroller and one or more of the plurality of electrical and optical components.  
 
     
     
         13 . An optical transponder, comprising: 
 a parallel-to-serial converter adapted to receive a first plurality of electrical signals and having at least one output terminal;    an electrical-to-optical converter having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the parallel-to-serial converter, and having an output terminal adapted to provide at least one optical signal;    an optical-to-electrical converter having an input terminal adapted to receive at least one optical signal, and having an output terminal adapted to provide an electrical signal;    a serial-to-parallel converter having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the optical-to-electrical converter, and having a plurality of output terminals adapted to provide a second plurality of electrical signals;    a microcontroller;    at least one temperature sensor electrically coupled to the microcontroller; and    a parameter memory coupled to the microcontroller;    wherein the parallel-to-serial converter, the electrical-to-optical converter, the optical-to-electrical converter, the serial-to-parallel converter, the microcontroller, the at least one temperature sensor, and the parameter memory are all disposed within a case.    
     
     
         14 . The optical transponder of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 a D/A converter having a plurality of digital input terminals coupled to the microcontroller, and having a plurality of analog output terminals, at least a first one of the analog output terminals being coupled to the electrical-to-optical converter; and    an A/D converter having a plurality of analog input terminals, and a plurality of digital output terminals coupled to the microcontroller;    wherein the D/A converter and the A/D converter are disposed within the case.    
     
     
         15 . The optical transponder of  claim 14 , wherein the electrical-to-optical converter is coupled to at least one of the plurality of the A/D converter analog input terminals.  
     
     
         16 . The optical transponder of  claim 14 , wherein the optical-to-electrical converter is coupled to at least one of the plurality of the A/D converter analog input terminals.  
     
     
         17 . The optical transponder of  claim 14 , wherein the electrical-to-optical converter is coupled to at least one of the plurality of the A/D converter analog input terminals; the optical-to-electrical converter is coupled to at least one of the plurality of the A/D converter analog input terminals; and the at least one temperature sensor comprises at least one thermistor.  
     
     
         18 . The optical transponder of  claim 17 , further comprising a program code memory coupled to the microcontroller.  
     
     
         19 . The optical transponder of  claim 14 , wherein at least a second one of the plurality of D/A converter analog output terminals is coupled to the optical-to-electrical converter.  
     
     
         20 . The optical transponder of  claim 13 , further comprising an electrical connector coupled to the case, and adapted to provide a plurality of input, output, and bi-directional electrical signal paths between the microcontroller and at least one device external to the case.  
     
     
         21 . A method of operating an optical transponder module, comprising: 
 receiving a first signal indicative of a temperature in at least one region within a case of the optical transponder module;    accessing parameter information stored in a first memory, the first memory being disposed within the case; and    determining, based at least in part, on the first signal and the parameter information, a desired control signal.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the desired control signal comprises a digital value which, when applied to a D/A converter will produce a desired analog signal.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising applying the desired control signal to an opto-electronic circuit within the case.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the opto-electronic circuit comprises an electrical-to-optical converter.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the opto-electronic circuit comprises an optical-to-electrical converter.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein determining the desired control signal comprises executing stored instructions by a microcontroller which is disposed within the case.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising storing instructions for execution by the microcontroller, into a memory within the optical transponder module, from a device external to the optical transponder module.  
     
     
         28 . A method of monitoring a set of operational characteristics of an optical transponder module, comprising: 
 developing a plurality of characteristic signals, each of the characteristic signals representative of at least one operational characteristic in the set of operational characteristics;    processing the plurality of characteristic signals within a microcontroller by executing stored instructions, the microcontroller being disposed within the optical transponder module, whereby operational status information, representative of one or more of the operational characteristics is generated; and    providing the operational status information to output terminals that are coupled to the microcontroller, and that are adapted to couple with devices external to the optical transponder module.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein one of the characteristic signals is representative of at least one of temperature, receive power, and transmit power.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the set of operational characteristics comprises at least one of temperature, receive power, and transmitter power.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the devices external to the optical transponder module comprise electronic devices, and the output terminals are adapted to provide electrical signals thereon.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising determining whether at least one of the operational characteristics is outside of a normal operating range, and if such determination is affirmative, then communicating an alarm signal.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the alarm signal comprises information communicated through the output terminals coupled to the microcontroller.  
     
     
         34 . A method of operating an optical transponder, comprising: 
 reading one or more calibration values from a memory;    generating a control signal based, at least in part, on at least one of the calibration values; and    providing the control signal to an input terminal of an electrical-to-optical converter;    wherein the performance of the electrical-to-optical converter is controlled, at least in part, by the control signal.    
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein generating the control signal comprises: 
 providing a digital value to a D/A converter, the digital value based, at least in part, on at least one of the calibration values read from the memory; and  
 generating an analog signal at an output terminal of the D/A converter.  
 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising providing a second digital value to the D/A converter, the second digital value based, at least in part, on at least one of the calibration values read from the memory; generating a second analog signal at a second output terminal of the D/A converter; and providing the second analog signal to an input terminal of an optical-to-electrical converter; wherein the performance of the optical-to-electrical converter is controlled, at least in part, by the second analog signal.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising providing a second digital value to the D/A converter, the second digital value based, at least in part, on at least one of the calibration values read from the memory; generating a second analog signal at the output terminal of the D/A converter; and providing the second analog signal to an input terminal of an optical-to-electrical converter; wherein the performance of the optical-to-electrical converter is controlled, at least in part, by the second analog signal.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the calibration values are digital values; the first memory is a programmable, non-volatile memory disposed within a case that provides physical protection and thermal dissipation for the optical transponder; reading comprises accessing the first memory by applying control signals to the first memory, the control signals generated by a microcontroller disposed within the case.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein providing the control signal comprises providing a digital value on one or more output terminals of a microcontroller disposed within a case that provides physical protection and thermal dissipation for the optical transponder.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the memory and a microcontroller are integrated on a single chip, and the single chip is disposed within a case that provides physical protection and thermal dissipation for the optical transponder  
     
     
         41 . A method of monitoring and recording operational status information regarding the performance of an optical transponder module, comprising: 
 developing a plurality of characteristic signals, each of the characteristic signals representative of at least one operational characteristic;    processing the plurality of characteristic signal within a microcontroller by executing stored instructions, the microcontroller being disposed within the optical transponder module, whereby operational status information, representative of one or more of the operational characteristics is generated; and    storing the operational status information in a memory disposed within the optical transponder.    
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the memory is a non-volatile memory.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the memory is integrated on a single chip with the microcontroller.