An optical module

Abstract

This invention discloses an optical module, including a circuit board, a silicon photonics chip, a light source, and a control chip disposed on the circuit board. The emitted light generated by the light source propagates into the silicon photonics chip via a third optical fiber. An emitted light waveguide in the silicon photonics chip is used to propagate an emitted light signal modulated from the emitted light from the third optical fiber. An optical power monitoring unit is connected to the emitted light waveguide via a monitoring waveguide, used to receive the emitted light signal propagating from the emitted light waveguide and monitor its optical power. The optical power monitoring unit is connected to the control chip, which receives monitoring data from the optical power monitoring unit to determine whether the coupling connection between the silicon photonics chip and the optical fiber meets the requirements. Therefore, the optical module provided by this invention adds an optical power monitoring unit to the silicon photonics chip, which monitors the power of the emitted light signal. Based on the monitoring data, the coupling effect between the silicon photonics chip and the third optical fiber can be accurately determined, simplifying the detection process of the optical module.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application. The original application has the application number 201911080962.1 and the original application date is November 7, 2019. The entire contents of the original application are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to the field of optical fiber communication technology, and more particularly to an optical module. Background Technology

[0003] Optical modules are important products in the optical communication industry. They enable the conversion between optical signals and telecommunications signals, providing optical signals transmitted in optical fibers and electrical signals transmitted in electronic devices.

[0004] Existing optical modules typically include a silicon photonics chip for photoelectric conversion and an optical fiber ribbon coupled to the silicon photonics chip. The optical fiber ribbon can input optical signals to the silicon photonics chip and also receive optical signals output by the silicon photonics chip. However, due to the small diameter of the optical fiber ribbon, it is very easy to fail to accurately align the optical fiber ribbon with the silicon photonics chip, resulting in poor coupling performance of the optical module.

[0005] It is evident that the coupling connection between the silicon photonics chip and the fiber optic ribbon directly determines whether the optical module can function properly. Therefore, currently, before the optical module is manufactured and shipped, it is necessary to test it to determine whether the coupling connection between the silicon photonics chip and the fiber optic ribbon in the optical module meets the requirements.

[0006] Currently, the common testing method involves applying the optical module to a real-world working environment and testing whether it can function properly to determine whether the coupling connection between the silicon photonics chip and the fiber optic strip in the optical module meets the requirements. This testing method is relatively complex. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention provides an optical module to solve the problem that the existing methods for detecting optical modules are relatively complex.

[0008] This invention provides an optical module, comprising:

[0009] The circuit board has power supply circuitry and signal circuitry, used for power supply and signal electrical connections;

[0010] A light source, mounted on the circuit board and connected to the power supply circuit of the circuit board, is used to generate outgoing light that propagates into the third optical fiber.

[0011] The third optical fiber is coupled to a silicon photonic chip at one end and to a light source at the other end, and is used to propagate the emitted light generated by the light source into the silicon photonic chip.

[0012] A control chip, mounted on the circuit board, is connected to the optical power monitoring unit of the silicon photonics chip and is used to receive monitoring data from the optical power monitoring unit.

[0013] A silicon photonics chip is disposed on the circuit board. One end of the silicon photonics chip is connected to the signal circuit of the circuit board, and the other end of the silicon photonics chip is connected to the third optical fiber for receiving the emitted light generated by the light source through the third optical fiber.

[0014] The silicon photonics chip includes:

[0015] An incident light waveguide, wherein the light inlet of the incident light waveguide is connected to the third optical fiber, and is used to receive the outgoing light generated by the light source through the third optical fiber;

[0016] An optical power modulation unit, one end of which is connected to the output port of the incident optical waveguide, is used to modulate the optical power of the outgoing light propagating in the incident optical waveguide to obtain an outgoing optical signal.

[0017] An outgoing optical waveguide, connected to the optical power modulation unit, is used to receive the outgoing optical signal and emit it.

[0018] A monitoring optical waveguide, one end of which is connected to the outgoing optical waveguide, is used to receive the outgoing light separated by the outgoing optical waveguide according to the beam splitting ratio.

[0019] The optical power monitoring unit is connected to the control chip at one end and to the monitoring optical waveguide at the other end, and is used to monitor the optical power of the outgoing optical signal propagating in the monitoring optical waveguide.

[0020] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the optical module provided by the embodiments of the present invention includes a circuit board, a silicon photonics chip, a light source, and a control chip disposed on the circuit board. The light source is connected to the signal circuit of the circuit board to generate outgoing light. The silicon photonics chip is coupled to one end of a third optical fiber, and the other end of the third optical fiber is connected to the light source. The outgoing light generated by the light source propagates into the silicon photonics chip through the third optical fiber. The silicon photonics chip includes an incident light waveguide, an optical power modulation unit, an outgoing light waveguide, and an optical power monitoring unit. The incident light waveguide receives the outgoing light from the third optical fiber, propagates into the optical power modulation unit, and obtains an outgoing light signal after optical power modulation. The outgoing light waveguide is used to receive the outgoing light signal and emit it. The optical power monitoring unit is connected to the outgoing light waveguide through a monitoring light waveguide and is used to receive the outgoing light signal split by the outgoing light waveguide according to the beam splitting ratio and to monitor the optical power of the outgoing light signal. The optical power monitoring unit is connected to the control chip, which is used to receive the monitoring data from the optical power monitoring unit to determine whether the coupling connection between the silicon photonics chip and the optical fiber meets the requirements. As can be seen, the optical module provided by the present invention can detect the coupling effect between the silicon photonic chip and the third optical fiber during the light emission process. That is, an optical power monitoring unit is added to the silicon photonic chip, and the optical power monitoring unit monitors the power of the emitted light signal. Based on the monitoring data, the coupling effect between the silicon photonic chip and the third optical fiber can be accurately determined, thereby simplifying the detection process of the optical module. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the connection relationship between optical communication terminals;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an optical network unit structure;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the optical module provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the optical module provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of an optical module provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6 This is an overall optical path diagram of a silicon photonics chip provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 7The modulation optical path diagram of the silicon photonics chip provided in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 8 A circuit diagram showing the connection between the control chip and the optical power monitoring unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 9 The optical path diagram of the silicon photonics chip provided in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 10 An optical path diagram for connecting a control chip and multiple optical power monitoring units, provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 11 This is another circuit diagram showing the connection between the control chip and the optical power monitoring unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 12 This is another optical path diagram showing the connection between the control chip and multiple optical power monitoring units provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] One of the core aspects of fiber optic communication is the conversion between optical and electrical signals. Fiber optic communication uses optical signals carrying information to transmit in information transmission equipment such as optical fibers / waveguides. The passive transmission characteristics of light in optical fibers / waveguides enable low-cost, low-loss information transmission. In contrast, information processing equipment such as computers uses electrical signals. Therefore, in order to establish an information connection between information transmission equipment such as optical fibers / waveguides and information processing equipment such as computers, it is necessary to achieve the conversion between electrical and optical signals.

[0036] In the field of fiber optic communication technology, optical modules realize the mutual conversion between optical and electrical signals, which is the core function of optical modules. Optical modules achieve electrical connection with external host computers through gold fingers on their internal circuit boards. The main electrical connections include power supply, I2C signals, data signals, and grounding. The gold finger-based electrical connection method has become the mainstream connection method in the optical module industry. Based on this, the pin definitions on the gold fingers have formed various industry protocols / standards.

[0037] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection relationships between optical communication terminals. For example... Figure 1As shown, the connection of the optical communication terminal mainly includes the interconnection between the optical network unit 100, the optical module 200, the optical fiber 101, and the network cable 103.

[0038] One end of the optical fiber 101 is connected to the remote server, and one end of the network cable 103 is connected to the local information processing device. The connection between the local information processing device and the remote server is completed by the connection between the optical fiber 101 and the network cable 103. The connection between the optical fiber 101 and the network cable 103 is completed by the optical network unit 100 with the optical module 200.

[0039] The optical port of the optical module 200 connects to the external optical fiber 101, establishing a bidirectional optical signal connection with the optical fiber 101. The electrical port of the optical module 200 connects to the external optical network unit 100, establishing a bidirectional electrical signal connection with the optical network unit 100. Internally, the optical module performs mutual conversion between optical and electrical signals, thereby establishing an information connection between the optical fiber and the optical network unit. Specifically, the optical signal from the optical fiber is converted into an electrical signal by the optical module and then input into the optical network unit 100, while the electrical signal from the optical network unit 100 is converted into an optical signal by the optical module and then input into the optical fiber. The optical module 200 is a tool for realizing the mutual conversion of photoelectric signals and does not have data processing capabilities. In the above photoelectric conversion process, only the transmission medium changes; the information itself remains unchanged.

[0040] The optical network unit 100 has an optical module interface 102 for connecting to the optical module 200 and establishing a bidirectional electrical signal connection with it; the optical network unit 100 also has a network cable interface 104 for connecting to a network cable 103 and establishing a bidirectional electrical signal connection with it. The optical module 200 and the network cable 103 are connected through the optical network unit 100. Specifically, the optical network unit 100 transmits signals from the optical module 200 to the network cable 103 and vice versa. The optical network unit 100 acts as a host computer for the optical module 200, monitoring its operation. Unlike the optical module, the optical network unit 100 has a certain information processing capability.

[0041] At this point, the remote server establishes a bidirectional signal transmission channel with the local information processing equipment through fiber optic cable 101, optical module 200, optical network unit 100, and network cable 103.

[0042] Common information processing devices include routers, switches, and computers; the optical network unit 100 is the host computer of the optical module, which provides data signals to the optical module and receives data signals from the optical module. Other common host computers for optical modules include optical line terminals.

[0043] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an optical network unit structure. (Example:) Figure 2As shown, the optical network unit 100 has a circuit board 105, and a cage 106 is provided on the surface of the circuit board 105; an electrical connector is provided inside the cage 106 for connecting to the electrical port of the optical module such as the gold finger; a heat sink 107 is provided on the cage 106, and the heat sink 107 has a fin-like protruding structure to increase the heat dissipation area.

[0044] The optical module 200 is inserted into the optical network unit 100, specifically by inserting the electrical port of the optical module into the electrical connector inside the cage 106, and the optical port of the optical module 200 is connected to the optical fiber 101.

[0045] The cage 106 is located on the circuit board 105, and the electrical connector on the circuit board 105 is wrapped in the cage 106, so that the electrical connector is provided inside the cage 106; the optical module 200 is inserted into the cage 106, and the cage 106 fixes the optical module 200. The heat generated by the optical module 200 is conducted to the cage 106, and then diffused through the heat sink 107 on the cage 106.

[0046] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the optical module provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the optical module provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of an optical module provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] See Figure 3 and Figure 4 The optical module provided in this embodiment differs from the optical module structure provided in the previous embodiments in that, in this embodiment, a silicon photonics chip 400 replaces the optical transceiver device to realize the photoelectric conversion of the optical module. Specifically, the optical module provided in this embodiment includes: an upper housing 201, a lower housing 202, an unlocking handle 203, a circuit board 300, a silicon photonics chip 400, an optical fiber ribbon 500, a light source 600, a control chip 700, and a third optical fiber 503. The upper housing 201 and the lower housing 202 form a cavity with two openings (204, 205), and the circuit board 300, the silicon photonics chip 400, and the optical fiber ribbon 500 are all located within the cavity.

[0048] The outer contour of the enclosing cavity is generally square. Specifically, the lower shell 202 includes a main board and two side plates located on both sides of the main board and perpendicular to the main board. The upper shell 201 includes a cover plate, which covers the two side plates of the upper shell 201 to form the enclosing cavity. The upper shell 201 may also include two side walls located on both sides of the cover plate and perpendicular to the cover plate. The two side walls are combined with the two side plates to realize that the upper shell 201 covers the lower shell 202.

[0049] The two openings can be at opposite ends in the same direction (204, 205), or they can be at two different locations in different directions. One opening is an electrical port 204, from which the gold fingers of the circuit board 300 extend and are inserted into the host computer such as the optical network unit. The other opening is an optical port 205 (optical interface 205), which is used for the fiber optic ribbon 500 to connect to the silicon photonic chip 400 inside the optical module.

[0050] The assembly method using an upper housing 201 and a lower housing 202 facilitates the installation of components such as the circuit board 300 and the silicon photonic chip 400 into the housing. The upper housing 201 and the lower housing 202 form the outermost protective enclosure of the optical module. The upper housing 201 and the lower housing 202 are generally made of metal materials, which is beneficial for electromagnetic shielding and heat dissipation. The housing of the optical module is generally not made into a single structure, as this would prevent the installation of positioning components, heat dissipation, and electromagnetic shielding structures when assembling circuit boards and other components, and would also hinder production automation.

[0051] The circuit board 300 has power supply and signal circuits for power supply and signal electrical connections. One end of the circuit board 300 is equipped with an optical interface 205, which serves as the optical port of the optical module. The other end of the circuit board 300 serves as the electrical port 204 of the optical module, with the optical port and electrical port 204 facing each other. The optical interface 205 is used to receive electrical signals from the circuit board 300 and convert them into optical signals, and to transmit optical signals, converted into electrical signals, back to the circuit board 300. One end of the optical interface 205 is equipped with an optical port plug 206, which is embedded and connected to the optical interface 205. This plug provides a seal when the optical module is not in use, preventing prolonged exposure to dust contamination. The optical port plug 206 can be made of rubber, which is flexible and provides a good sealing effect.

[0052] The unlocking handle 203 is located on the outer wall of the enclosure / lower housing 202 and is used to establish a fixed connection between the optical module and the host computer, or to release the fixed connection between the optical module and the host computer.

[0053] The unlocking handle 203 has a locking structure that matches the host computer cage; pulling the end of the unlocking handle allows the unlocking handle to move relative to the surface of the outer wall; the optical module is inserted into the host computer cage, and the locking structure of the unlocking handle fixes the optical module in the host computer cage; by pulling the unlocking handle, the locking structure of the unlocking handle moves accordingly, thereby changing the connection relationship between the locking structure and the host computer, so as to release the locking relationship between the optical module and the host computer, thereby allowing the optical module to be pulled out of the host computer cage.

[0054] The circuit board 300 is equipped with circuit traces, electronic components (such as capacitors, resistors, transistors, and MOSFETs) and chips (such as MCUs, laser driver chips, limiting amplifier chips, clock data recovery CDRs, power management chips, and data processing chips DSPs).

[0055] The circuit board connects the electrical components in the optical module according to the circuit design through circuit traces to realize electrical functions such as power supply, electrical signal transmission and grounding.

[0056] Circuit boards are generally rigid circuit boards. Due to their relatively rigid material, rigid circuit boards can also perform load-bearing functions. For example, rigid circuit boards can stably support chips. When optical transceivers are located on the circuit board, rigid circuit boards can also provide stable support. Rigid circuit boards can also be inserted into electrical connectors in the host computer cage. Specifically, metal pins / gold fingers are formed on one end surface of the rigid circuit board for connection with electrical connectors. These are things that flexible circuit boards cannot easily achieve.

[0057] Flexible circuit boards are also used in some optical modules as a supplement to rigid circuit boards. Flexible circuit boards are generally used in conjunction with rigid circuit boards, such as connecting rigid circuit boards to optical transceivers.

[0058] An optical transceiver device comprises two parts: an optical transmitter and an optical receiver, used for transmitting and receiving optical signals, respectively. The optical transmitter and receiver can be combined or operate independently. The optical transmitter and receiver provided in this embodiment are combined to form an integrated optical transceiver structure.

[0059] To achieve photoelectric conversion of the optical module, a silicon photonics chip 400 is mounted on the circuit board 300. The silicon photonics chip 400 can simultaneously modulate the emitted light from the light source 600, generated by the power supply and signal circuits of the circuit board 300, into a required emitted optical signal and send it to the optical interface 205. It can also modulate the optical signal from the optical interface 205 into an electrical signal and send it to the circuit board 300. It can be used as an integrated optical transceiver to achieve photoelectric signal conversion. One end of the silicon photonics chip 400 is connected to the signal circuit of the circuit board 300, and the other end is connected to the optical interface 205 via an optical fiber ribbon 500. During photoelectric conversion, the silicon photonics chip 400 is used to transmit optical signals to the optical interface 205 via the optical fiber ribbon 500, and to receive optical signals from the optical interface 205 via the optical fiber ribbon 500.

[0060] One end of the optical fiber ribbon 500 is coupled to the silicon photonic chip 400, and the other end is connected to the optical interface 205 for transmitting and receiving optical signals. For this purpose, the optical fiber ribbon 500 may include two sets of optical fibers: a first optical fiber 501 and a second optical fiber 502. The first optical fiber 501 transmits the optical signal modulated by the silicon photonic chip 400 to the optical interface 205, while the second optical fiber 502 transmits the optical signal from the optical interface 205 to the silicon photonic chip 400. After modulation to form an electrical signal, the signal is sent to the circuit board 300.

[0061] Specifically, such as Figure 5 As shown, the fiber optic strip 500 includes a first optical fiber 501 and a second optical fiber 502 arranged parallel to each other. One end of the first optical fiber 501 is coupled to the output port 405 of the silicon photonic chip 400, and the other end of the first optical fiber 501 is connected to the optical interface 205. The first optical fiber 501 is used to receive the emitted optical signal modulated by the silicon photonic chip 400 and propagate it into the optical interface 205. One end of the second optical fiber 502 is coupled to the receive port 406 of the silicon photonic chip 400, and the other end of the second optical fiber 502 is connected to the optical interface 205. The second optical fiber 502 is used to receive the received optical signal emitted by the optical interface 205. The received optical signal is modulated by the silicon photonic chip 400 to obtain an electrical signal, which is then sent to the circuit board 300.

[0062] The silicon photonics chip 400 is used to modulate the light so that the power of the optical signal meets the requirements of the optical module. However, since the silicon photonics chip 400 cannot emit light, an external light source is needed to emit the optical signal during the light emission process. Therefore, the optical module provided in this embodiment also includes a light source 600. The light source 600 is mounted on the circuit board 300 and connected to the power supply circuit of the circuit board 300 to generate emitted light. The light source 600 is connected to the silicon photonics chip 400 via a third optical fiber 503. One end of the third optical fiber 503 is coupled to the silicon photonics chip 400, and the other end is connected to the light source 600. The emitted light generated by the light source 600 enters the silicon photonics chip 400 through the third optical fiber 503.

[0063] The light source 600 contains a laser chip. During light emission, the circuit board 300 supplies power to the light source 600, driving it to generate emitted light. The silicon photonics chip 400 receives the emitted light from the light source 600 via the third optical fiber 503, modulates the emitted light to obtain an emitted light signal, ensuring the optical power of the emitted light signal meets the optical requirements of the optical module. The modulated optical signal is then transmitted to the optical interface 205 via the first optical fiber 501. Multiple laser chips can be installed within the light source 600; the specific number depends on the requirements of the optical module, specifically the optical path configuration of the modulated light from the silicon photonics chip 400. If the silicon photonics chip 400 can modulate three incident lights and four emitted lights, then three laser chips are required. The light emitted by each laser chip enters the corresponding incident light waveguide within the silicon photonics chip 400.

[0064] Figure 6 This is an overall optical path diagram of a silicon photonics chip provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 The modulation optical path diagram of the silicon photonics chip provided in this embodiment of the invention. See also... Figure 6 and Figure 7 To achieve optical signal modulation, the silicon photonics chip 400 provided in this embodiment includes: an incident optical waveguide 401, an optical power monitoring unit 402, an optical power modulation unit 403, a monitoring optical waveguide 407, and an outgoing optical waveguide 404.

[0065] The incident light waveguide 401 has its input port connected to the light source 600 via a third optical fiber 503. The incident light waveguide 401 receives the outgoing light generated by the light source 600 through the third optical fiber 503. Multiple incident light waveguides 401 can be provided. In this case, the silicon photonics chip 400 also has multiple input ports. To ensure efficient light transmission, the number of incident light waveguides 401, the number of laser chips, and the number of input ports are the same. That is, each incident light waveguide 401 is connected to its corresponding laser chip through its corresponding input port and the third optical fiber 503, allowing the outgoing light emitted by each laser chip in the light source 600 to enter its corresponding incident light waveguide 401 and continue propagating.

[0066] The optical power modulation unit 403 is a device that enables optical modulation of the silicon photonic chip 400. One end of the optical power modulation unit 403 is connected to the light output port of the incident light waveguide 401. The optical power modulation unit 403 is used to modulate the optical power of the outgoing light propagating from the incident light waveguide 401 according to the signal circuit of the circuit board to obtain the outgoing light signal.

[0067] One end of the outgoing optical waveguide 404 is connected to the other end of the optical power modulation unit 403. The outgoing optical waveguide 404 is used to emit the outgoing optical signal modulated by the optical power modulation unit 403. The other end of the outgoing optical waveguide 404 is connected to the optical fiber strip 500. The outgoing optical signal enters the optical fiber strip 500 through the outgoing optical waveguide 404 and then exits. Specifically, the outgoing optical waveguide 404 is connected to the first optical fiber 501. The outgoing optical signal enters the first optical fiber 501 after passing through the outgoing optical waveguide 404, and the first optical fiber 501 propagates the outgoing optical signal into the optical interface 205.

[0068] To ensure that the optical power modulation unit 403 can modulate the three outgoing beams to obtain four outgoing light signals, in this embodiment, the optical power modulation unit 403 includes: a beam splitting unit group 4031, a modulation unit group 4032, and a beam combining unit group 4033.

[0069] One end of the beam splitting unit group 4031 is connected to the incident light waveguide 401 and is used to split the outgoing light propagating from the incident light waveguide 401. Since the outgoing light propagating from the incident light waveguide 401 is emitted by the light source 600, and the optical power modulation unit 403 modulates the outgoing light to obtain an optical signal that meets the optical power requirements, there are certain requirements for the optical power of the outgoing light entering the optical power modulation unit 403. It cannot be higher than the upper threshold limit, nor lower than the lower threshold limit. Therefore, in order to ensure that the optical power of the outgoing light entering the optical power modulation unit 403 meets the modulation requirements, it is necessary to use the beam splitting unit group 4031 to split and combine the multiple beams of light emitted by the light source 600 to make up for the optical power of a certain outgoing light. For example, light source 600 emits three beams of light, which enter the corresponding incident waveguides (first incident waveguide 4011, second incident waveguide 4012, and third incident waveguide 4013) through three light inlets (first light inlet L0, second light inlet L1, and third light inlet L2). Since the optical power of the three beams may not meet the optical power requirements, the three beams need to be split into two beams. Specifically, the light in the second light inlet L1 is split into two beams by beam splitting unit 1. Figure 7 The beam splitting process 1) after splitting is combined into the outgoing beams in the first input port L0 and the third input port L2 respectively, so as to enhance the optical power of the outgoing beams in the first input port L0 and the third input port L2 respectively.

[0070] One end of the modulation unit group 4032 is connected to the other end of the beam splitting unit group 4031 through the first optical waveguide group. The modulation unit group 4032 is used to modulate the optical power of the output light after beam splitting by the beam splitting unit group 4031 according to the signal circuit of the circuit board to obtain a modulated optical signal. The number of modulation unit groups 4032 is related to how many optical signals the silicon photonics chip 400 needs to output. If the silicon photonics chip 400 needs to output four optical signals, then four modulation unit groups 4032 need to be set.

[0071] Modulation unit group 4032 includes two modulation circuits. One circuit contains a phase converter and a modulator, with the phase converter connected to the modulator via an optical waveguide. The other circuit contains only the modulator. To ensure that the optical power of the optical signal in modulation unit group 4032 meets the modulation requirements, it needs to be split by beam splitting unit group 4031 before entering modulation unit group 4032. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the beam splitting unit group 4031 includes seven beam splitting units, each with a beam splitting ratio of 1:1. Beam splitting unit 1 is used to split the outgoing light in the second incident waveguide 4012. One end of the first incident waveguide 4011 is provided with beam splitting unit 2 ( Figure 7 The beam splitter 2 is connected to the beam splitter 1 via an optical waveguide. The beam splitter 1 feeds a portion of the split light into the first incident waveguide 4011 via a corresponding optical waveguide. One end of the third incident waveguide 4013 is equipped with a beam splitter 3 (…). Figure 7 In the beam splitting unit 3), beam splitting unit 1 and beam splitting unit 3 are connected by an optical waveguide. The beam splitting unit 1 feeds another part of the beam after beam splitting into the third incident light waveguide 4013 through the corresponding optical waveguide.

[0072] The other end of beam splitter 2 is connected to two optical waveguides, and the other end of one of the optical waveguides is connected to beam splitter 4. Figure 7 The other end of the optical waveguide is connected to the beam splitter unit 5. Figure 7 The other end of the beam splitter 3 is connected to two optical waveguides, and the other end of one of the optical waveguides is connected to the beam splitter 6. Figure 7 The other end of the optical waveguide is connected to the beam splitter unit 7. Figure 7 The beam splitter 7 in the beam splitter is used to split the three outgoing beams into four optical signals. The other ends of beam splitter 4, beam splitter 5, beam splitter 6 and beam splitter 7 are respectively connected to a modulation unit group 4032. The four modulation unit groups 4032 modulate the four optical signals respectively to obtain four optical signals that meet the optical power requirements.

[0073] To obtain the optical signal with the required optical power for the optical module, the modulation unit group 4032 incorporates two modulation circuits. Therefore, beam splitting units 4, 5, 6, and 7 each perform a second beam splitting. Specifically, two optical waveguides are connected to the other ends of each beam splitting unit; one waveguide connects to the phase converter and modulator, and the other connects to the modulator. The modulation unit group 4032 can employ an MZ (Mach-Zehnder) modulator. Its modulation principle involves the interference effect generated by the two modulation circuits, resulting in a phase difference between the two beams. This difference is then superimposed to obtain a high-speed modulated optical signal, which is the output optical signal that meets the required optical power.

[0074] In this embodiment, the two beams are superimposed by a beam combining unit group 4033 to obtain the output light signal. One end of the beam combining unit group 4033 is connected to the other end of the modulation unit group 4032 via a second optical waveguide group, and the other end of the beam combining unit group 4033 is connected to the output optical waveguide 404. The beam combining unit group is used to combine the modulated light signal to obtain the output light signal. The number of beam combining unit groups 4033 is the same as the number of modulation unit groups 4032, and both are related to the number of output light signals of the silicon photonics chip 400. When the silicon photonics chip 400 needs to output four light signals, four beam combining unit groups 4033 are also set (four beam combining units), and each beam combining unit group 4033 is connected to one modulation unit group 4032. Since the modulation unit group 4032 has two modulation circuits, in order to perform light superposition, the light combining unit group 4033 is connected to the modulation unit group 4032 through two optical waveguides. That is, one end of the light combining unit group 4033 is connected to two optical waveguides. One optical waveguide is connected to the one in the modulation unit group 4032 that has a phase converter and a modulator, and the other optical waveguide is connected to the one in the modulation unit group 4032 that only has a modulator.

[0075] The other end of the optical combining unit group 4033 is connected to the output optical waveguide 404, and the other end of the output optical waveguide 404 is connected to the first optical fiber 501. The output optical signal is the optical signal that meets the optical power requirements. After passing through the output optical waveguide 404, the output optical signal enters the first optical fiber 501, and the first optical fiber 501 propagates the output optical signal into the optical interface 205. The number of output optical waveguides 404 is the same as the number of optical combining unit groups 4033, and both are related to the number of optical signals output by the silicon photonics chip 400. When the silicon photonics chip 400 needs to output four optical signals, four sets of output optical waveguides 404 are also provided. Specifically, the first output optical waveguide 4041 and the optical combining unit 1 ( Figure 7 The first outgoing light signal TX0 generated by the light combining unit 1 propagates in the first outgoing light waveguide 4041; the second outgoing light waveguide 4042 is connected to the light combining unit 2 ( Figure 7 The second emitted light signal TX1 generated by the light combining unit 2 propagates in the second emitted light waveguide 4042; the third emitted light waveguide 4043 is connected to the light combining unit 3 ( Figure 7 The light combining unit 3 is connected to the light combining unit 4, and the third emitted light signal TX2 generated by the light combining unit 3 propagates in the third emitted light waveguide 4043; the fourth emitted light waveguide 4044 is connected to the light combining unit 4 ( Figure 7The light combining unit 4) is connected, and the fourth outgoing light signal TX3 generated by the light combining unit 4 propagates in the fourth outgoing light waveguide 4044. The four outgoing light waveguides 404 propagate the corresponding outgoing light signals into the first optical fiber 501, and then the first optical fiber 501 propagates the four outgoing light signals into the optical interface 205.

[0076] The optical module provided in this embodiment achieves photoelectric conversion through the coupling connection between the silicon photonic chip 400 and the third optical fiber 503 during light emission. However, due to the excessively thin diameter of the optical fiber, the coupling effect of the optical module is easily compromised when the third optical fiber 503 and the silicon photonic chip 400 are not precisely aligned. Furthermore, the emitted light incurs losses upon entering the silicon photonic chip 400, including waveguide loss, coupling loss, and end-face loss, resulting in a difference between the optical power of the emitted light signal and the actual emitted light power. Therefore, to ensure that the optical power of the emitted light and the modulated emitted light signal accurately characterizes the coupling effect between the silicon photonic chip 400 and the third optical fiber 503, power detection of the emitted light signal propagating in the emitted light waveguide 404 is necessary.

[0077] To perform power detection and monitor the optical coupling effect of the output optical signal, the optical module provided in this embodiment, such as... Figure 6 As shown, an optical power monitoring unit 402 and a monitoring optical waveguide 407 are disposed within the silicon photonics chip 400. One end of the monitoring optical waveguide 407 is connected to the output optical waveguide 404 to receive the output light split by the output optical waveguide 404 according to a preset splitting ratio. One end of the optical power monitoring unit 402 is connected to the control chip 700, and the other end is connected to the output optical waveguide 404 through the monitoring optical waveguide 407 to receive the output light signal propagating in the monitoring optical waveguide 407 and monitor the optical power of the output light signal. The output light signal used for optical power monitoring is obtained by splitting the output light signal by the output optical waveguide 404 according to a preset splitting ratio. The optical power monitoring unit 402 can be a monitoring photodiode (MPD) and includes a P-terminal and an N-terminal. The optical power monitoring unit 402 is connected to the outgoing optical waveguide 404. When an outgoing optical signal is propagating in the outgoing optical waveguide 404, the optical power monitoring unit 402 can receive a certain proportion of the optical signal for power monitoring.

[0078] The outgoing optical waveguide 404 is the main path, and the section connecting to the optical power monitoring unit 402 is the branch path, specifically the monitoring optical waveguide 407. The optical signal in the branch path accounts for 2% to 5% of the optical signal in the main path. In other words, the optical signal propagating in the outgoing optical waveguide 404, upon reaching the connection point of the branch path, will be split into light with a splitting ratio of 2% to 5%, which will then propagate through the branch path into the optical power monitoring unit 402. The optical power monitoring unit 402 monitors the power to determine whether the silicon photonics chip 400 and the third optical fiber 503 are properly coupled. When splitting the optical signal into the branch path, a splitting ratio, such as 2% to 5%, can be preset in the optical power monitoring unit 402, ensuring that only optical signals meeting the required ratio are split into the branch path and enter the optical power monitoring unit 402.

[0079] To ensure that the optical power monitoring unit 402 can detect the proper coupling between the silicon photonics chip 400 and the third optical fiber 503, the optical module provided in this embodiment connects the silicon photonics chip 400 to a control chip 700. The control chip 700 is mounted on the circuit board 300 and connected to the optical power monitoring unit 402. It receives monitoring data from the optical power monitoring unit 402, analyzes and calculates the monitoring data, and determines whether the monitored power has reached its maximum value, thus confirming whether the silicon photonics chip 400 and the third optical fiber 503 are properly coupled. If the monitored power reaches its maximum value, it indicates that the silicon photonics chip 400 and the third optical fiber 503 are properly coupled. The maximum power value refers to the optical power value corresponding to the optimal coupling of the optical module, that is, the optical power value corresponding to the optimal position when the silicon photonics chip 400 and the third optical fiber 503 are docked.

[0080] Figure 8 This is a circuit diagram illustrating the connection between a control chip and an optical power monitoring unit, as provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 and Figure 8 As shown, to receive monitoring data from the optical power modulation unit 403, the control chip 700 includes: an MCU 701, a first resistor 703, a second resistor 704, a filter capacitor 702, a bias voltage, and a signal selection chip 705. The control chip 700 is connected to the optical power monitoring unit 402, which includes a P-pole (…). Figure 8 (MPD-P) and N-level ( Figure 8 (MPD-N), for this purpose, the MCU701 is connected to the P-pole of the optical power monitoring unit 402.

[0081] First resistor 703 ( Figure 8 One end of resistor R1 is connected to the N terminal of optical power monitoring unit 402, and the other end of the first resistor 703 is connected to the bias voltage ( Figure 8The signal selection chip 705 is connected to the P-terminal of the optical power monitoring unit 402, and the other end of the signal selection chip 705 is connected to the second resistor 704; the other end of the second resistor 704 is connected to the filter capacitor 702. Figure 8 One end of C1 is connected to form a sampling circuit. The other end of the filter capacitor 702 is connected through an analog-to-digital converter interface (ADC). Figure 8 The ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter) is connected to the MCU701. The data collected by the sampling circuit is sent to the MCU701 for processing. The MCU701 determines whether the silicon photonics chip 400 and the third optical fiber 503 are properly coupled by judging whether the collected power has reached the maximum value. The MCU701 can be a microcontroller.

[0082] In this embodiment, the N-terminal of the optical power monitoring unit 402 is connected to the bias voltage through the first resistor 703. In other embodiments, the N-terminal of the optical power monitoring unit 402 can also be directly connected to the bias voltage. Both embodiments can monitor the optical signal, but the difference lies in the fact that the optical signal is slightly weaker when monitoring power in the scheme where the first resistor is not connected to the bias voltage.

[0083] Specifically, in another embodiment, the control chip 700 includes: an MCU 701, a second resistor 704, a signal selection chip 705, a bias voltage, and a filter capacitor 702. The MCU 701 is connected to the P-terminal of the optical power monitoring unit 402; the N-terminal of the optical power monitoring unit 402 is connected to the bias voltage; one end of the signal selection chip 705 is connected to the P-terminal of the optical power monitoring unit 402, and the other end of the signal selection chip 705 is connected to the second resistor 704; the other end of the second resistor 704 is connected to one end of the filter capacitor 702, and the other end of the filter capacitor 702 is connected to the MCU 701 through an analog-to-digital converter interface.

[0084] According to the two schemes provided in the foregoing embodiments for connecting the control chip 700 and the optical power monitoring unit 402, the power monitoring of the optical power monitoring unit 402 can be realized, and the monitoring data can be sent to the control chip 700. In this way, the optical power of the outgoing optical signal propagating in the outgoing optical waveguide 404 can be known, which makes it easier for the control chip 700 to make a judgment based on the monitored power data, and thus determine the coupling effect between the silicon photonics chip 400 and the third optical fiber 503.

[0085] Figure 9 The optical path diagram of the silicon photonics chip provided in an embodiment of the present invention. See also... Figure 9Since the silicon photonics chip 400 can simultaneously receive multiple outgoing light beams and transmit multiple optical signals to meet the requirements of optical modules, multiple incident light waveguides 401 are provided within the silicon photonics chip 400 when multiple optical signals need to be received. Therefore, the light source 600 needs to provide a corresponding number of laser chips. Simultaneously, multiple outgoing light waveguides 404 are provided within the silicon photonics chip 400, and the number of outgoing light waveguides 404 is related to the number of optical signals the silicon photonics chip 400 needs to transmit.

[0086] When multiple outgoing optical waveguides 404 are set within the silicon photonics chip 400, in order to detect the power of the outgoing optical signal propagating in each outgoing optical waveguide 404, an optical power monitoring unit 402 needs to be set at each outgoing optical waveguide 404. That is, the number of optical power monitoring units 402 is the same as the number of outgoing optical waveguides 404, and they are connected one-to-one. Specifically, the first optical power monitoring unit 4021 is connected to the first outgoing optical waveguide 4041, the second optical power monitoring unit 4022 is connected to the second outgoing optical waveguide 4042, the third optical power monitoring unit 4023 is connected to the third outgoing optical waveguide 4043, and the fourth optical power monitoring unit 4024 is connected to the fourth outgoing optical waveguide 4044.

[0087] Figure 10 This invention provides an optical path diagram showing the connection between a control chip and multiple optical power monitoring units. The control chip 700 is connected to multiple optical power monitoring units 402 to receive monitoring data from each unit. See also... Figure 8 and Figure 10 This embodiment provides a feasible specific implementation method for connecting the control chip with multiple optical power monitoring units, namely, the N-pole of each optical power monitoring unit 402 is connected together in series, and the N-pole connected in series and the P-pole of each optical power monitoring unit 402 are connected to the control chip 700 through the same interface (ADC).

[0088] In this embodiment, taking the silicon photonics chip 400 with four outgoing optical waveguides and four optical power monitoring units as an example, the N-stages of the four MPDs are connected together, and the connected N-stages (MPD-N) are then connected to the control chip 700. Specifically, the connected MPD-N is connected to the bias voltage VCC through the first resistor 703, or the connected MPD-N is directly connected to the bias voltage VCC for biasing. Each of the four MPDs' P-stages is individually connected to the control chip 700. Specifically, the P-stages of the four MPDs (MPD-P0, MPD-P1, MPD-P2, and MPD-P3) are connected to the signal selection chip 705. The signal selection chip 705 is connected to the MCU 701 through the second resistor 704 and the filter capacitor 702 to sample data and send the monitoring data of the optical power monitoring unit 402 to the control chip 700. After calculation and processing, the optical power of the optical signal propagating in the first outgoing optical waveguide 4041, the second outgoing optical waveguide 4042, the third outgoing optical waveguide 4043, or the fourth outgoing optical waveguide 4044 can be obtained.

[0089] The signal selection chip 705, controlled by the MCU 701, is used to select signals. Since the P-stages of the four MPDs are all connected to the MCU 701 via the signal selection chip 705, a four-channel sampling circuit can be formed. However, the MCU 701 only has one interface (ADC). The monitoring data from all four sampling circuits are sent to the MCU 701 through the same interface. If the four sampling circuits are monitored simultaneously, the MCU 701 will receive four sets of monitoring data at the same time. This makes it impossible for the MCU 701 to accurately determine the correspondence between each set of monitoring data and the optical power of the optical signal in each outgoing optical waveguide 404, resulting in an inability to determine whether the coupling between the silicon photonics chip 400 and the third optical fiber 503 is in place.

[0090] Therefore, the optical module provided in this embodiment selects the sampling circuit through a signal selection chip 705, so that only one sampling circuit is selected for output during each power monitoring. That is, when monitoring the optical power of the optical signals in the four outgoing optical waveguides 404, the signal selection chip 705, controlled by the MCU 701, selects the P-level of one of the MPDs for connection. For example, if the current power monitoring is of the first outgoing optical signal TX0 propagating in the first outgoing optical waveguide 404, then the signal selection chip 705 is connected to the P-level (MPD-P0) of the first MPD, and the monitoring data received by the MCU 701 is only the optical power of the first outgoing optical signal TX0. When monitoring the optical power of the optical signal in the next outgoing optical waveguide 404, the signal selection chip 705 is connected to the corresponding P-level of the MPD, and so on.

[0091] In this embodiment, multiple optical power monitoring units 402 monitor the optical signals in their respective outgoing optical waveguides 404 individually at a certain period. While one optical power monitoring unit 402 is monitoring, the other optical power monitoring units 402 are not monitoring, thus determining the coupling state between each path in the silicon photonics chip 400 and the third optical fiber 503. This embodiment uses a periodic individual monitoring method to monitor the power of the optical signal in each outgoing optical waveguide 404. While this saves resources, it cannot simultaneously monitor the optical signals in all four outgoing optical waveguides, resulting in lower monitoring efficiency. Therefore, the optical module provided in this embodiment also provides a connection scheme between a control chip capable of simultaneous monitoring and multiple optical power monitoring units.

[0092] Figure 11 This is another circuit diagram showing the connection between the control chip and the optical power monitoring unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 12 This is another optical path diagram showing the connection between the control chip and multiple optical power monitoring units provided in an embodiment of the present invention. See also... Figure 11 and Figure 12 To receive monitoring data from the optical power monitoring unit 402, the control chip 700 includes: an MCU 701, a first resistor 703, a second resistor 704, a bias voltage, and a filter capacitor 702. The control chip 700 is connected to the optical power monitoring unit 402, which includes a P-type (…) pin. Figure 11 (MPD-P) and N-level ( Figure 11 (MPD-N), for this purpose, the MCU701 is connected to the P-pole of the optical power monitoring unit 402.

[0093] First resistor 703 ( Figure 11 One end of resistor R1 is connected to the N terminal of optical power monitoring unit 402, and the other end of the first resistor 703 is connected to the bias voltage ( Figure 11 The middle VCC is connected for biasing; the second resistor is 704 ( Figure 11 One end of resistor 704 (R2) is connected to the P-terminal of optical power monitoring unit 402; the other end of resistor 704 is connected to filter capacitor 702 ( Figure 11 One end of C1 is connected to form a sampling circuit. The other end of the filter capacitor 702 is connected through an analog-to-digital converter interface (ADC). Figure 11 The ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter) is connected to the MCU701. The data collected by the sampling circuit is sent to the MCU701 for processing. The MCU701 determines whether the silicon photonics chip 400 and the third optical fiber 503 are properly coupled by judging whether the collected power has reached the maximum value. The MCU701 can be a microcontroller.

[0094] In this embodiment, the N-terminal of the optical power monitoring unit 402 is connected to the bias voltage through a first resistor. In other embodiments, the N-terminal of the optical power monitoring unit 402 can also be directly connected to the bias voltage. Both embodiments can monitor the optical signal, but the difference lies in the fact that the optical signal is slightly weaker when monitoring power in the scheme where the first resistor is not connected to the bias voltage.

[0095] Specifically, in another embodiment, the control chip 700 includes: an MCU 701, a second resistor 704, a bias voltage, and a filter capacitor 702. The MCU 701 is connected to the P-terminal of the optical power monitoring unit 402; the N-terminal of the optical power monitoring unit 402 is connected to the bias voltage; one end of the second resistor 704 is connected to the P-terminal of the optical power monitoring unit 402; the other end of the second resistor 704 is connected to one end of the filter capacitor 702, and the other end of the filter capacitor 702 is connected to the MCU 701 through an analog-to-digital converter interface.

[0096] According to the two schemes provided in the foregoing embodiments for connecting the control chip 700 and the optical power monitoring unit 402, the power monitoring of the optical power monitoring unit 402 can be realized, and the monitoring data can be sent to the control chip 700. In this way, the optical power of the outgoing optical signal propagating in the outgoing optical waveguide 404 can be known, which makes it easier for the control chip 700 to make a judgment based on the monitored power data, and thus determine the coupling effect between the silicon photonics chip 400 and the third optical fiber 503.

[0097] When multiple outgoing optical waveguides 404 and multiple optical power monitoring units 402 are arranged within the silicon photonics chip 400, in order to ensure that each optical power monitoring unit 402 can monitor the optical power of the optical signal in the outgoing optical waveguide 404 connected to it, and to determine whether the silicon photonics chip 400 and the third optical fiber 503 are properly coupled, the control chip 700 needs to be connected to the multiple optical power monitoring units 402. The connection method used in this embodiment is similar to... Figure 10 The methods shown are different, such as Figure 12 As shown in the figure, the connection method provided in this embodiment is that each optical power monitoring unit 402 is individually connected to the control chip 700.

[0098] Specifically, the P-pole of each optical power monitoring unit 402 ( Figure 12 (MPD-P) and N pole ( Figure 12 The MPD-N terminals are connected together, and each optical power monitoring unit 402 is connected to the control chip 700 through a corresponding interface. The P and N terminals of each optical power monitoring unit 402 use the same bias and sampling circuit, such as... Figure 11 The circuit connection shown can be referenced in the above embodiments for specific connection methods. Figure 11 The circuit shown will not be described in detail here.

[0099] In this embodiment, the P-stage and its N-stage of the optical power monitoring unit 402 are connected together, making the multiple optical power monitoring units 402 independent devices, and each optical power monitoring unit 402 is connected to the control chip 700. Therefore, the control chip 700 needs to be equipped with multiple ADC interfaces, the number of which is the same as the number of optical power monitoring units 402. Taking a silicon photonics chip 400 with four outgoing waveguides and four optical power monitoring units as an example, the number of ADC interfaces is also four (not shown in the figure), the first optical power monitoring unit 4021 (… Figure 12 After the P-stage and its N-stage of MPD1 are connected together, it is connected to the control chip 700 through the first ADC interface (or the first interface); the second optical power monitoring unit 4022 ( Figure 12 After the P-stage and its N-stage of the MPD2 are connected together, it is connected to the control chip 700 through the second ADC interface (or the second interface); the third optical power monitoring unit 4023 ( Figure 12 After the P-stage and its N-stage of the MPD3 are connected together, it is connected to the control chip 700 through the third ADC interface (or the third A interface); the fourth optical power monitoring unit 4024 ( Figure 12 After the P-stage and N-stage of the MPD4 are connected together, they are connected to the control chip 700 through the fourth ADC interface (or the fourth interface). The specific connection method between the P-stage and N-stage of each optical power monitoring unit 402 and the control chip 700 can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 11 The circuit diagram shown.

[0100] As can be seen, in this embodiment, multiple optical power monitoring units 402 are connected to the control chip 700 in parallel, and the multiple optical power monitoring units 402 do not interfere with each other when monitoring optical power. Specifically, since each optical power monitoring unit 402 is connected to the control chip 700 through a different ADC interface, the control chip 700 can independently receive monitoring data from different optical power monitoring units 402. Multiple sets of monitoring data do not interfere with each other and will not affect the processing of the control chip 700, thereby ensuring the accuracy of data reception. Therefore, the connection method provided in this embodiment allows multiple optical power monitoring units 402 to work independently and simultaneously monitor the optical power of the optical signal in the outgoing optical waveguide 404 connected to them, improving monitoring efficiency.

[0101] The optical module provided in this embodiment of the invention uses a silicon photonics chip 400 to replace traditional optical transceivers, serving as an integrated optical transceiver for simultaneous conversion of photoelectric signals. To ensure that the optical power of the silicon photonics chip 400 in modulating the optical signal meets the requirements of the optical module, an optical power monitoring unit 402 is provided in the silicon photonics chip 400 to monitor the power of the emitted optical signal and detect whether the silicon photonics chip 400 and the third optical fiber 503 are properly coupled.

[0102] The silicon photonics chip 400 can realize multiple optical signal inputs and outputs, depending on the actual application. For example, to illustrate, see [link to example]. Figure 9 The optical power modulation unit 403 in the silicon photonics chip 400 needs to modulate the three outgoing light beams into four outgoing light signals. To this end, the silicon photonics chip 400 includes three incident light waveguides (first incident light waveguide 4011, second incident light waveguide 4012, and third incident light waveguide 4013), an optical power modulation unit 403, four monitoring light waveguides 407, four outgoing light waveguides (first optical power monitoring unit 4021, second optical power monitoring unit 4022, and third optical power monitoring unit 4023), four optical power monitoring units (first outgoing light waveguide 4041, second outgoing light waveguide 4042, third outgoing light waveguide 4043, and fourth outgoing light waveguide 4044) that are connected one-to-one with the four outgoing light waveguides, and three laser chips encapsulated in the light source 600 to generate three outgoing light beams.

[0103] To receive three outgoing beams, the silicon photonics chip 400 includes three input ports (first input port L0, second input port L1, and third input port L2). Each input port is connected to an incident waveguide; that is, the first input port L0 is connected to the first incident waveguide 4011, the second input port L1 is connected to the second incident waveguide 4012, and the third input port L2 is connected to the third incident waveguide 4013. Each laser chip in the light source 600 is connected to an input port via a third optical fiber 503. That is, the first input port L0 corresponding to the first incident waveguide 4011 is opposite to the first laser chip in the light source 600 via the third optical fiber 503. The first laser chip is used to generate the first outgoing beam, and the first incident waveguide 4011 is used to receive the first outgoing beam generated by the light source 600 through the first input port L0 and the third optical fiber 503. The second incident light waveguide 4012, corresponding to the second light inlet L1, is connected to the second laser chip in the light source 600 via the third optical fiber 503. The second laser chip generates the second outgoing light, and the second incident light waveguide 4012 receives the second outgoing light generated by the light source 600 through the second light inlet L1 and the third optical fiber 503. The third incident light waveguide 4013, corresponding to the third light inlet L2, is connected to the third laser chip in the light source 600 via the third optical fiber 503. The third laser chip generates the third outgoing light, and the third incident light waveguide 4013 receives the third outgoing light generated by the light source 600 through the third light inlet L2 and the third optical fiber 503.

[0104] The other ends of the three incident light waveguides 401 are connected to the optical power modulation unit 403. To realize the modulation of three outgoing light into four outgoing light signals, the optical power modulation unit 403 includes seven beam splitting units, four modulation units, and four beam combining units. The connection relationship between the seven beam splitting units and the connection relationship with the three incident light waveguides 401 can be referred to the description of the foregoing embodiment, and will not be repeated here. Beam splitter 4 is connected to the first modulation unit via an optical waveguide. The first modulation unit is connected to beam combiner 1 via an optical waveguide. Beam combiner 1 is connected to the first outgoing optical waveguide 4041. Beam splitter 5 is connected to the second modulation unit via an optical waveguide. The second modulation unit is connected to beam combiner 2 via an optical waveguide. Beam combiner 2 is connected to the second outgoing optical waveguide 4042. Beam splitter 6 is connected to the third modulation unit via an optical waveguide. The third modulation unit is connected to beam combiner 3 via an optical waveguide. Beam combiner 3 is connected to the third outgoing optical waveguide 4043. Beam splitter 7 is connected to the fourth modulation unit via an optical waveguide. The fourth modulation unit is connected to beam combiner 4 via an optical waveguide. Beam combiner 4 is connected to the fourth outgoing optical waveguide 4044.

[0105] The first outgoing optical waveguide 4041 is used to propagate a first outgoing optical signal TX0 modulated by the optical power modulation unit 403 from the outgoing light from the third optical fiber 503; the second outgoing optical waveguide 4042 is used to propagate a second outgoing optical signal TX1 modulated by the optical power modulation unit 403 from the outgoing light from the third optical fiber 503; the third outgoing optical waveguide 4043 is used to propagate a third outgoing optical signal TX2 modulated by the optical power modulation unit 403 from the outgoing light from the third optical fiber 503; and the fourth outgoing optical waveguide 4044 is used to propagate a fourth outgoing optical signal TX3 modulated by the optical power modulation unit 403 from the outgoing light from the third optical fiber 503. Four outgoing optical waveguides (first outgoing optical waveguide 4041, second outgoing optical waveguide 4042, third outgoing optical waveguide 4043, and fourth outgoing optical waveguide 4044) are respectively connected to the first optical fiber 501. The first outgoing optical signal TX0 obtained by combining the light from the light from the combining unit 1 propagates into the first optical fiber 501 through the first outgoing optical waveguide 4041; the second outgoing optical signal TX1 obtained by combining the light from the light from the combining unit 2 propagates into the first optical fiber 501 through the second outgoing optical waveguide 4042; the third outgoing optical signal TX2 obtained by combining the light from the light from the combining unit 3 propagates into the first optical fiber 501 through the third outgoing optical waveguide 4043; and the fourth outgoing optical signal TX3 obtained by combining the light from the light from the combining unit 4 propagates into the first optical fiber 501 through the fourth outgoing optical waveguide 4044. Finally, the first optical fiber 501 transmits the four outgoing optical signals into the optical interface 205, realizing the optical transmission process.

[0106] The optical power modulation unit 403 modulates the three outgoing light into four outgoing light signals, which then propagate in the four outgoing light waveguides 404 respectively. For power monitoring, an optical power monitoring unit 402 is connected to each outgoing optical waveguide 404. Specifically, the first optical power monitoring unit 4021 is connected to the first outgoing optical waveguide 4041 through the first monitoring optical waveguide and is used to monitor the first outgoing optical signal TX0 that propagates through the first monitoring optical waveguide after beam splitting; the second optical power monitoring unit 4022 is connected to the second outgoing optical waveguide 4042 through the second monitoring optical waveguide and is used to monitor the second outgoing optical signal TX1 that propagates through the second monitoring optical waveguide after beam splitting; the third optical power monitoring unit 4023 is connected to the third outgoing optical waveguide 4043 through the third monitoring optical waveguide and is used to monitor the third outgoing optical signal TX2 that propagates through the third monitoring optical waveguide after beam splitting; and the fourth optical power monitoring unit 4024 is connected to the fourth outgoing optical waveguide 4044 through the fourth monitoring optical waveguide and is used to monitor the fourth outgoing optical signal TX3 that propagates through the fourth monitoring optical waveguide after beam splitting. Four optical power monitoring units 402 are connected to the control chip 700, and the specific optical path connection method can be adopted. Figure 10 and Figure 12Any one of the following can be selected, and the specific choice depends on the actual usage requirements; no limitation is made here. Correspondingly, the circuit connection method between the four optical power monitoring units 402 and the control chip 700 can be adopted as follows: Figure 9 and Figure 11 Any of the above methods can be referred to the description of the corresponding part in the foregoing embodiments for specific connection methods, which will not be repeated here.

[0107] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the optical module provided in this embodiment of the invention includes a circuit board 300, and a silicon photonics chip 400, a light source 600, and a control chip 700 disposed on the circuit board 300. The light source 600 is connected to the signal circuit of the circuit board 300 to generate outgoing light. The silicon photonics chip is coupled to one end of a third optical fiber, and the other end of the third optical fiber is connected to the light source. The outgoing light generated by the light source propagates into the silicon photonics chip through the third optical fiber. The silicon photonics chip 400 includes an incident light waveguide 401, an optical power modulation unit 403, an outgoing light waveguide 404, and an optical power monitoring unit 402. The incident light waveguide 401 receives the outgoing light from the third optical fiber 503, and after propagation into the optical power modulation unit 403 for optical power modulation, an outgoing light signal is obtained. The outgoing optical waveguide 404 receives and emits the outgoing optical signal. The optical power monitoring unit 402 is connected to the outgoing optical waveguide 404 via a monitoring optical waveguide 407. It receives the outgoing optical signal split by the outgoing optical waveguide 404 according to the splitting ratio and monitors the optical power of the outgoing optical signal. The optical power monitoring unit 402 is connected to the control chip 700, which receives the monitoring data from the optical power monitoring unit 402 to determine whether the coupling connection between the silicon photonic chip 400 and the optical fiber strip 500 meets the requirements. Therefore, the optical module provided by this invention can detect the coupling effect between the silicon photonic chip and the third optical fiber during optical emission. Specifically, by adding an optical power monitoring unit 402 to the silicon photonic chip 400, the optical power monitoring unit 402 monitors the power of the outgoing optical signal. Based on the monitoring data, the coupling effect between the silicon photonic chip 400 and the third optical fiber 503 can be accurately determined, thus simplifying the detection process of the optical module.

[0108] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An optical module, characterized in that, include: The circuit board has power supply circuitry and signal circuitry, used for power supply and signal electrical connections; A light source is mounted on the circuit board and connected to the power supply circuit of the circuit board to generate emitted light; The third optical fiber is coupled to a silicon photonic chip at one end and to a light source at the other end, and is used to propagate the emitted light generated by the light source into the silicon photonic chip. A control chip, mounted on the circuit board, is connected to the optical power monitoring unit of the silicon photonics chip and is used to receive monitoring data from the optical power monitoring unit. A silicon photonics chip is disposed on the circuit board; one end of the silicon photonics chip is connected to the signal circuit of the circuit board, and the other end of the silicon photonics chip is connected to the third optical fiber for receiving the emitted light generated by the light source through the third optical fiber; The silicon photonics chip includes: An incident light waveguide, wherein the light inlet of the incident light waveguide is connected to the third optical fiber, and is used to receive the outgoing light generated by the light source through the third optical fiber; An optical power modulation unit, one end of which is connected to the output port of the incident optical waveguide, is used to modulate the optical power of the outgoing light propagating in the incident optical waveguide to obtain an outgoing optical signal. The first and second outgoing optical waveguides are respectively connected to the optical power modulation unit and are used to receive the outgoing optical signal and emit it. A first monitoring optical waveguide and a second monitoring optical waveguide, one end of the first monitoring optical waveguide is connected to the first output optical waveguide, the first monitoring optical waveguide receives the output light split by the first output optical waveguide according to a preset beam splitting ratio, one end of the second monitoring optical waveguide is connected to the second output optical waveguide, the second monitoring optical waveguide receives the output light split by the second output optical waveguide according to a preset beam splitting ratio; A first optical power monitoring unit and a second optical power monitoring unit, one end of the first optical power monitoring unit and one end of the second optical power monitoring unit are connected to the control chip, the other end of the first optical power monitoring unit is connected to the first monitoring optical waveguide, and the other end of the second optical power monitoring unit is connected to the second monitoring optical waveguide, for monitoring the optical power of the outgoing optical signal propagating in the monitoring optical waveguide; The control chip includes a first interface, and the first optical power monitoring unit and the second optical power monitoring unit are respectively connected to the first interface; or, the control chip includes a first interface and a second interface, the first optical power monitoring unit is connected to the first interface, and the second optical power monitoring unit is connected to the second interface.

2. The optical module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset spectral splitting ratio is 2% to 5%.

3. The optical module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control chip includes: The MCU is connected to the P-pole of the first optical power monitoring unit; the first optical power monitoring unit includes a P-pole and an N-pole. The first resistor has one end connected to the N terminal of the first optical power monitoring unit and the other end connected to the bias voltage. A signal selection chip, one end of which is connected to the P-pole of the first optical power monitoring unit; The second resistor, one end of which is connected to the signal selection chip; A filter capacitor, one end of which is connected to the other end of the second resistor, and the other end of which is connected to the MCU; or: The MCU is connected to the P-pole of the second optical power monitoring unit; the second optical power monitoring unit includes a P-pole and an N-pole. A first resistor, one end of which is connected to the N-terminal of the second optical power monitoring unit, and the other end of which is connected to the bias voltage; A signal selection chip, one end of which is connected to the P-pole of the second optical power monitoring unit; The second resistor, one end of which is connected to the signal selection chip; A filter capacitor, one end of which is connected to the other end of the second resistor, and the other end of which is connected to the MCU.

4. The optical module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control chip includes: The MCU is connected to the P-pole of the first optical power monitoring unit; the first optical power monitoring unit includes a P-pole and an N-pole. The first resistor has one end connected to the N terminal of the first optical power monitoring unit and the other end connected to the bias voltage. The second resistor has one end connected to the P-terminal of the first optical power monitoring unit; A filter capacitor, one end of which is connected to the other end of the second resistor, and the other end of which is connected to the MCU; or: The MCU is connected to the P-pole of the second optical power monitoring unit; the second optical power monitoring unit includes a P-pole and an N-pole. A first resistor, one end of which is connected to the N-terminal of the second optical power monitoring unit, and the other end of which is connected to the bias voltage; The second resistor, one end of which is connected to the P-pole of the second optical power monitoring unit; A filter capacitor, one end of which is connected to the other end of the second resistor, and the other end of which is connected to the MCU.

5. The optical module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first optical power monitoring unit and the second optical power monitoring unit each include a P-pole and an N-pole. The N-pole of the first optical power monitoring unit and the N-pole of the second optical power monitoring unit are connected together in series. The N-pole connected in series and the P-pole of the first optical power monitoring unit and the P-pole of the second optical power monitoring unit are connected to the control chip through a first interface.

6. The optical module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first optical power monitoring unit and the second optical power monitoring unit each include a P-pole and an N-pole. The P-pole and N-pole of the first optical power monitoring unit are connected together, and the P-pole and N-pole of the second optical power monitoring unit are connected together. The first optical power monitoring unit is connected to the control chip through the first interface, and the second optical power monitoring unit is connected to the control chip through the second interface.

7. The optical module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The silicon photonics chip also includes a third output optical waveguide, a fourth output optical waveguide, a third monitoring optical waveguide, a fourth monitoring optical waveguide, a third optical power monitoring unit, and a fourth optical power monitoring unit; The first outgoing optical waveguide is used to propagate a first outgoing optical signal modulated by the optical power modulation unit from the outgoing light from the third optical fiber. The first optical power monitoring unit is connected to the first outgoing optical waveguide through the first monitoring optical waveguide and is used to monitor the first outgoing optical signal. The second outgoing optical waveguide is used to propagate a second outgoing optical signal modulated by the optical power modulation unit from the outgoing light from the third optical fiber. The second optical power monitoring unit is connected to the second outgoing optical waveguide through the second monitoring optical waveguide and is used to monitor the second outgoing optical signal. The third outgoing optical waveguide is used to propagate a third outgoing optical signal modulated by the optical power modulation unit from the outgoing light from the third optical fiber. The third optical power monitoring unit is connected to the third outgoing optical waveguide through the third monitoring optical waveguide and is used to monitor the third outgoing optical signal. The fourth outgoing optical waveguide is used to propagate a fourth outgoing optical signal modulated by the optical power modulation unit from the outgoing light from the third optical fiber. The fourth optical power monitoring unit is connected to the fourth outgoing optical waveguide through the fourth monitoring optical waveguide and is used to monitor the fourth outgoing optical signal. The third optical power monitoring unit is connected to the first interface or the second interface, and the fourth optical power monitoring unit is connected to the first interface or the second interface; or, the control chip further includes a third interface and a fourth interface, the third optical power monitoring unit is connected to the third interface, and the fourth optical power monitoring unit is connected to the fourth interface.

8. The optical module according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: An optical fiber ribbon, one end of which is coupled to the silicon photonic chip; An optical interface is connected to the silicon photonics chip via the optical fiber ribbon, and is used to receive optical signals from the silicon photonics chip via the optical fiber ribbon, and to transmit optical signals to the silicon photonics chip via the optical fiber ribbon; The incident optical waveguide includes a first incident optical waveguide, a second incident optical waveguide, and a third incident optical waveguide. The light inlet of the first incident optical waveguide, the light inlet of the second incident optical waveguide, and the light inlet of the third incident optical waveguide are respectively connected to the third optical fiber.

9. The optical module according to claim 8, characterized in that, The optical fiber ribbon includes: A first optical fiber, one end of which is coupled to the output port of the silicon photonic chip, and the other end of which is connected to the optical interface. The first optical fiber is used to receive the emitted light signal modulated by the silicon photonic chip and propagate it into the optical interface. The second optical fiber has one end coupled to the receiving port of the silicon photonic chip and the other end connected to the optical interface. The second optical fiber is used to receive the received optical signal emitted by the optical interface. The received optical signal is modulated by the silicon photonic chip to obtain an electrical signal, which is then sent to the circuit board.

10. The optical module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The optical power modulation unit includes: A beam splitting unit group, one end of which is connected to the incident light waveguide, is used to split the outgoing light propagating from the incident light waveguide. A modulation unit group, one end of which is connected to the other end of the beam splitting unit group through a first optical waveguide group, is used to modulate the optical power of the outgoing light after it has been split by the beam splitting unit group to obtain a modulated optical signal. The light combining unit group has one end connected to the other end of the modulation unit group through a second optical waveguide group, and the other end of the light combining unit group is connected to the outgoing optical waveguide. The light combining unit group is used to combine the modulated optical signal to obtain an outgoing optical signal, which propagates into the outgoing optical waveguide.

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