Scheme of remote control of the slicing level of a receiver in a smart transceiver

Abstract

A scheme is described of remote control of the slicing level of a receiver in a smart SFP (or SFP+, or XFP) duplex (or BiDi, or SWBiDi) transceiver in a communication system using an operating system with OAM and PP functions, an OAM, PP & Payload Processor, a transceiver, a BERT, and an optical link in the field.

1 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A method for remotely controlling a first transceiver in an optical fiber communication system, the method comprising:
 configuring the first transceiver to operate in a loopback mode;   iteratively measuring bit error rate (BER) on a communication link with the first transceiver, the communication link including an optical link, and sending a message to change a first decision threshold level of a receiver of the first transceiver; and   determining a second decision threshold level for the receiver of the first transceiver, based on the iteratively measured BER.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising sending a slicing level message to the first transceiver, the slicing level message comprising information on the second decision threshold level for the receiver of the first transceiver. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein configuring the first transceiver to operate in a loopback mode comprises:
 sending to the first transceiver a message comprising a loopback operational, administration, and maintenance protocol data unit (OAMPDU), the loopback OAMPDU including a loopback payload; and   receiving the loopback payload from the first transceiver.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising disabling an output of a bit error rate test (BERT) device. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the first transceiver is configured to perform Ethernet in the First Mile Operation, Administration, and Maintenance (EFM OAM) functions specified in Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3 standard. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein measuring bit error rate (BER) on a communication link with the first transceiver comprises:
 enabling an output of a bit error rate test (BERT) device;   sending a pseudo-random (PRN) bit stream to the first transceiver;   receiving the PRN bit stream from the first transceiver; and   measuring BER on the communication link with the first transceiver, based on the received PRN bit stream.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein sending a message to change a first decision threshold level of a receiver of the first transceiver comprises:
 disabling the output of the BERT device; and   sending a slicing level message to change the first decision threshold level of the receiver of the first transceiver.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the first transceiver comprises a pluggable transceiver or a small form-factor pluggable transceiver. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the small form-factor pluggable transceiver comprises: a duplex small form-factor pluggable transceiver, a bidirectional small form-factor pluggable transceiver, a single wavelength bidirectional small form-factor pluggable transceiver, a duplex small form-factor pluggable plus transceiver, a bidirectional small form-factor pluggable plus transceiver, or a single wavelength bidirectional small form-factor pluggable plus transceiver. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the first transceiver is configured to support a data transmission rate of at least one gigabits per second (Gb/s). 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the optical link comprises an optical link without optical amplifiers or an optically amplified optical link. 
     
     
         35 . An apparatus for remotely controlling a first transceiver in an optical fiber communication system, the apparatus comprising:
 one or more processors remotely located from the first transceiver;   a second transceiver coupled to the one or more processors; and   a bit error rate testing (BERT) device coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:   send a configuration message, via the second transceiver, to configure the first transceiver to operate in a loopback mode;   iteratively measure bit error rate (BER) on a communication link with the first transceiver, the communication link including an optical link, and send a message to change a first decision threshold level of a receiver of the first transceiver; and   determine a second decision threshold level for the receiver of the first transceiver, based on the iteratively measured BER.   
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to send a slicing level message to the first transceiver, the slicing level message comprising information on the second decision threshold level for the receiver of the first transceiver. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 send to the first transceiver a message comprising a loopback operational, administration, and maintenance protocol data unit (OAMPDU), the loopback OAMPDU including a loopback payload; and   receive the loopback payload from the first transceiver.   
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to disable an output of the BERT device. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the first transceiver is configured to perform Ethernet in the First Mile Operation, Administration, and Maintenance (EFM OAM) functions specified in Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3 standard. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 enable an output of the BERT device;   send a pseudo-random (PRN) bit stream to the first transceiver;   receive the PRN bit stream from the first transceiver; and   measure the BER on the communication link with the first transceiver, based on the received PRN bit stream.   
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 disable the output of the BERT device; and   send a slicing level message to change the first decision threshold level of the receiver of the first transceiver.   
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the first transceiver comprises a pluggable transceiver or a small form-factor pluggable transceiver. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 42 , wherein the first transceiver comprises: a duplex small form-factor pluggable transceiver, a bidirectional small form-factor pluggable transceiver, a single wavelength bidirectional small form-factor pluggable transceiver, a duplex small form-factor pluggable plus transceiver, a bidirectional small form-factor pluggable plus transceiver, or a single wavelength bidirectional small form-factor pluggable plus transceiver. 
     
     
         44 . The apparatus of  claim 42 , wherein the first transceiver is configured to support a data transmission rate of at least one gigabits per second (Gb/s). 
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the optical link comprises an optical link without optical amplifiers or an optically amplified optical link.