Optical module

Abstract

The optical module provided by the invention comprises a local oscillation light source, a coherent assembly and an MCU. A local oscillator interface of the coherent component is connected with the local oscillator light source; the receiving interface of the coherent assembly is connected with the receiving optical fiber adapter and receives a first optical signal from the outside. The first mixer mixes the local oscillator light and a first optical signal, and the first balanced receiver balances and receives the mixed signal light and converts the optical signal into a current signal. The trans-impedance amplifier amplifies the current signal, and the automatic gain control unit outputs gain control voltage and performs automatic gain control on the amplified current signal, so that the amplitude of the signal output by the coherent component is kept within a preset range. And the MCU collects the gain control voltage output by the automatic gain control unit, and calculates the optical power of the first optical signal according to the gain control voltage and a preset mapping relational expression. According to the invention, the optical power of the received signal light can be monitored without adding a coupler and a photoelectric detector, and the occupied space is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to an optical module. Background Art

[0002] Optical communication technology is used in new business models and application models such as cloud computing, mobile Internet, and video. In optical communication, optical modules are tools for converting photoelectric signals into each other and are one of the key components in optical communication equipment. With the rapid development of 5G networks, optical modules, which are at the core of optical communication, have made great progress.

[0003] Among them, the coherent optical module divides the optical frequency band into multiple channels according to the frequency, so that the optical frequency band can be fully utilized and multi-channel optical fiber communication can be realized. In order to monitor the optical power of the received signal light, a photodetector is set in the coherent optical module. However, the photodetector increases the space occupied by the coherent optical module, which is not conducive to the miniaturization of the coherent optical module. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides an optical module to reduce the space of a coherent optical module.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the embodiments of the present application disclose the following technical solutions:

[0006] On the one hand, an embodiment of the present application discloses an optical module, including: a local oscillator light source, for emitting local oscillator light;

[0007] a receiving optical fiber adapter containing a first optical signal;

[0008] A first mixer is coupled to the local oscillator light source and the receiving optical fiber adapter, and receives the local oscillator light and the first optical signal;

[0009] a first balanced receiver, connected to the first mixer, performing balanced reception on the received optical signal and converting the optical signal into an electrical signal;

[0010] a transimpedance amplifier, connected to the first balanced receiver, to amplify the electrical signal;

[0011] An automatic gain control unit, connected to the transimpedance amplifier, for performing gain control on the amplified electrical signal;

[0012] A second analog-to-digital converter is connected to the automatic gain control unit, receives a gain voltage of the automatic gain control unit, and converts the gain voltage into a voltage digital signal;

[0013] The MCU is connected to the second analog-to-digital converter, the product of the voltage digital signal and the photocurrent is a preset value, the photocurrent is calculated according to the voltage digital signal, and the optical power is calculated according to the mapping relationship between the photocurrent and the optical power.

[0014] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application discloses an optical module, including: a local oscillator light source, for emitting local oscillator light;

[0015] a receiving optical fiber adapter containing a first optical signal;

[0016] A third coupler is connected to the local oscillator light source and divides the local oscillator light into a first sub-local oscillator light and a second sub-local oscillator light;

[0017] a second coupler connected to the receiving optical fiber adapter, and dividing the first optical signal into a first sub-optical signal and a second sub-optical signal;

[0018] A second mixer is coupled to the third coupler and the second coupler, and receives the first sub-optical signal and the first sub-local oscillator light;

[0019] a second balanced receiver connected to the second mixer, performing balanced reception on the received optical signal, and converting the optical signal into a first sub-electrical signal and a second sub-electrical signal;

[0020] a first transimpedance amplifier, connected to the second balanced receiver, to amplify the first sub-electrical signal;

[0021] a first automatic gain control unit, connected to the first transimpedance amplifier, and performing gain control on the amplified first sub-electrical signal;

[0022] A third analog-to-digital converter, connected to the first automatic gain control unit, receives a gain voltage of the automatic gain control unit, and converts the gain voltage into a first voltage digital signal;

[0023] a second transimpedance amplifier, connected to the second balanced receiver, to amplify the second sub-electrical signal;

[0024] a second automatic gain control unit, connected to the second transimpedance amplifier, and performing gain control on the amplified second electrical sub-signal;

[0025] a fourth analog-to-digital converter, connected to the second automatic gain control unit, receiving a gain voltage of the automatic gain control unit, and converting the gain voltage into a second voltage digital signal;

[0026] The MCU is connected to the third analog-to-digital converter and the fourth analog-to-digital converter, and calculates the photocurrent according to the first voltage digital signal, the first voltage digital signal and a preset mapping relationship, and obtains the optical power according to the photocurrent;

[0027] The preset relationship is: voltage digital signal×photocurrent=preset value.

[0028] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0029] The optical module provided in the present application includes: a local oscillator light source, a coherent component and an MCU. The local oscillator interface of the coherent component is connected to the local oscillator light source to receive the local oscillator signal light; the receiving interface of the coherent component is connected to the receiving optical fiber adapter to receive the first optical signal from the outside. The first mixer mixes the local oscillator light with the first optical signal, and the first balanced receiver receives the mixed signal light in a balanced manner to convert the optical signal into a current signal. The transimpedance amplifier amplifies the current signal, and the automatic gain control unit outputs a gain control voltage to perform automatic gain control on the amplified current signal so that the signal amplitude output by the coherent component remains within a preset range. The MCU collects the gain control voltage output by the automatic gain control unit, and the product of the voltage digital signal and the optical power is a preset value. The optical power of the first optical signal is calculated according to the voltage digital signal. The present application does not need to add a coupler and a photodetector to realize the monitoring of the optical power of the received signal light, reduces the number of optoelectronic components, reduces the occupied space, and is conducive to the miniaturization design of the optical module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the present disclosure, the following briefly introduces the drawings required to be used in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the drawings described below are only drawings of some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings. In addition, the drawings described below can be regarded as schematic diagrams, and are not limitations on the actual size of the product involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the actual process of the method, the actual timing of the signal, etc.

[0031] Figure 1 is a partial architecture diagram of an optical communication system according to some embodiments;

[0032] Figure 2 is a partial structural diagram of a host computer according to some embodiments;

[0033] Figure 3 is a structural diagram of an optical module according to some embodiments;

[0034] Figure 4 is an exploded view of an optical module according to some embodiments;

[0035] Figure 5 A structural diagram of an optical module with a housing and unlocking components removed according to some embodiments;

[0036] Figure 6 is a structural diagram of a fiber optic adapter, a light source, a coherent component, and a circuit board according to some embodiments;

[0037] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a coherent component provided according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a coherent component and a circuit board provided according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0039] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic gain control unit provided according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0040] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic gain controller provided according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Optical communication technology establishes information transmission between information processing devices. Optical communication technology loads information onto light and uses the propagation of light to achieve information transmission. Light loaded with information is an optical signal. When optical signals propagate in information transmission equipment, they can reduce the loss of optical power and achieve high-speed, long-distance, and low-cost information transmission. Information that can be processed by information processing equipment exists in the form of electrical signals. Optical network terminals / gateways, routers, switches, mobile phones, computers, servers, tablets, and televisions are common information processing devices, and optical fibers and optical waveguides are common information transmission equipment.

[0042] The mutual conversion of optical signals and electrical signals between information processing equipment and information transmission equipment is realized through optical modules. For example, an optical fiber is connected to the optical signal input end and / or the optical signal output end of the optical module, and an optical network terminal is connected to the electrical signal input end and / or the electrical signal output end of the optical module; the first optical signal from the optical fiber is transmitted into the optical module, the optical module converts the first optical signal into a first electrical signal, and the optical module transmits the first electrical signal into the optical network terminal; the second electrical signal from the optical network terminal is transmitted into the optical module, the optical module converts the second electrical signal into a second optical signal, and the optical module transmits the second optical signal into the optical fiber. Since information processing devices can be connected to each other through an electrical signal network, at least one type of information processing device needs to be directly connected to the optical module, and it is not necessary for all types of information processing devices to be directly connected to the optical module. The information processing device directly connected to the optical module is called the host computer of the optical module.

[0043] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a partial architecture diagram of an optical communication system according to some embodiments. Figure 1As shown, the optical communication system is partially presented as a remote information processing device 1000 , a local information processing device 2000 , a host computer 100 , an optical module 200 , an optical fiber 101 and a network cable 103 .

[0044] One end of the optical fiber 101 extends toward the remote information processing device 1000, and the other end is connected to the optical interface of the optical module 200. The optical signal can be totally reflected in the optical fiber 101, and the propagation of the optical signal in the direction of total reflection can almost maintain the original optical power. The optical signal is totally reflected multiple times in the optical fiber 101, and the optical signal from the direction of the remote information processing device 1000 is transmitted into the optical module 200, or the light from the optical module 200 is propagated toward the remote information processing device 1000, so as to realize long-distance and low-power-loss information transmission.

[0045] The number of optical fibers 101 may be one or more (two or more); the optical fiber 101 and the optical module 200 may be connected in a pluggable movable manner or in a fixed manner.

[0046] The host computer 100 has an optical module interface 102, which is configured to access the optical module 200, so that the host computer 100 establishes a unidirectional / bidirectional electrical signal connection with the optical module 200; the host computer 100 is configured to provide data signals to the optical module 200, or receive data signals from the optical module 200, or monitor and control the working status of the optical module 200.

[0047] The host computer 100 has an external electrical interface, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface and a network cable interface 104, which can be connected to an electrical signal network. For example, the network cable interface 104 is configured to connect to the network cable 103, so that the host computer 100 and the network cable 103 establish a unidirectional / bidirectional electrical signal connection.

[0048] Optical Network Unit (ONU), Optical Line Terminal (OLT), Optical Network Equipment (ONT) and Data Center Server are common host computers.

[0049] One end of the network cable 103 is connected to the local information processing device 2000 , and the other end is connected to the host computer 100 . The network cable 103 establishes an electrical signal connection between the local information processing device 2000 and the host computer 100 .

[0050] For example, the third electrical signal emitted by the local information processing device 2000 is transmitted to the host computer 100 through the network cable 103. The host computer 100 generates a second electrical signal based on the third electrical signal. The second electrical signal from the host computer 100 is transmitted to the optical module 200. The optical module 200 converts the second electrical signal into a second optical signal. The optical module 200 transmits the second optical signal into the optical fiber 101. The second optical signal is transmitted to the remote information processing device 1000 in the optical fiber 101.

[0051] For example, a first optical signal from the direction of a remote information processing device 1000 propagates through the optical fiber 101, the first optical signal from the optical fiber 101 is transmitted into the optical module 200, the optical module 200 converts the first optical signal into a first electrical signal, the optical module 200 transmits the first electrical signal into the host computer 100, the host computer 100 generates a fourth electrical signal based on the first electrical signal, and the host computer 100 transmits the fourth electrical signal to the local information processing device 2000.

[0052] The optical module is a tool for realizing the mutual conversion between optical signals and electrical signals. During the conversion process between optical signals and electrical signals, the information does not change, but the encoding and decoding method of the information can change.

[0053] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a partial structural diagram of a host computer according to some embodiments. In order to clearly show the connection relationship between the optical module 200 and the host computer 100, Figure 2 Only the structures related to the host computer 100 and the optical module 200 are shown. Figure 2 As shown, the host computer 100 also includes a PCB circuit board 105 arranged in the shell, a cage 106 arranged on the surface of the PCB circuit board 105, a heat sink 107 arranged on the cage 106, and an electrical connector (not shown in the figure) arranged inside the cage 106. The heat sink 107 has a protruding structure that increases the heat dissipation area, and the fin-shaped structure is a common protruding structure.

[0054] The optical module 200 is inserted into the cage 106 of the host computer 100, and the cage 106 fixes the optical module 200. The heat generated by the optical module 200 is transferred to the cage 106 and then diffused through the heat sink 107. After the optical module 200 is inserted into the cage 106, the electrical interface of the optical module 200 is connected to the electrical connector inside the cage 106.

[0055] Figure 3 is a structural diagram of an optical module according to some embodiments, Figure 4 is an exploded view of an optical module according to some embodiments. Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of an optical module with a housing and unlocking components removed according to some embodiments. Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of a fiber optic adapter, a light source, coherent components, and a circuit board according to some embodiments. Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the optical module 200 includes a shell, a circuit board 300 disposed in the shell, a light emitting component 400 and a light receiving component 500. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the optical module 200 includes one of the light emitting component 400 and the light receiving component 500.

[0056] The housing comprises an upper housing 201 and a lower housing 202 . The upper housing 201 covers the lower housing 202 to form the housing having two openings 204 and 205 . The outer contour of the housing is generally a square body.

[0057] In some embodiments, the lower shell 202 includes a bottom plate 2021 and two lower side plates 2022 located on both sides of the bottom plate 2021 and arranged perpendicular to the bottom plate 2021; the upper shell 201 includes a cover plate 2011, and the cover plate 2011 covers the two lower side plates 2022 of the lower shell 202 to form the above-mentioned shell.

[0058] In some embodiments, the lower shell 202 includes a bottom plate 2021 and two lower side plates 2022 located on both sides of the bottom plate 2021 and vertically arranged with the bottom plate 2021; the upper shell 201 includes a cover plate 2011 and two upper side plates located on both sides of the cover plate 2011 and vertically arranged with the cover plate 2011, and the two upper side plates are combined with the two lower side plates 2022 to realize that the upper shell 201 covers the lower shell 202.

[0059] The direction of the line connecting the two openings 204 and 205 may be consistent with the length direction of the optical module 200, or may be inconsistent with the length direction of the optical module 200. For example, the opening 204 is located at the end of the optical module 200 ( Figure 3 The opening 205 is also located at the end of the optical module 200 ( Figure 3 Alternatively, the opening 204 is located at the end of the optical module 200, and the opening 205 is located at the side of the optical module 200. The opening 204 is an electrical interface, and the gold finger of the circuit board 300 extends from the electrical interface and is inserted into the electrical connector of the host computer; the opening 205 is an optical port, which is configured to access the optical fiber 101 so that the optical fiber 101 is connected to the optical emitting component 400 and / or the optical receiving component 500 in the optical module 200.

[0060] The assembly method of combining the upper shell 201 and the lower shell 202 is adopted, which facilitates the installation of components such as the circuit board 300, the light emitting component 400, and the light receiving component 500 into the above-mentioned shell, and the upper shell 201 and the lower shell 202 can encapsulate and protect the shapes of these components. In addition, when assembling components such as the circuit board 300, the light emitting component 400 and the light receiving component 500, it is convenient to deploy the positioning components, heat dissipation components, and electromagnetic shielding components of these devices, which is conducive to the automated implementation of production.

[0061] In some embodiments, the upper shell 201 and the lower shell 202 are made of metal materials to facilitate electromagnetic shielding and heat dissipation.

[0062] In some embodiments, the optical module 200 further includes an unlocking component 600 located outside its housing. The unlocking component 600 is configured to achieve a fixed connection between the optical module 200 and the host computer, or to release the fixed connection between the optical module 200 and the host computer.

[0063] For example, the unlocking component 600 is located on the outside of the two lower side plates 2022 of the lower housing 202, and includes a snap-fit ​​component that matches the cage 106 of the host computer. When the optical module 200 is inserted into the cage 106, the snap-fit ​​component of the unlocking component 600 fixes the optical module 200 in the cage 106; when the unlocking component 600 is pulled, the snap-fit ​​component of the unlocking component 600 moves accordingly, thereby changing the connection relationship between the snap-fit ​​component and the host computer, so as to release the snap-fit ​​fixed connection between the optical module 200 and the host computer, so that the optical module 200 can be pulled out of the cage 106.

[0064] The circuit board 300 includes circuit traces, electronic components and chips, etc. The electronic components and chips are connected together according to the circuit design through the circuit traces to realize the functions of power supply, electrical signal transmission and grounding. The electronic components may include capacitors, resistors, triodes, metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET), etc. The chips may include microcontroller units (MCU), laser driver chips, transimpedance amplifiers (TIA), limiting amplifiers, clock and data recovery chips (CDR), power management chips, and digital signal processing (DSP) chips.

[0065] The circuit board 300 is generally a rigid circuit board. Due to its relatively hard material, the rigid circuit board can also realize the load-bearing function. For example, the rigid circuit board can stably carry the above-mentioned electronic components and chips; the rigid circuit board is also easy to insert into the electrical connector in the upper computer cage.

[0066] The circuit board 300 also includes a gold finger formed on the end surface thereof, and the gold finger is composed of a plurality of independent pins. The circuit board 300 is inserted into the cage 106, and the gold finger is connected to the electrical connector in the cage 106. The gold finger can be provided on the surface of only one side of the circuit board 300 (for example, Figure 4 The gold finger is configured to establish an electrical connection with the host computer to achieve power supply, grounding, I2C signal transmission, data signal transmission, etc.

[0067] Of course, flexible circuit boards are also used in some optical modules. Flexible circuit boards are generally used in conjunction with rigid circuit boards to supplement rigid circuit boards.

[0068] The light emitting component and / or the light receiving component are located on a side of the circuit board 300 away from the gold finger; in some embodiments, the light emitting component and the light receiving component are physically separated from the circuit board 300, and then electrically connected to the circuit board 300 through corresponding flexible circuit boards or electrical connectors; in some embodiments, the light emitting component and / or the light receiving component can be directly set on the circuit board 300, can be set on the surface of the circuit board, and can also be set on the side of the circuit board.

[0069] The circuit board 300 includes a first circuit board 301, a second circuit board 302 and a third circuit board 303. The first circuit board 301 and the second circuit board 302 are both rigid circuit boards, and the third circuit board 303 is a flexible circuit board. The second circuit board 302 is stacked and placed on one end of the first circuit board 301 close to the local oscillator light source 401, and the second circuit board 302 is located between the first circuit board 301 and the upper shell 201. The first circuit board 301 and the second circuit board 302 are connected through the third circuit board 303.

[0070] The local oscillator light source 401 is connected to the second circuit board 302 and is used to emit a preset specific wavelength light beam. Specifically, the local oscillator light source 401 includes a semiconductor gain chip and a silicon photonic chip. The semiconductor gain chip emits a light beam in a wavelength range. The silicon photonic chip selects a specific wavelength light beam from the light beam in a wavelength range. The silicon photonic chip and the semiconductor gain chip form a resonant cavity. The specific wavelength light beam is reflected back and forth between the silicon photonic chip and the semiconductor gain chip, so that the specific wavelength light beam is stably output by the semiconductor gain chip.

[0071] The optical module further includes a transmitting optical fiber adapter 800 and a receiving optical fiber adapter 801. The transmitting optical fiber adapter 800 is used to transmit high-speed optical signals, and the receiving optical fiber adapter 801 is used to receive high-speed optical signals.

[0072] The coherent component 500 is placed on the circuit board and is used to realize the conversion of high-speed photoelectric signals. Specifically, the coherent component 500 includes an optical transmission interface, an optical receiving interface and a local oscillator optical interface. The optical transmission interface extends a first optical fiber, the optical receiving interface extends a second optical fiber, and the local oscillator optical interface extends a third optical fiber. The optical transmission interface is connected to the transmission optical fiber adapter 800, the optical receiving interface is connected to the receiving optical fiber adapter 801, and the local oscillator optical interface is connected to the local oscillator light source 401. The coherent component is connected to the transmission optical fiber adapter, the receiving optical fiber adapter and the local oscillator light source 401 respectively through the optical transmission interface, the optical receiving interface and the local oscillator optical interface, and the coherent component 500 is also connected to the DSP chip.

[0073] The narrow line width and high power laser emitted by the local oscillator light source 401 is input into the coherent component 500 through the local oscillator optical interface, and the laser is split into beams inside the coherent component 500, one of which is used as the emission beam and enters the coherent modulator inside the coherent component, and realizes the electro-optical signal conversion under the high-speed electrical signal drive of the DSP chip, and the converted high-speed optical signal is output from the optical transmission interface of the module; the other beam is used as the local oscillator beam, and is coherently demodulated with the high-speed optical signal input into the coherent component 500 from the optical receiving port of the module, and the demodulated electrical signal enters the DSP chip for signal processing, thereby completing the photoelectric signal conversion. Among them, the narrow line width and high power laser are beams of specific wavelengths.

[0074] The local oscillator light source 401 also includes an internal optical fiber adapter, the internal optical fiber adapter extends a first optical fiber, the local oscillator optical interface extends a local oscillator optical fiber, the first optical fiber is fused and connected to the local oscillator optical fiber, so that the internal optical fiber adapter is connected to the local oscillator optical interface. The transmitting optical fiber adapter extends a second optical fiber, the optical transmitting interface extends the transmitting optical fiber, the second optical fiber is fused and connected to the transmitting optical fiber, so that the transmitting optical fiber adapter is connected to the optical transmitting interface. The receiving optical fiber adapter 801 extends a third optical fiber, the optical receiving interface extends the receiving optical fiber, the third optical fiber is fused and connected to the receiving optical fiber, so that the receiving optical fiber adapter 801 is connected to the optical receiving interface.

[0075] In a coherent optical module, in order to monitor the signal light power in real time, an optical coupler is usually used to split the light and send the split light to a photodetector, thereby directly monitoring the signal light. However, the optical coupler plus the photodetector takes up a large space, which is not conducive to the miniaturization of the optical module.

[0076] To solve the above problems, the mapping relationship between the preset voltage and optical power of the optical module MCU provided in this application is used to calculate the optical power by monitoring the output current of the automatic gain control. It is not necessary to introduce an optical coupler and a photodetector, which reduces the device composition of the optical module and is conducive to the miniaturization of the optical module.

[0077] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a coherent component provided according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 8 Schematic diagram of a structure of a coherent component and a circuit board provided according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 7 As shown, the coherent component includes: a local oscillator interface and a receiving interface. The input end of the first mixer is connected to the local oscillator interface and the receiving interface respectively, and the output end of the first mixer is connected to the first balanced receiver. The first mixer mixes the local oscillator light with the first optical signal, and the first balanced receiver receives the mixed signal light in a balanced manner and converts the optical signal into a current signal. The transimpedance amplifier amplifies the current signal, and the current signal is converted into an analog signal through the first analog-to-digital converter. The DSP chip receives the analog signal and parses the analog signal to generate a data signal.

[0078] The automatic gain control unit outputs a gain control voltage to perform automatic gain control on the amplified current signal so that the signal amplitude output by the coherent component remains within a preset range.

[0079] The optical module is also provided with a second analog-to-digital converter, which collects the gain voltage of the automatic gain control unit and converts the gain voltage into a voltage digital signal. The MCU is connected to the second analog-to-digital converter and calculates the optical power according to the voltage digital signal and the mapping relationship.

[0080] In some embodiments of the present application, the local oscillator interface is connected to the local oscillator light source 401, and the local oscillator light generated by the local oscillator light source 401 enters the coherent component through the local oscillator interface. The receiving interface is connected to the receiving optical fiber adapter 801 to receive the first optical signal from the external optical fiber.

[0081] Fig. 9 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic gain control unit provided according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 As shown, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the automatic gain control unit includes: a gain controller, a gain amplifier, and a feedback regulator. The gain amplifier is arranged between the transimpedance amplifier and the feedback regulator. The first balanced receiver receives the mixed signal light in a balanced manner and converts the optical signal into a current signal. The transimpedance amplifier amplifies the current signal to form a first amplified signal.

[0082] The transimpedance amplifier is located between the first balanced receiver and the gain amplifier. The transimpedance amplifier receives the current signal output by the first balanced receiver, amplifies the current signal, and forms a first amplified signal. The gain amplifier performs a gain on the first amplified signal to generate a first gain signal. The feedback regulator is located between the gain amplifier and the gain controller. The feedback regulator adjusts the output voltage of the gain controller according to the magnitude of the first gain signal. The output voltage of the gain controller controls the magnitude of the gain value of the gain amplifier.

[0083] Fig.10 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic gain controller provided according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig.10 As shown, in some embodiments, the gain controller has a first input pin, which is connected to an input voltage. The gain controller has a second input pin, which is connected to a feedback regulator and receives a gain control signal from the feedback regulator. The gain controller has a first output pin, which is connected to a gain amplifier, and the output voltage of the first output pin controls the gain multiple of the gain amplifier.

[0084] The gain controller also has a monitoring pin, and the output voltage of the monitoring pin is the same as the output voltage of the first output pin. The monitoring pin is connected to a second analog-to-digital converter, and the second analog-to-digital converter converts the output voltage of the monitoring pin into a voltage digital signal. The second analog-to-digital converter is also connected to an MCU, and the MCU calculates the optical power of the first optical signal according to the voltage digital signal and a preset mapping relationship.

[0085] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, to ensure the stability of the optical signal, the feedback regulator adjusts the output voltage of the gain controller so that the electrical signal after gain amplification is a preset value. Therefore, the output voltage of the first output pin of the gain controller can be used to characterize the optical power of the signal light.

[0086] The preset mapping relationship is a functional relationship between optical power and voltage digital signal. Table 1 is a relationship table between optical power and voltage digital signal disclosed in an embodiment of the present application.

[0087]

[0088] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the photocurrent I1(t) is converted by the first balanced receiver and characterizes the optical power of the input signal light. When the input voltage of the first input pin of the gain controller is set to a fixed value, the output power of the gain controller is a certain value, and at this time I1(t)*RX_TIA_GC=fixed value, and RX_TIA_GC is the output voltage of the monitoring pin. It can be seen that the product of the photocurrent and the output voltage of the monitoring pin is a preset value, so as long as the value of the RX_TIA_GC voltage is known, the magnitude of the signal light photocurrent can be indirectly calculated based on the relationship between the RX_TIA_GC voltage and the signal light optical power. According to the mapping relationship between the photocurrent and the optical power, the value of the optical power can be obtained according to the photocurrent.

[0089] The MCU has a preset functional relationship between optical power and voltage digital signal. By collecting the output voltage of the first output pin of the gain controller and substituting the voltage value into the functional relationship, the optical power can be obtained.

[0090] Some embodiments of the present application provide an optical module, including: a local oscillator light source, a coherent component and an MCU. The local oscillator interface of the coherent component is connected to the local oscillator light source to receive the local oscillator signal light; the receiving interface of the coherent component is connected to the receiving optical fiber adapter to receive a first optical signal from the outside. The first mixer mixes the local oscillator light with the first optical signal, and the first balanced receiver receives the mixed signal light in a balanced manner to convert the optical signal into a current signal. The transimpedance amplifier amplifies the current signal, and the automatic gain control unit outputs a gain control voltage, and performs automatic gain control on the amplified current signal so that the signal amplitude output by the coherent component remains within a preset range. The MCU collects the gain control voltage output by the automatic gain control unit, and calculates the optical power of the first optical signal according to the gain control voltage and a preset mapping relationship.

[0091] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the gain amplifier may be one gain amplifier component or two gain amplifier components. For example, the gain amplifier includes a first gain amplifier component and a second gain amplifier component, and the gain controller is connected to the first gain amplifier component and the second gain amplifier component, and adjusts the gain factor of the first gain amplifier component or the second gain amplifier component according to the signal fed back by the feedback regulator.

[0092] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the coherent optical module is generally a multi-channel signal transmission, that is, the first optical signal may include a plurality of different optical signals. The coherent component has a second coupler, and the first optical signal is divided into a first sub-optical signal and a second sub-optical signal with different polarization directions via the second coupler. The local oscillator light is divided into a first sub-local oscillator light and a second sub-local oscillator light with different polarization directions via a third coupler.

[0093] The second mixer is connected to the second coupler and the third coupler respectively, receives the first sub-optical signal and the first sub-local oscillator light, performs phase splitting and mixing on the first sub-optical signal and the first sub-local oscillator light respectively, and generates the first mixed light and the second mixed light. The second balanced receiver is connected to the second mixer, converts the first mixed light and the second mixed light, and generates the first sub-electrical signal and the second sub-electrical signal.

[0094] The first transimpedance amplifier is connected to the first output port of the second balanced receiver to amplify the first sub-electrical signal. The first automatic gain control unit is connected to the first transimpedance amplifier to perform gain control on the amplified first sub-electrical signal. The third analog-to-digital converter collects the gain voltage of the first automatic gain control unit and converts the gain voltage into a first voltage digital signal. The MCU is connected to the third analog-to-digital converter to calculate the first sub-optical power according to the first voltage digital signal and the mapping relationship.

[0095] The second transimpedance amplifier is connected to the second output port of the second balanced receiver to amplify the second sub-electrical signal. The second automatic gain control unit is connected to the second transimpedance amplifier to perform gain control on the amplified second sub-electrical signal. The fourth analog-to-digital converter collects the gain voltage of the second automatic gain control unit and converts the gain voltage into a second voltage digital signal. The MCU is connected to the fourth analog-to-digital converter to calculate the second sub-optical power according to the second voltage digital signal and the mapping relationship.

[0096] In some embodiments, a voltage digital signal and a mapping relationship are preset in the MCU, and the first sub-optical power is calculated according to the first voltage digital signal and the mapping relationship; the second sub-optical power is calculated according to the second voltage digital signal and the mapping relationship.

[0097] In some embodiments, a voltage digital signal and a mapping relationship are preset in the MCU, and the average value of the first voltage digital signal and the second voltage digital signal is calculated as the average voltage digital signal. The optical power calculated according to the preset voltage digital signal and the mapping relationship is the received optical power.

[0098] In some embodiments, the coherent component further has a third mixer connected to the second coupler and the third coupler respectively, the third mixer receives the second sub-optical signal and the second sub-local oscillator light, performs phase splitting and mixing on the second sub-optical signal and the second sub-local oscillator light respectively, and generates a third mixed light and a fourth mixed light.

[0099] The third balanced receiver is connected to the second mixer, and converts the third mixed light and the fourth mixed light to generate a third sub-electrical signal and a fourth sub-electrical signal.

[0100] The third transimpedance amplifier is connected to the first output port of the third balanced receiver to amplify the third sub-electrical signal. The third automatic gain control unit is connected to the third transimpedance amplifier to perform gain control on the amplified third sub-electrical signal. The fifth analog-to-digital converter collects the gain voltage of the third automatic gain control unit and converts the gain voltage into a third voltage digital signal. The MCU is connected to the fifth analog-to-digital converter to calculate the third sub-optical power according to the third voltage digital signal and the mapping relationship.

[0101] The fourth transimpedance amplifier is connected to the second output port of the third balanced receiver to amplify the fourth sub-electrical signal. The fourth automatic gain control unit is connected to the fourth transimpedance amplifier to perform gain control on the amplified fourth sub-electrical signal. The sixth analog-to-digital converter collects the gain voltage of the fourth automatic gain control unit and converts the gain voltage into a fourth voltage digital signal. The MCU is connected to the sixth analog-to-digital converter to calculate the fourth sub-optical power according to the fourth voltage digital signal and the mapping relationship.

[0102] In some embodiments, a voltage digital signal and a mapping relationship are preset in the MCU, and the third sub-optical power is calculated according to the third voltage digital signal and the mapping relationship; the fourth sub-optical power is calculated according to the fourth voltage digital signal and the mapping relationship.

[0103] An average value of the first optical sub-power, the second optical sub-power, the third optical sub-power and the fourth optical sub-power may be calculated, and the average value may be used as a reported value of the received optical power.

[0104] Some embodiments of the present application provide an optical module, including: a local oscillator light source, a coherent component and an MCU. The local oscillator interface of the coherent component is connected to the local oscillator light source to receive the local oscillator signal light; the receiving interface of the coherent component is connected to the receiving optical fiber adapter to receive the first optical signal from the outside. The coupler splits the first optical signal. The mixer mixes the local oscillator light with the first optical signal, and the balanced receiver receives the mixed signal light in a balanced manner to convert the optical signal into a current signal. The transimpedance amplifier amplifies the current signal, and the automatic gain control unit outputs a gain control voltage, and performs automatic gain control on the amplified current signal so that the signal amplitude output by the coherent component remains within a preset range. The MCU collects the gain control voltage output by the automatic gain control unit, and calculates the optical power of the first optical signal according to the gain control voltage and the preset mapping relationship. By calculating the optical power corresponding to multiple gain control voltages, the average value thereof is calculated as the optical power reporting value, and the optical power of the received signal light can be monitored without adding a photodetector, reducing the number of photoelectric components and the occupied space, which is conducive to the miniaturization design of the optical module.

[0105] Since the above embodiments are all described by citing and combining with other embodiments, different embodiments have the same parts, and the same and similar parts between the embodiments in this specification can be referred to each other. No further detailed description is given here.

[0106] It should be noted that, in this specification, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a circuit structure, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such circuit structure, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the sentence "comprises a ..." does not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the circuit structure, article or device including the element.

[0107] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present application after considering the specification and practicing the disclosure of the present application. The present application is intended to cover any variation, use or adaptation of the present application, which follows the general principles of the present application and includes common knowledge or customary techniques in the art that are not disclosed in the present application. The specification and examples are intended to be exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present application are indicated by the content of the claims.

[0108] The above-described embodiments of the present application do not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An optical module, characterized in that: include: A local oscillator light source, used for emitting local oscillator light; a receiving optical fiber adapter containing a first optical signal; A first mixer is coupled to the local oscillator light source and the receiving optical fiber adapter to receive the local oscillator light and the first optical signal; a first balanced receiver, connected to the first mixer, performing balanced reception on the received optical signal and converting the optical signal into an electrical signal; a transimpedance amplifier, connected to the first balanced receiver, to amplify the electrical signal; An automatic gain control unit, connected to the transimpedance amplifier, for performing gain control on the amplified electrical signal; A second analog-to-digital converter is connected to the automatic gain control unit, receives a gain voltage of the automatic gain control unit, and converts the gain voltage into a voltage digital signal; The MCU is connected to the second analog-to-digital converter, the product of the voltage digital signal and the photocurrent is a preset value, the photocurrent is calculated according to the voltage digital signal, and the optical power is calculated according to the mapping relationship between the photocurrent and the optical power.

2. The optical module according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A first analog-to-digital converter and the automatic gain control unit receive the voltage signal after gain; The DSP chip is connected to the first analog-to-digital converter.

3. The optical module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The automatic gain control unit comprises: A gain amplifier, connected to the transimpedance amplifier, for performing gain on the amplified electrical signal; A feedback regulator is connected to the gain amplifier and outputs a gain control signal according to the gained electrical signal; The gain controller is located between the gain amplifier and the feedback regulator, receives a gain control signal from the feedback regulator and outputs a gain voltage.

4. The optical module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The gain controller comprises: A first input pin connected to an input voltage; A second input pin, connected to the feedback regulator, receiving a gain control signal of the feedback regulator; A first output pin connected to the gain amplifier; A monitoring pin is connected to the second analog-to-digital converter, and the voltage of the monitoring pin is the same as that of the first output pin.

5. The optical module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The gain amplifier comprises a first gain amplification component and a second gain amplification component; The gain controller is connected to the first gain amplifying component and the second gain amplifying component.

6. An optical module, characterized in that: include: A local oscillator light source, used for emitting local oscillator light; a receiving optical fiber adapter containing a first optical signal; A third coupler is connected to the local oscillator light source and divides the local oscillator light into a first sub-local oscillator light and a second sub-local oscillator light; a second coupler connected to the receiving optical fiber adapter, and dividing the first optical signal into a first sub-optical signal and a second sub-optical signal; A second mixer is coupled to the third coupler and the second coupler, and receives the first sub-optical signal and the first sub-local oscillator light; a second balanced receiver connected to the second mixer, performing balanced reception on the received optical signal, and converting the optical signal into a first sub-electrical signal and a second sub-electrical signal; a first transimpedance amplifier, connected to the second balanced receiver, to amplify the first sub-electrical signal; a first automatic gain control unit, connected to the first transimpedance amplifier, and performing gain control on the amplified first sub-electrical signal; A third analog-to-digital converter, connected to the first automatic gain control unit, receives a gain voltage of the automatic gain control unit, and converts the gain voltage into a first voltage digital signal; a second transimpedance amplifier, connected to the second balanced receiver, to amplify the second sub-electrical signal; a second automatic gain control unit, connected to the second transimpedance amplifier, and performing gain control on the amplified second electrical sub-signal; a fourth analog-to-digital converter, connected to the second automatic gain control unit, receiving a gain voltage of the automatic gain control unit, and converting the gain voltage into a second voltage digital signal; The MCU is connected to the third analog-to-digital converter and the fourth analog-to-digital converter, and calculates the optical power according to the first voltage digital signal, the first voltage digital signal and a preset mapping relationship.

7. The optical module according to claim 6, characterized in that: Calculating the optical power according to the first voltage digital signal, the first voltage digital signal and a preset mapping relationship includes: Calculate the first voltage digital signal and the average value of the first voltage digital signal to obtain an average voltage digital signal; The mapping relationship between the voltage digital signal and the optical power is preset in the MCU. The photocurrent is calculated based on the average voltage digital signal and the mapping relationship, and the optical power is calculated based on the photocurrent. The mapping relationship is: voltage digital signal×photocurrent=preset value.

8. The optical module according to claim 6, characterized in that: Also includes: A first analog-to-digital converter and the first automatic gain control unit receive the voltage signal after gain; The DSP chip is connected to the first analog-to-digital converter.

9. The optical module according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first automatic gain control unit comprises: A gain amplifier, connected to the first transimpedance amplifier, for performing gain on the amplified electrical signal; A feedback regulator is connected to the gain amplifier and outputs a gain control signal according to the gained electrical signal; The gain controller is located between the gain amplifier and the feedback regulator, receives a gain control signal from the feedback regulator and outputs a gain voltage.

10. The optical module according to claim 9, characterized in that: The gain controller comprises: A first input pin connected to an input voltage; A second input pin, connected to the feedback regulator, receiving a gain control signal of the feedback regulator; A first output pin connected to the gain amplifier; A monitoring pin is connected to the second analog-to-digital converter, and the voltage of the monitoring pin is the same as that of the first output pin.

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