Small form factor pluggable transceivers

Abstract

A small-footprint pluggable transceiver is configured to couple a cable connector to a network device. The small-footprint pluggable transceiver includes a first connection port, a conversion unit, a transceiver unit, and a second connection port. The conversion unit includes a bandwidth indication pin, and the transceiver unit includes a detection pin. The transceiver unit operates in a normal state based on a first voltage level provided by the detection pin, and operates in an abnormal state based on a second voltage level provided by the detection pin. The bandwidth indication pin indicates that the rate of the signal source received by the first connection port is an invalid rate based on the signal source being a copper cable type signal source, and the detection pin provides the first voltage level based on the invalid rate by being grounded by being coupled to a ground point.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a small package pluggable transceiver, and in particular to a small package pluggable transceiver with the function of supporting copper cable transmission. Background Art

[0002] Due to the increasing popularity of critical network systems (such as servers and central control systems) in the current network equipment field, the signal transmission layout for network systems has received increasing attention. In particular, optical fiber transmission can utilize the principle of total internal reflection of light in these fibers, making optical fiber transmission have the advantage of high transmission speed. Because of this, transceiver equipment for optical fiber transmission has been derived. Among them, the transmission application of small-form-factor pluggable transceivers (SFP) has attracted particular attention in the industry. Among them, small-form-factor pluggable transceivers are small, hot-pluggable optical transceivers used in optical communication applications in telecommunications and data communications. They are mainly used for optical transmission between the motherboards of devices such as switches and routers and optical fibers or UTP cables.

[0003] However, small-form-factor pluggable transceivers are generally not suitable for use with copper cables. This is because the transmission rate of copper cables (usually below 10Gbps) is much lower than the transmission rate of fiber optic cables (usually above 10Gbps), making them incompatible with high-speed small-form-factor pluggable transceivers. However, copper cables generally offer the advantages of being structurally stable and reliable, as well as being inexpensive. While copper cables offer a high cost-effective solution for signal transmission in applications where the transmission rate does not require high speeds, small-form-factor pluggable transceivers are not compatible with copper cables. This often requires replacing small-form-factor pluggable transceivers with other transceiver devices in order to connect to copper cables, resulting in poor compatibility.

[0004] Therefore, how to design a small-package pluggable transceiver that supports copper cable transmission and makes the small-package pluggable transceiver compatible with copper cable type signal sources is a major research topic that the creators of this case want to conduct. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a small-package pluggable transceiver with a function of supporting copper cable transmission to overcome the problems of the prior art. Therefore, the small-package pluggable transceiver of the present invention is configured to couple a cable connector and a network device, and the small-package pluggable transceiver includes a first connection port, a conversion unit, a transceiver unit and a second connection port. The first connection port is used to connect to the cable connector to transmit and receive the signal source provided by the cable connector. The conversion unit is coupled to the first connection port and is used to convert the signal source into an Ethernet frame. The conversion unit includes a bandwidth indication pin, and the bandwidth indication pin is used to indicate the rate of the signal source. The transceiver unit is coupled to the conversion unit and is used to transmit Ethernet frames bidirectionally. The transceiver unit includes a detection pin, and the detection pin is coupled to the bandwidth indication pin. The detection pin is used to adjust to a first level based on the rate being a valid rate, and to adjust to a second level based on the rate being an invalid rate. The second connection port is coupled to the transceiver unit and is used to connect to the network device. In which, the transceiver unit operates in a normal state based on the detection pin providing a first level, and operates in an abnormal state based on the detection pin providing a second level; the detection pin is coupled to the ground point, the bandwidth indication pin indicates that the rate is an invalid rate based on the signal source being a copper cable type signal source, and the detection pin provides the first level based on the invalid rate by being grounded by being coupled to the ground point.

[0006] In one embodiment, the small form factor pluggable transceiver further includes a resistor coupled between the detection pin and a ground point, and configured to limit a current flowing from the detection pin to the ground point.

[0007] In one embodiment, the transceiver unit is a network physical layer transceiver chip, and is compatible with a copper cable type signal source because the detection pin is coupled to a ground point.

[0008] In one embodiment, the conversion unit is a port physical layer chip.

[0009] In one embodiment, the rate of the copper cable type signal source is lower than 10 Gbps, and the effective rate is higher than 10 Gbps.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first level is less than 0.8V, and the second level is greater than 2.4V.

[0011] In one embodiment, the first connection port is an RJ-45, SC, ST, MT-RJ, or LC connection port.

[0012] In one embodiment, the cable connector couples to a copper cable or a twisted pair cable.

[0013] In one embodiment, the network device is a router, a switch, an optical transceiver, or an optical terminal.

[0014] In one embodiment, the small form factor pluggable transceiver is configured to be installed in a network device, or is configured to be independently installed outside the network device.

[0015] The primary purpose and function of the present invention is to couple a detection pin to a ground point so that when a copper cable is connected to a small form factor pluggable transceiver, even if the bandwidth indication pin indicates an invalid rate based on a copper cable-type signal source, the detection pin can still provide a first electrical level based on the invalid rate, thereby enabling the small form factor pluggable transceiver to be compatible with the copper cable-type signal source.

[0016] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but this does not limit the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the appearance of a small-package pluggable transceiver supporting copper cable transmission according to the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a small-package pluggable transceiver supporting copper cable transmission according to the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a first embodiment of a small package pluggable transceiver according to the present invention; and

[0020] Figure 3B FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a second embodiment of a small form factor pluggable transceiver according to the present invention.

[0021] Wherein, the reference numerals:

[0022] 100: Small form factor pluggable transceiver

[0023] 1: First connection port

[0024] 2: Conversion unit

[0025] 2A: Bandwidth indication pin

[0026] 3: Transceiver unit

[0027] 3A: Detection pin

[0028] 4: Second connection port

[0029] R: resistance

[0030] GND: ground point

[0031] 200: Cable connector

[0032] 200A: Cable

[0033] 300: Network equipment

[0034] Ss: signal source

[0035] Si: rate signal

[0036] Fe: Ethernet frame DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The structural principle and working principle of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0038] See also Figure 1 The diagram shows the appearance of a small form-factor pluggable transceiver (SFP) that supports copper cable transmission according to the present invention. The small form-factor pluggable transceiver 100 (SFP) is configured to couple a cable connector 200 with a network device 300, and the cable connector 200 is coupled to a cable 200A. The small form-factor pluggable transceiver 100 is primarily used for optical communication applications in telecommunications and data communications, and is configured to bidirectionally transmit and receive data / signals between the cable 200A and the network device 300. The network device may be a network communication device such as a router, a switch, an optical transceiver, or an optical terminal, and the cable 200A may be a copper cable or a twisted-pair cable. The twisted-pair cable may be, for example, but not limited to, a general network cable, and the copper cable may be, for example, but not limited to, an active or passive copper cable (Direct Attach Cable; DAC).

[0039] Furthermore, the small form factor pluggable transceiver 100 is primarily an optical transceiver. Conventional technology typically utilizes optical fiber cables for coupling, enabling the small form factor pluggable transceiver 100 to bidirectionally transmit optical signals over the optical fiber cables. However, the small form factor pluggable transceiver 100 is typically not suitable for use with copper cables because the transmission rate of copper cables (typically below 10 Gbps) is much lower than the transmission rate of optical fiber cables (typically above 10 Gbps), making it unsuitable for high-speed small form factor pluggable transceivers 100. When an optical fiber cable is used to connect the small form factor pluggable transceiver 100, the small form factor pluggable transceiver 100 recognizes that the connected cable 200A is an optical fiber cable and operates normally, transmitting and receiving data / signals. On the contrary, when a copper cable is used to connect to the small form factor pluggable transceiver 100 , the small form factor pluggable transceiver 100 cannot recognize the connected cable 200A and thus operates in an abnormal state and cannot normally transmit or receive data / signals.

[0040] See also Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a small package pluggable transceiver with copper cable transmission support function of the present invention, and is also referred to in conjunction with Figure 1. The small package pluggable transceiver 100 includes a first connection port 1, a conversion unit 2, a transceiver unit 3 and a second connection port 4, and the first connection port 1 is used to connect to the cable connector 200 and couple the cable 200A to transmit and receive the signal source Ss provided by the cable connector 200. According to the connector type of the cable connector 200, the first connection port can be an RJ-45, SC, ST, MT-RJ or LC connection port. The conversion unit 2 is coupled to the first connection port 1, and the conversion unit 2 includes a bandwidth indication pin 2A (for example, but not limited to LED_LINK100, LED_LINK1000, etc.). The conversion unit 2 is a physical layer (PortPhysical Layer; PHY, which can be called a port physical layer) chip, and is used to convert the signal source Ss into an Ethernet frame Fe (frame, or Ethernet data frame). The conversion unit 2 can send and receive Ethernet frames Fe, and the bandwidth indicator pin 2A is used to indicate the rate of the signal source Ss (i.e., provide a rate signal Si corresponding to the transmission rate) when the SFP transceiver 100 is successfully paired with the cable 200A. Specifically, when the SFP transceiver 100 is connected to the cable 200A using a fiber optic cable, the SFP transceiver 100 is successfully paired with the cable 200A, and the bandwidth indicator pin 2A indicates the rate of the signal source Ss (for example, but not limited to, 15 Gbps or 20 Gbps). Conversely, when the SFP transceiver 100 is connected to the cable 200A using a copper cable, the SFP transceiver 100 is not properly paired with the cable 200A, and the bandwidth indicator pin 2A cannot indicate the rate of the signal source Ss and is low.

[0041] The transceiver unit 3 is coupled to the conversion unit 2 and includes a detection pin 3A (Loss of Signal; LOS). The transceiver unit 3 is the transceiver chip of the SFP transceiver 100, primarily a network physical layer transceiver chip for optical fiber transceiver applications. It is used to bidirectionally transmit Ethernet frames Fe between the conversion unit 2 and the network device 300. The detection pin 3A is coupled to the bandwidth indication pin 2A to receive an indication from the bandwidth indication pin 2A. Specifically, when the bandwidth indication pin 2A indicates that the rate of the signal source Ss is valid (i.e., a rate greater than 10 Gbps), the detection pin 3A adjusts the voltage level of the self pin to a first voltage level (e.g., but not limited to, a low voltage level). Conversely, when the bandwidth indication pin 2A indicates that the rate of the signal source Ss is invalid (i.e., the SFP transceiver 100 and the cable 200A are not properly matched, causing the bandwidth indication pin 2A to be low), the detection pin 3A adjusts the voltage level of the self pin to a second voltage level (e.g., but not limited to, a high voltage level). The second connection port 4 is coupled to the transceiver unit 3 and is used to connect to the network device 300 so that the transceiver unit 3 and the network device 300 can bidirectionally transmit Ethernet frames Fe.

[0042] When the detection pin 3A adjusts the voltage level of the self pin to a first level, the transceiver unit 3 operates normally and transmits and receives data / signals normally. Conversely, when the detection pin 3A adjusts the voltage level of the self pin to a second level, the transceiver unit 3 operates abnormally and cannot transmit and receive data / signals normally. The first voltage level of the detection pin 3A is typically less than 0.8V, and the second voltage level is typically greater than 2.4V.

[0043] The primary purpose and effectiveness of the present invention lies in coupling detection pin 3A to ground GND. When a copper cable is used to connect to the small form factor pluggable transceiver 100, bandwidth indicator pin 2A indicates an invalid rate based on the signal source Ss being a copper cable-type signal source (typically less than 10 Gbps). Furthermore, detection pin 3A, due to being grounded by resistor R, provides a first voltage level based on the invalid rate (i.e., it should be set to a high voltage level but is forced to a low voltage level due to being grounded). Therefore, although transceiver unit 3 is a PHY transceiver chip (network physical layer transceiver chip), the coupling of detection pin 3A to ground GND makes the network physical layer transceiver chip compatible with copper cable-type signal sources.

[0044] In this way, the small-package pluggable transceiver 100, which was originally not suitable for copper cables, can be made to support copper cable transmission (the original function of using fiber optic cables for optical communication applications still exists). On the other hand, since copper cables are less prone to breakage and have a sturdy structure and are relatively cheap compared to fiber optic cables, the present invention can achieve the effect of reducing the configuration cost of the entire network system and improving system reliability compared to existing packaged pluggable transceivers. It is worth mentioning that in one embodiment of the present invention, the small-package pluggable transceiver 100 may further include a resistor R, and the resistor R is coupled between the detection pin 3A and the ground point GND to limit the current from the detection pin 3A to the ground point GND, thereby avoiding exceeding the pin tolerance current and causing chip failure.

[0045] See also Figure 3A This is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the first embodiment of the small package pluggable transceiver of the present invention, Figure 3B This is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the second embodiment of the small package pluggable transceiver of the present invention, and is also referred to in conjunction with FIG. Figures 1-2 .exist Figure 3A In the embodiment, the small form factor pluggable transceiver 100 is configured to be installed in the network device 300, so as to modularize the small form factor pluggable transceiver 100 and the network device 300. The user only needs to plug the network device 300 with the cable 200A. Figure 3B In the embodiment, the SFP transceiver 100 is independently configured outside the network device 300 , and the user can adjust the configuration of the SFP transceiver 100 and the cable 200A based on the requirements of the network device 300 .

[0046] Of course, the present invention may have many other embodiments. Without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, those skilled in the art may make various corresponding changes and modifications based on the present invention, but these corresponding changes and modifications should all fall within the scope of protection of the claims attached to the present invention.

Claims

1. A small form factor pluggable transceiver configured to couple a cable connector to a network device, characterized in that: The small form factor pluggable transceiver includes: a first connection port for connecting to the cable connector to receive and transmit a signal source provided by the cable connector; a conversion unit coupled to the first connection port and configured to convert the signal source into an Ethernet frame, the conversion unit comprising: a bandwidth indication pin for indicating a rate of the signal source; a transceiver unit coupled to the conversion unit and configured to bidirectionally transmit the Ethernet frame, the transceiver unit comprising: a detection pin coupled to the bandwidth indication pin; the detection pin is configured to be adjusted to a first level based on the rate being a valid rate, and to be adjusted to a second level based on the rate being an invalid rate; and a second connection port, coupled to the transceiver unit and used for connecting to the network device; The transceiver unit operates in a normal state based on the detection pin providing the first electrical level, and operates in an abnormal state based on the detection pin providing the second electrical level; the detection pin is coupled to a ground point, the bandwidth indication pin indicates that the rate is the invalid rate based on the signal source being a copper cable type signal source, and the detection pin provides the first electrical level based on the invalid rate by being coupled to the ground point.

2. The small form factor pluggable transceiver according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: A resistor is coupled between the detection pin and the ground point and is used to limit a current from the detection pin to the ground point.

3. The small form factor pluggable transceiver according to claim 1, wherein: The transceiver unit is a network physical layer transceiver chip, and is compatible with the copper cable type signal source based on the detection pin being coupled to the ground point.

4. The small form factor pluggable transceiver according to claim 1, wherein: The conversion unit is a port physical layer chip.

5. The small form factor pluggable transceiver according to claim 1, wherein: The rate of the copper cable type signal source is lower than 10 Gbps, and the effective rate is higher than 10 Gbps.

6. The small form factor pluggable transceiver according to claim 1, wherein: The first level is less than 0.8V, and the second level is greater than 2.4V.

7. The small form factor pluggable transceiver according to claim 1, wherein: The first connection port is an RJ-45, SC, ST, MT-RJ or LC connection port.

8. The small form factor pluggable transceiver according to claim 1, wherein: The cable connector is coupled to a copper cable or a twisted pair cable.

9. The small form factor pluggable transceiver according to claim 1, wherein: The network device is a router, a switch, an optical transceiver or an optical terminal.

10. The small form factor pluggable transceiver according to claim 1, wherein: The small package pluggable transceiver is configured to be set in the network device, or configured to be independently set outside the network device.

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