A method for coupling optical fiber adapter and optical module

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for coupling an optical fiber adapter and an optical module, comprising the following steps: sleeve a welding sleeve on the optical fiber adapter so that the bottom of the welding sleeve sticks to the end face of the optical module housing; adjust the position of the optical fiber adapter so that the optical power reaches the maximum, weld and fix the optical fiber adapter and the welding sleeve to obtain an assembly; perform a flattening operation, then lift the assembly by a preset distance L1, horizontally adjust the position of the assembly so that the optical power reaches the maximum; lower the assembly by a preset distance L2, L2>L1, monitor whether the change value of the optical power before and after the assembly is lowered is within a set range, if so, weld and fix the welding sleeve to the optical module housing; if not, lift the assembly by L2, and then re-perform the flattening-lifting-lowering operation on the assembly. The present invention predicts the situation of optical power drop during the coupling process and eliminates this defect, thereby avoiding the operation of reworking the product due to the optical power drop, effectively improving the product yield, and reducing the cost of the product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of optical communications, and in particular relates to a method for coupling an optical fiber adapter to an optical module. Background Art

[0002] At present, the Internet of Things, big data, and AI intelligence are developing explosively in parallel, and the demand for optical modules is increasing. There are two main types of optical module packaging, one is non-hermetic packaging using COB, and the other is hermetic packaging using ceramic shell or TO tube socket; no matter which type of packaging is used, a fiber optic adapter 1 is required to connect the optical module to the optical fiber for data transmission. The fiber optic adapter 1 is usually fixed to the optical module shell 3 by laser welding, and the quality of the laser welding process directly affects the reliability of the optical module.

[0003] like Figure 1 As shown, the optical fiber adapter 1 is connected to the optical module housing 3 by laser welding through a welding sleeve 2. Usually, there are three groups of penetration welding points 4, 2 in each group, a total of 6 penetration welding points 4, and the three groups of penetration welding points 4 are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the sleeve; there are three groups of bottom welding points 5, 3 in each group, a total of 9 bottom welding points 5, and the three groups of bottom welding points 5 are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the sleeve. The specific steps of welding are as follows:

[0004] Power on the optical module to make the laser inside the optical module emit light;

[0005] Put the welding sleeve 2 on the optical fiber adapter 1, and let the welding sleeve 2 fall freely to stick to the end surface of the optical module housing 3;

[0006] Connecting the upper end of the optical fiber adapter 1 to an optical power meter via an optical fiber, and monitoring the optical power value output from the optical fiber adapter 1 via the optical power meter;

[0007] The positions of the optical fiber adapter 1 in the X, Y, and Z directions are adjusted to maximize the optical power, and then the optical fiber adapter 1 and the welding sleeve 2 are fixed by penetration welding to obtain a combined body;

[0008] Press down the above assembly so that the bottom of the welding sleeve 2 is in close contact with the end surface of the optical module housing 3 (this process step is called a flattening operation);

[0009] After the flattening is completed, lift the assembly up a certain distance to leave a small gap between the bottom of the welding sleeve 2 and the end surface of the optical module housing 3 (to ensure that the optical fiber adapter 1 does not interfere with the optical module housing 3 when coupling and adjusting);

[0010] The positions of the assembly in the X and Y directions are adjusted to maximize the optical power, and then a base weld is performed at the joint between the welding sleeve 2 and the optical module housing 3 to complete the laser welding between the optical fiber adapter 1 and the optical module housing 3 .

[0011] In the above method, if the bottom of the welding sleeve 2 is not aligned with the end surface of the optical module housing 3, the optical power is likely to drop during the bottom welding. However, when the optical power is found to have dropped, the bottom welding has been completed, and the only way to save it is to remove the optical fiber adapter 1 for repair, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. In addition, the bottom welding is very strong, and the optical module housing 3 is likely to be damaged when the optical fiber adapter 1 is removed, bringing reliability risks to the product. Summary of the invention

[0012] The invention relates to a method for coupling an optical fiber adapter and an optical module, which can at least solve some defects of the prior art.

[0013] The present invention relates to a method for coupling an optical fiber adapter and an optical module, comprising the following steps:

[0014] S1, the optical module is powered on, making the laser inside the optical module emit light;

[0015] Put the welding sleeve on the optical fiber adapter so that the bottom of the welding sleeve is close to the end face of the optical module housing;

[0016] Connecting the optical fiber adapter to an optical power meter via an optical fiber, wherein the optical power meter is used to monitor the optical power value output from the optical fiber adapter in real time;

[0017] S2, adjusting the position of the optical fiber adapter so that the optical power reaches the maximum, and then welding the optical fiber adapter to the welding sleeve to obtain an assembly;

[0018] S3, pressing down the assembly so that the bottom of the welding sleeve is in close contact with the end surface of the optical module housing;

[0019] After the leveling is completed, the assembly is lifted up by a preset distance L1; the position of the assembly is adjusted horizontally to maximize the optical power;

[0020] S4, lowering the assembly by a preset distance L2 and monitoring the change of optical power before and after the assembly is lowered. If the optical power change value is within the set range, execute S5; if the optical power change value is outside the set range, lift the assembly by L2 and re-execute S3-S4; wherein L2>L1;

[0021] S5, welding and fixing the welding sleeve to the optical module housing.

[0022] As one embodiment, 10 μm <L2-L1<50μm。

[0023] As one of the implementation modes, the L1 is in the range of 10 to 50 μm.

[0024] As one of the implementation modes, when the number of times S3 to S4 are cyclically executed exceeds a set threshold, the optical fiber adapter is replaced and re-coupled.

[0025] As one of the implementation modes, in S4, causing the assembly to descend a preset distance specifically includes causing the assembly to descend N steps in steps, where N is a positive integer.

[0026] As one of the implementation modes, in S4, the setting range of the optical power variation value is less than 0.1 dB.

[0027] As one of the implementation modes, the optical fiber adapter is fixed to the welding sleeve by penetration welding.

[0028] As one of the implementation modes, the welding sleeve is fixed to the optical module housing by bottom welding.

[0029] The present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0030] In the present invention, after the flattening operation is completed, an assembly lowering operation is added and the change in optical power before and after the assembly is lowered is monitored, so as to predict the optical power drop and eliminate such defects, thereby avoiding the operation of reworking the product due to the optical power drop, saving labor hours and the consumption of raw materials, reducing damage to the optical fiber adapter and the optical module housing, effectively improving the product yield, and reducing the product cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the coupling structure of an optical fiber adapter and an optical module involved in the background technology;

[0033] Figure 2 A flow chart of a method for coupling a fiber optic adapter to an optical module provided in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention are described clearly and completely below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] like Figure 2 The embodiment of the present invention provides a method for coupling an optical fiber adapter to an optical module, comprising the following steps:

[0036] S1, the optical module is powered on, making the laser inside the optical module emit light;

[0037] Put the welding sleeve on the optical fiber adapter so that the bottom of the welding sleeve is close to the end face of the optical module housing;

[0038] Connecting the optical fiber adapter to an optical power meter via an optical fiber, wherein the optical power meter is used to monitor the optical power value output from the optical fiber adapter in real time;

[0039] S2, adjusting the position of the optical fiber adapter so that the optical power reaches the maximum, and then welding the optical fiber adapter to the welding sleeve to obtain an assembly;

[0040] S3, pressing down the assembly so that the bottom of the welding sleeve is in close contact with the end surface of the optical module housing;

[0041] After the leveling is completed, the assembly is lifted up by a preset distance L1; the position of the assembly is adjusted horizontally to maximize the optical power;

[0042] S4, lowering the assembly by a preset distance L2 and monitoring the change of optical power before and after the assembly is lowered. If the optical power change value is within the set range, S5 is executed; if the optical power change value is outside the set range, the assembly is lifted up by L2, and S3-S4 are executed again;

[0043] S5, welding and fixing the welding sleeve to the optical module housing.

[0044] Preferably, in S2, the three-dimensional spatial position of the optical fiber adapter is adjusted to maximize the optical power, for example, the position of the optical fiber adapter in the three directions of X, Y, and Z is adjusted, and the Z-axis direction is parallel to the vertical direction. Correspondingly, in S3, horizontally adjusting the position of the assembly corresponds to adjusting the position of the assembly in the X and Y directions.

[0045] Among them, in S2, the optical fiber adapter is preferably welded and fixed to the welding sleeve by penetration welding, generally by laser welding. Optionally, there are three groups of penetration welding points, and the three groups of penetration welding points are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the sleeve; each group of penetration welding points preferably has two welding points, and the two welding points are distributed in sequence along the axial direction of the welding sleeve.

[0046] Among them, in S5, the welding sleeve and the optical module housing are preferably welded and fixed by bottom welding, generally by laser welding. Optionally, there are three groups of bottom welding points, and the three groups of penetration welding points are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the sleeve; each group of penetration welding points preferably has 3 welding points, and the three welding points are distributed in sequence along the axial direction of the welding sleeve.

[0047] In the above method, the assembly can be clamped by a clamp, and the lowering and ascending operations of the assembly can be achieved by driving the clamp to rise and fall.

[0048] Optionally, in S3, L1 ranges from 10 to 50 μm, and more preferably, it is controlled to be in the range of 20 μm to 50 μm.

[0049] In one embodiment, in S4, the assembly is continuously lowered by a preset distance L2. In another embodiment, in S4, the specific operation of lowering the assembly by the preset distance L2 is: the assembly is lowered step by step for N steps, where N is a positive integer.

[0050] Preferably, L2 > L1, that is, the downward travel of the assembly is slightly greater than the upward travel of the assembly. Or rather, after the assembly is lowered by L1, it is further pressed down, so that it can accurately determine whether the optical power drop will occur. The inventor noticed that during the welding process of the welding sleeve and the optical module housing, when the high-temperature solder joint rapidly cools, the solder joint will shrink and pull the welding sleeve to further press against the optical module housing, and in this process, the optical fiber adapter may be tilted relative to the end face of the optical module housing, resulting in the phenomenon of optical power drop. In this embodiment, L2 is designed to be greater than L1. If the bottom end of the welding sleeve is not completely flat against the end face of the optical module housing before the welding sleeve and the optical module housing are welded, during the stage where the downward travel of the assembly is from L1 to L2, the optical fiber adapter will be tilted relative to the end face of the optical module housing, thereby causing the phenomenon of optical power drop. Therefore, this embodiment can预判 whether the optical power drop will occur before the welding sleeve and the optical module housing are welded, ensure the coupling quality between the optical fiber adapter and the optical module, and improve the product yield.

[0051] Preferably, 10 μm < L2 - L1 < 50 μm, while achieving the above-mentioned预判 function, it can avoid the situation that the device is damaged due to excessive pressing of the assembly.

[0052] Optionally, in S4, the set range of the optical power change value is less than 0.1 dB, but it is not limited to this range. For example, it can also be less than 0.2 dB, which can be determined according to specific process requirements.

[0053] In one embodiment, when the number of times of repeatedly executing S3 to S4 exceeds the set threshold, the optical fiber adapter is replaced and the coupling is performed again; the set threshold includes but is not limited to 3 times.

[0054] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for coupling an optical fiber adapter to an optical module, characterized in that: The steps include: S1, the optical module is powered on, making the laser inside the optical module emit light; Put the welding sleeve on the optical fiber adapter so that the bottom of the welding sleeve is close to the end face of the optical module housing; Connecting the optical fiber adapter to an optical power meter via an optical fiber, wherein the optical power meter is used to monitor the optical power value output from the optical fiber adapter in real time; S2, adjusting the position of the optical fiber adapter so that the optical power reaches the maximum, and then welding the optical fiber adapter to the welding sleeve to obtain an assembly; S3, pressing down the assembly so that the bottom of the welding sleeve is in close contact with the end surface of the optical module housing; After the leveling is completed, the assembly is lifted up by a preset distance L1; the position of the assembly is adjusted horizontally to maximize the optical power; S4, lowering the assembly by a preset distance L2 and monitoring the change of optical power before and after the assembly is lowered. If the optical power change value is within the set range, execute S5; if the optical power change value is outside the set range, lift the assembly by L2 and re-execute S3-S4; wherein L2>L1; S5, welding and fixing the welding sleeve to the optical module housing.

2. The method for coupling an optical fiber adapter to an optical module according to claim 1, wherein: 10μm <L2-L1<50μm。 3. The method for coupling an optical fiber adapter to an optical module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The L1 is in the range of 10 to 50 μm.

4. The method for coupling an optical fiber adapter to an optical module according to claim 1, wherein: When the number of times S3-S4 is executed in a loop exceeds a set threshold, the optical fiber adapter is replaced and re-coupled.

5. The method for coupling an optical fiber adapter to an optical module according to claim 1, wherein: In S4, making the assembly descend by a preset distance specifically includes: making the assembly descend by N steps, where N is a positive integer.

6. The method for coupling an optical fiber adapter to an optical module according to claim 1, wherein: In S4, the setting range of the optical power variation value is less than 0.1 dB.

7. The method for coupling an optical fiber adapter to an optical module according to claim 1, wherein: The optical fiber adapter is fixed to the welding sleeve by penetration welding.

8. The method for coupling an optical fiber adapter to an optical module according to claim 1, wherein: The welding sleeve is fixed to the optical module housing by bottom welding.

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