System, communication device, optical module, method and optical network

Abstract

The invention provides a system, a communication device, an optical module, a method and an optical network, which are used for providing a channel-level control scheme for a power consumption mode of the optical module and are beneficial to improving the fine degree of power consumption control of the optical module by a host. Therefore, the host can configure the power consumption mode of the optical module into the power consumption mode which meets the network flow requirement and has the lowest power consumption, and the overall power consumption of the system is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of optical communication technology, and more particularly to a system, communication device, optical module, method and optical network. Background Technology

[0002] The advent of the cloud era has spurred the rapid development of various internet applications, greatly enriching people's lives. This has led to an exponential increase in network traffic, placing higher demands on the bandwidth, latency, power consumption, reliability, scalability, and flexibility of the data centers behind them.

[0003] To achieve high bandwidth, lower latency, and lower power consumption, optical networks are often deployed in data centers. However, with the continuous increase in communication speeds, the power consumption of optical modules in optical communication equipment is constantly increasing. For multi-channel optical modules in QSFP / OSFP / QSFP-DD packages, the Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) defines a software management interface. Combined with the corresponding module's hardware multi-source agreement (MSA), the host can manage the power consumption mode of the entire optical module. For example, the host can control the power consumption mode of all channels of the optical module to either high-power mode or low-power mode.

[0004] However, with the increase in the number of optical module channels and the further improvement of single-channel rate, exploring control schemes for the power consumption modes of optical modules to reduce the overall power consumption of the system remains challenging. Summary of the Invention

[0005] From the perspective of telecommunications network traffic characteristics, off-peak traffic sometimes accounts for less than 10% of the total link bandwidth, exhibiting tidal traffic patterns. Based on the time-varying nature of network traffic, this application provides a system, communication device, optical module, method, and optical network to offer a channel-level control scheme for the power consumption mode of the optical module. This improves the fineness of the host's power consumption control over the optical module, enabling the host to configure the optical module's power consumption mode to meet network traffic demands while minimizing power consumption, thereby reducing the overall system power consumption.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a system comprising a connected communication device and an optical module, the optical module having multiple channels. The communication device is configured to send control information to the optical module, the control information including first control information used to control the power consumption mode of a first channel among the multiple channels; the optical module is configured to receive the control information and control the power consumption mode of the first channel according to the first control information.

[0007] The host can send control information for the first channel to the optical module to control the optical module to switch between high and low power consumption at the channel level. This reduces the granularity of power consumption control and improves the host's fineness in controlling the power consumption of the optical module. As a result, the host can configure the power consumption mode of the optical module to meet the network traffic requirements and the lowest power consumption mode, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the system.

[0008] The first control information may not be used to control the power consumption mode of channels other than the first channel among the plurality of channels. For example, the host can control the power consumption mode at the channel level to shut down some channels so that they do not work, without affecting the normal operation of other channels, thereby achieving energy saving.

[0009] Assuming that the power consumption mode of the first channel is in the first power consumption mode before the optical module controls the power consumption mode of the first channel according to the first control information, optionally, the first control information is used to indicate that the power consumption mode of the first channel be set to the second power consumption mode. The first control information may not be used to indicate the power consumption mode of other channels, or in other words, it may not be used to indicate that the other channels besides the first channel be set to the second power consumption mode.

[0010] The first power consumption mode and the second power consumption mode can be different power consumption modes, or in other words, the power consumption generated by the first channel in the first power consumption mode is different from the power consumption generated in the second power consumption mode.

[0011] This application does not limit the manner in which the communication device sends control information to the optical module. Optionally, the communication device is configured to send a control signal to the optical module, the control signal being used to configure the value of one or more configuration items (referred to as target configuration items) of the optical module; the optical module is configured to receive the control signal and configure the value of the target configuration item of the optical module according to the control signal; the optical module is configured to determine the first control information according to the value of a first configuration item combination of the optical module, wherein the first configuration item combination includes multiple configuration items, the first configuration item combination includes the target configuration item, and at least one configuration item in the first configuration item combination is a configuration item of the first channel, the value of the configuration item of the first channel being used to control the power consumption mode of the first channel.

[0012] Optionally, the control information further includes second control information, which is used to control the power consumption mode of the second channel among the plurality of channels. The second control information may be used to indicate the power consumption mode of the second channel, but may not be used to indicate the power consumption modes of other channels. Assuming that before the optical module controls the power consumption mode of the second channel according to the second control information, the power consumption mode of the second channel is a third power consumption mode, optionally, the second control information is used to indicate that the power consumption mode of the second channel be set to a fourth power consumption mode. The third power consumption mode and the fourth power consumption mode can be different power consumption modes, or in other words, the power consumption generated by the second channel in the third power consumption mode is different from the power consumption generated in the fourth power consumption mode.

[0013] The optical module is further configured to determine second control information based on the value of a second configuration item combination of the optical module, wherein the second configuration item combination includes multiple configuration items, and at least one configuration item in the second configuration item combination is a configuration item of the second channel, and the value of the configuration item of the second channel is used to control the power consumption mode of the second channel; the optical module is further configured to control the power consumption mode of the second channel based on the second control information.

[0014] The configuration items for the first channel and the configuration items for the second channel can be different. Optionally, the values ​​of the configuration items for the first channel and the second channel can be stored in different registers, or in different bit fields within the same register.

[0015] The communication device can send control information for controlling the power consumption mode of different channels by sending different control signals. For example, by sending a control signal for configuring a configuration item for the first channel, control information for controlling the power consumption mode of the first channel (such as first control information) can be transmitted to the optical module; and by sending a control signal for configuring a configuration item for the second channel, control information for controlling the power consumption mode of the second channel (such as second control information) can be transmitted to the optical module.

[0016] Alternatively, the communication device can transmit control information for controlling the power consumption modes of different channels to the optical module by sending the same control signal. For example, the target configuration item can be a configuration item for the multiple channels, used to control the power consumption modes of the multiple channels. The first configuration item combination and the second configuration item combination each include the target configuration item. The communication device configures or changes the value of the target configuration item by sending control signals, which is beneficial for simultaneously configuring or changing the values ​​of the first configuration item combination and the second configuration item combination. Accordingly, the optical module can determine the first control information and the second control information based on the control signal, thereby controlling the power consumption mode of the first channel according to the first control information and controlling the power consumption mode of the second channel according to the second control information.

[0017] Optionally, the first control information and the second control information are used to set the power consumption modes of the first channel and the second channel to different power consumption modes. In other words, the second power consumption mode and the fourth power consumption mode can be different, or their corresponding power consumption can be different. The first power consumption mode and the third power consumption mode can be the same or different.

[0018] This application does not limit the type of control signal. For example, the control signal can be a bus signal used to indicate the write position and the data to be written during a write operation. The write position can be a location in a register of the optical module or one or more bit fields in a register. The data or value in the write position can be used to indicate or determine the value of a target configuration item.

[0019] Alternatively, the control signal can be a hardware input signal received by the optical module through hardware pins. The optical module can determine the value of the target configuration item based on the data carried by the hardware input signal or the value of the hardware input signal. This helps reduce the time required for power state switching, and the fast high-low power switching method supports the optical module's rapid low-power wake-up, allowing the host to maximize the control of the optical module's low-power time, further reducing system power consumption.

[0020] Optionally, the optical module includes a control unit and a communication unit, the communication unit being directly connected to the hardware pins; the control unit is used to control the communication unit; the communication unit is used to receive the control signal through the hardware pins and determine the control information based on the control signal; the communication unit is also used to control the power consumption mode of the first channel according to the first control information in the control information, for example, according to the power consumption mode of the first channel indicated by the first control information, to perform data processing in the transmission direction of the signal of the first channel (e.g., receiving the electrical signal of the first channel from the communication device and converting the electrical signal of the first channel into an optical signal of the first channel) and / or to perform data processing in the reception direction (e.g., converting the optical signal of the first channel into an electrical signal of the first channel and sending the electrical signal of the first channel to the communication device).

[0021] The power consumption mode of a channel can be used to indicate the value of one or more parameters in an optical module or communication unit corresponding to that channel. Different power consumption modes may indicate different values ​​for all or some of the parameters.

[0022] A communication unit may include multiple communication subunits, each of which can perform a portion of the functions of the communication unit. This application does not limit the power consumption mode of the channel to indicate the parameters of each communication subunit in the communication unit; correspondingly, this application does not limit each communication subunit to be directly connected to the hardware pins. When multiple communication subunits are directly connected to the hardware pins respectively, the multiple communication subunits can each determine control information based on control signals. This application does not limit the specific method used by the communication subunits to determine control information based on control signals; different communication subunits can use the same or different methods to determine control information. For example, the first configuration item combinations of different communication subunits may have the same or different configuration items, except that they all include the target configuration item.

[0023] This application does not limit the form or implementation of each unit and subunit. Optionally, the control unit can be a multipoint control unit (MCU), and the subunit can be a chip. This application does not limit the specific function of the communication unit, nor does it limit the division of each communication subunit. As an example, multiple communication subunits in the communication unit may include at least one of the following: an optical digital signal processor (DSP) / clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit, a transimpedance amplifier (TIA), a photodetector, a driver, a laser, and other components.

[0024] The first channel and the second channel are different channels of the optical module. The first channel can be a single channel, or it can include two or more channels. Similarly, the first channel can be a single channel, or it can include two or more channels. For any one of the first channel and / or the second channel, it can be a transmitting channel (used to convert the data electrical signals of the communication device into data optical signals), or it can be a receiving channel (used to convert the received data optical signals into data electrical signals and send the data electrical signals to the communication device), or it can include both a transmitting channel and a receiving channel.

[0025] In one example, the first channel may include all the transmitting channels of the optical module, and the second channel may include all the receiving channels of the optical module. In this way, the optical module can implement differentiated control of power consumption modes in the transmitting and receiving directions based on the first control information and the second control information.

[0026] This application does not limit the number of power consumption modes supported by a channel. For example, a single channel can support two power consumption modes: a high-power mode and a low-power mode, corresponding to higher and lower power consumption, respectively. The first power consumption mode and the second power consumption mode can be the high-power mode and the low-power mode, or the low-power mode and the high-power mode, respectively. Alternatively, a single channel can support three or more power consumption modes, with different power consumption corresponding to different power consumption modes. The first power consumption mode and the second power consumption mode can be any two different power consumption modes from these three or more power consumption modes.

[0027] Optionally, after the optical module controls the power consumption mode according to the control information, it can send response information to the communication device. The response information indicates the control result of the power consumption mode of the first channel. The control result can indicate whether the power consumption mode configuration is complete or incomplete, or whether the response is successful or unsuccessful.

[0028] Optionally, the optical module can define a register whose value is used to declare whether the optical module supports channel-level power mode control (or channel-level low power control).

[0029] Secondly, this application provides an optical module, which can be a multi-channel optical module having multiple channels. The optical module includes: a receiving unit for receiving control information from the communication device, the control information including first control information used to control the power consumption mode of a first channel among the multiple channels; and a mode control unit for controlling the power consumption mode of the first channel according to the first control information.

[0030] Optionally, the optical module may also include a transmitting unit for sending response information to the communication device.

[0031] The content regarding control information, the method of the communication device sending control information and the optical module receiving control information, the first control information, the first channel, the power consumption mode of the first channel, response information, and control power consumption mode can be understood by referring to the relevant content in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0032] As described above, the optical module may include the communication unit and the control unit.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the receiving unit and the mode control unit can be installed or deployed within the control unit. After receiving the first control information, the mode control unit can configure the power consumption mode of the first channel to the communication unit by sending a signal (referred to as a configuration signal). Under the control of the configuration signal, the communication unit can perform data processing in the transmission direction and / or the reception direction of the signal of the first channel according to the power consumption mode indicated by the first control information. This application does not limit the type of configuration signal. For example, the configuration signal can be a bus signal or a hardware input signal.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the receiving unit and the mode control unit can be installed or deployed in the communication unit. The communication unit receives first control information and configures the power consumption mode of the first channel according to the first control information. It then performs data processing in the transmission direction and / or the reception direction on the signal of the first channel according to the power consumption mode indicated by the first control information. When the communication unit includes multiple communication subunits, the receiving unit and the mode control unit can be deployed in one or more communication subunits respectively.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the receiving unit and the mode control unit can be installed or deployed within the control unit and the communication unit. For example, the control unit receives the control signal described above and sends a configuration signal to the communication unit according to the control signal. After receiving the configuration signal, the communication unit determines first control information based on the configuration signal. Subsequently, the communication unit configures the power consumption mode of the first channel according to the first control information and performs data processing in the transmission direction and / or the reception direction of the signal of the first channel according to the power consumption mode indicated by the first control information.

[0036] This application does not limit the form or implementation of the receiving unit and the mode control unit. For example, the receiving unit and / or the mode control unit can be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of both.

[0037] Thirdly, this application provides a communication device for connecting an optical module having multiple channels. The communication device includes: a transmitting unit for transmitting control information to the optical module, the control information including first control information used to control the power consumption mode of a first channel among the multiple channels; and a receiving unit for receiving response information from the optical module, the response information indicating the control result of the power consumption mode of the first channel.

[0038] The content regarding control information, the method of the communication device sending control information and the optical module receiving control information, the first control information, the first channel, the power consumption mode of the first channel, response information, and control power consumption mode can be understood by referring to the relevant content in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0039] This application does not limit the type of communication device. For example, the communication device can be a host or a module installed in a host. The host can be a communication device used to transmit data with other devices. The host can carry data on an optical link by installing an optical module. As an example, the host or a host with an optical module installed can be an optical line terminal (OLT), an optical network unit (ONU), a router, a switch, a server, an OTN transmission device, or a computer device, etc.

[0040] Fourthly, this application provides a method applied to a system, the system including a communication device and an optical module, the optical module having multiple channels, the method including: the communication device sending control information to the optical module, the control information including first control information, the first control information being used to control the power consumption mode of a first channel among the multiple channels; the optical module receiving the control information and controlling the power consumption mode of the first channel according to the first control information.

[0041] The method further includes: the optical module sending response information to the communication device.

[0042] The content regarding control information, the method of the communication device sending control information and the optical module receiving control information, the first control information, the first channel, the power consumption mode of the first channel, response information, and control power consumption mode can be understood by referring to the relevant content in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0043] Fifthly, this application provides a method applied to an optical module having multiple channels, the method comprising: receiving control information from a communication device, the control information including first control information, the first control information being used to control a power consumption mode of a first channel among the multiple channels; and controlling the power consumption mode of the first channel according to the first control information.

[0044] The method further includes: the optical module sending response information to the communication device.

[0045] For information on control information, the method by which the optical module receives control information, the first control information, the first channel, the power consumption mode of the first channel, response information, and control power consumption mode, please refer to the relevant content in the first section for understanding; it will not be repeated here.

[0046] Sixthly, this application provides a method applied to a communication device for connecting an optical module having multiple channels. The method includes: sending control information to the optical module, the control information including first control information for controlling a power consumption mode of a first channel among the multiple channels; and receiving response information from the optical module, the response information indicating a control result of the power consumption mode of the first channel.

[0047] The method further includes: the communication device receiving response information sent by the optical module.

[0048] For information regarding control information, the method by which the communication device transmits control information, the first control information, the first channel, the power consumption mode of the first channel, response information, and control power consumption mode, please refer to the relevant content in the first aspect for understanding; it will not be repeated here.

[0049] In a seventh aspect, this application provides an optical network, the optical module of which may include one or more systems, at least one of the systems being as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof, and the different systems in the one or more systems being connected via an optical interconnect network.

[0050] Eighthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed on a computer device, cause the computer device to perform the method performed by any of the foregoing means, for example, to perform the method of the fourth, fifth, or sixth aspect.

[0051] Ninth aspect, a computer program product is provided that, when run on a computer device, causes the computer device to perform the method performed by any of the aforementioned devices, for example, the method of the fourth, fifth, or sixth aspect.

[0052] Since the various apparatuses and methods provided in this application can be used to perform the functions of the corresponding apparatuses in the system shown in the first aspect, the technical effects that can be obtained by the various apparatuses and methods in this application can be referred to the technical effects obtained by the aforementioned first aspect examples, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0053] Figure 1 This schematically illustrates one possible structure of an optical network;

[0054] Figure 2 This schematic illustrates another possible structure for optical networks;

[0055] Figure 3-1 and Figure 3-2 Each of the following schematic diagrams illustrates a possible structure of the system provided in this application;

[0056] Figure 4 This illustration schematically shows the method flow provided in this application;

[0057] Figure 5 The possible flow of the optical module control method based on the truth table shown in Table 2 is illustrated schematically;

[0058] Figure 6-1 The possible flow of the optical module control method based on the truth table shown in Table 3 is illustrated schematically.

[0059] Figure 6-2 The possible flow of the optical module control method based on the truth table shown in Table 4 is illustrated schematically.

[0060] Figure 7-1 This illustration shows another possible structure of the system provided in this application;

[0061] Figure 7-2 The possible flow of the optical module control method based on the structure shown in Figure 6 and the truth table shown in Table 4 is illustrated schematically.

[0062] Figure 8-1 This application illustrates another possible structure of the system provided.

[0063] Figure 8-2 Schematic illustration based on Figure 8-1 The possible flow of the optical module control method with the structure shown and the truth table shown in Table 4;

[0064] Figure 9 The possible structure of the communication device provided in this application is illustrated schematically. Detailed Implementation

[0065] The proposed solution can be applied to optical networks. Optical networks offer advantages such as high switching speed, low optical power loss, low latency, low cost, and no wavelength contention. Optical networks can be applied to data center networks (DCNs), metropolitan area networks (MANs), passive optical networks (PONs), optical transport networks (OTNs), and more, without specific limitations. Figure 1 This schematically illustrates one possible structure of an optical network. (Reference) Figure 1 An optical network includes, but is not limited to, optical communication devices 101, 102, and 103, and an optical interconnection network 104. Different optical communication devices can transmit optical signals through the optical interconnection network 104. An optical network may include more or fewer optical communication devices.

[0066] Figure 1The devices or networks represented by the different rectangles in the diagram can be deployed in different or the same geographical locations. For example, an optical network can be deployed in a single rack or multiple racks in a data center. Figure 2 This schematic illustrates one possible deployment method for an optical network. (Reference) Figure 2 The optical network can be located in a cabinet 100 in the data center, which is used to fix various optical communication equipment and optical interconnection network.

[0067] An optical interconnect network may include one or more optical links (e.g., optical fibers). Optionally, the optical interconnect network may also include one or more optical switching devices for switching optical signals.

[0068] This application does not limit the type of optical communication equipment. For example, optical communication equipment may be an optical line terminal (OLT), an optical network unit (ONU), a router, a switch, a server, an OTN transmission device, or a computer device, etc.

[0069] This application provides a system that can provide... Figure 1 or Figure 2 The optical communication equipment shown may be deployed in Figure 1 or Figure 2 In the optical communication equipment shown. Figure 3-1 The possible structure of the system is illustrated schematically. For example... Figure 3-1 As shown, the system may include a host and an optical module, with the optical module connected to the host. Figure 3-1 As shown, the optical module includes a PCB and electrical connectors, communication units, and control units mounted on the PCB.

[0070] The communication unit connects to the host computer via a subset of pins (referred to as data pins) in an electrical connector. The optical module can be a multi-channel optical module. This application does not limit the type of data transmitted by the multiple channels of the optical module; for example, the data transmitted by the multiple channels may include in-band data and / or out-of-band data, or it may include user plane data and / or control plane data. The communication unit can transmit multiple channels of data electrical signals with the host computer via the data pins; these data electrical signals carry the data transmitted by the channels. Figure 3-1 A single solid line with a one-way arrowhead represents the electrical data signal in a single channel, and a single dashed line with a one-way arrowhead represents the optical data signal in a single channel. Figure 3-1As shown, the optical module has four transmit channels (denoted as Tx channels) and four receive channels (denoted as Rx channels). The communication unit can receive the data electrical signals (hereinafter referred to as electrical signals) of the four Tx channels from the host through the transmit pin (denoted as Tx pin) in the data pin, and then convert the electrical signals of the four Tx channels into four optical signals (hereinafter referred to as optical signals). The communication unit can receive the optical signals of the four Rx channels respectively, convert the optical signals of the four Rx channels into electrical signals respectively, and then send the four Rx channel electrical signals to the host through the receive pin (denoted as Rx pin) in the data pin. Figure 3-1 Taking an optical module with 4 Tx channels and 4 Rx channels as an example, this application does not limit the number of Tx channels or Rx channels of the optical module. In some examples, the optical module can be a single-receiver or single-transmitter optical module, and correspondingly, the optical module has multiple Rx channels or multiple Tx channels.

[0071] The control unit connects to the host computer via a set of pins in the electrical connector (called control pins). The control unit can receive control electrical signals (referred to as control signals) from the host computer through the control pins, and / or send response signals (or response signals) to the host computer through the control pins. Figure 3-1 The white-filled arrow shape represents the signal transmitted through the control pin. This application does not limit the control pin or the type of signal transmitted through the control pin. Figure 3-1 A single-direction arrow filled with white represents a hardware input signal, and a double-direction arrow filled with white represents a bus signal. For example... Figure 3-1 As shown, control pins may include pins for transmitting hardware input signals (referred to as hardware pins) and pins for transmitting bus signals (referred to as bus pins). Hardware pins may connect to the host's hardware pins to receive hardware input signals from the host. Bus pins may connect to the host's bus interface to receive bus signals from the host. This application does not limit the type of bus; for example, the bus may be an I2C bus. This application does not limit the type of control pins; for example, control pins may include only bus pins or hardware pins, or control pins may include other types of pins.

[0072] The control unit is connected to the communication unit. The control unit can send configuration signals to the communication unit to configure one or more parameters of the communication unit. In some examples, the control unit can send configuration signals to the communication unit based on control signals. Optionally, the communication unit can also send signals to the control unit. Figure 3-1 The signals transmitted between the control unit and the communication unit are represented by bold solid lines with arrows.

[0073] Figure 3-2 This illustration schematically shows another structure of the system provided in this application. Figure 3-1Compared to the structure shown, Figure 3-2 The system illustrated uses an electrical connector as the gold finger, a multipoint control unit (MCU) as the control unit, and a communication unit comprising multiple communication subunits. These subunits include an optical digital signal processor (DSP) / clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit, a transimpedance amplifier (TIA), a photodetector, a driver, a laser, and other components. In practical applications, the electrical connector can be other types of connectors besides the gold finger, the control unit can be other types of controllers, and the communication unit can include more advanced technologies. Figure 3-2 Showing more or fewer communication sub-units, Figure 3-2 At least one communication subunit shown can be replaced with other types of communication subunits as needed, and multiple communication subunits can be integrated on the same chip as needed.

[0074] This application does not limit the number of channels supported by the optical module. For example, the optical module can be in various channel forms such as 1 channel, 2 channels, 4 channels, 8 channels, and 16 channels. This application does not limit the structural shape of the optical module. For example, the structural shape of the optical module can be QSFP (4 channels), QSFP-DD / OSFP (8 channels), OSFP-XD (16 channels), or COBO, etc.

[0075] Different packaged optical modules each have corresponding hardware and software protocols to guide compatible designs from various manufacturers. For multi-channel QSFP / OSFP / QSFP-DD packaged optical modules, the Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) defines the software management interface, which, combined with the corresponding module's hardware multi-source agreement (MSA), manages the power consumption mode of the optical module. The host can send control signals to the optical module to control its power consumption mode.

[0076] Optical modules can support at least two power consumption modes. These different power consumption modes are associated with different configuration schemes of the optical module or communication unit; in other words, different power consumption modes indicate different configuration schemes of the optical module, and the power consumption of the optical module varies under different configuration schemes. Therefore, the host can change the power consumption mode of the optical module by sending control signals, thereby changing the power consumption of the optical module.

[0077] As described in CMIS, the host can send a Low PwrS transition signal to the optical module. A value of 0 indicates that all channels of the optical module are in high power mode, while a value of 1 indicates that all channels are in low power mode. Furthermore, the optical module has three configuration items: a Force Low Power Register (ForceLowPwr), a Low Power Register (LowPwr), and a Low Power Mode (LPMode) hardware pin. The host can send configuration signals for the Force Low Power Register and / or the Low Power Register to the control unit via bus pins, and configuration signals for the Low Power Mode hardware pin to the control unit via hardware pins. These configuration signals indicate the value of the corresponding configuration item or indicate a change in the value of the corresponding configuration item. In the application documents, the Force Low Power Register is also referred to as the Global Force LowPwr, and the Low Power Register is also referred to as the Global LowPwr Register. By configuring at least one of these three configuration items, the host can send or transmit a low power transition signal to the optical module. The optical module can use the truth table shown in Table 1 to determine the low-power transition signal indicated by the combination of values ​​for these three configuration items.

[0078] Table 1 schematically illustrates the truth table of the low-power transition signal. As shown in Table 1, the optical module has multiple configuration items including a forced low-power register, a low-power register, and low-power mode hardware pins. Each row in Table 1 corresponds to a combination of values ​​for these three configuration items, with different rows corresponding to different value combinations. The values ​​in the first three columns of a single row represent the values ​​of the corresponding value combinations, where "1" represents a value of 1 for the corresponding configuration item, "0" represents a value of 0 for the corresponding configuration item, and "X" represents a value of 1 or 0 for the corresponding configuration item. The last column represents the control information indicated by the corresponding value combination, where "1" represents a value of 1 for the module's low-power transition signal, and "0" represents a value of 0 for the module's low-power transition signal. Since any control information determined according to Table 1 is used to describe the value of the module's low-power transition signal, the truth table shown in Table 1 can also be called the low-power transition signal truth table.

[0079] Table 1

[0080] Forced low-power register Low power register Low power mode hardware pins Low power transition signal 1 X X 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

[0081] This application does not limit the triggering conditions for the host to change the power consumption mode of the optical module. For example, when the traffic is less than a certain traffic threshold (called the first traffic threshold), the host can send a low-power transition signal with a value of 1 to the optical module, controlling the optical module to set all channels to low-power mode to reduce the power consumption of the optical module. When the host's traffic is greater than the first traffic threshold, the host can send a low-power transition signal with a value of 0 to the optical module, controlling the optical module to set all channels to high-power mode to ensure the communication rate of the optical module.

[0082] However, when all channels of the optical module are in high-power mode, the maximum throughput that the optical module can support is generally much greater than the first throughput threshold. When the throughput is greater than the first throughput threshold but less than the second throughput threshold, the host controlling all channels of the optical module to high-power mode will waste the processing capacity of the optical module and increase its power consumption.

[0083] Therefore, this application proposes that the host can send control information to the optical module to control the power consumption mode of a portion of the optical module's channels (denoted as channel i). The optical module can control the power consumption mode of channel i according to this control information, thereby allowing the host to change the power consumption of the optical module with finer granularity. This not only helps meet the host's traffic requirements but also helps conserve the optical module's processing power and reduce its power consumption.

[0084] Figure 4 The flowchart of the control method for the optical module provided in this application is illustrated schematically. Figure 4 As shown, the method may include S401 to S403.

[0085] S401. The host sends control information to the optical module, and the optical module receives the control information sent by the host accordingly.

[0086] The control information may include channel control information i, which is used to control the power consumption mode of channel i of the optical module. For example, channel control information i may be used to indicate that the power consumption mode of channel i is a second power consumption mode. Alternatively, assuming that the power consumption mode of channel i is a first power consumption mode before the optical module receives channel control information i, channel control information i may be used to instruct the optical module to switch the power consumption mode of channel i from the first power consumption mode to the second power consumption mode.

[0087] like Figure 4 As shown, optionally, the host can send channel control information i to the control unit in the optical module, and correspondingly, the control unit can receive the channel control information i. The transmitting unit in the communication device described above can be used to execute the actions performed by the host in S401, and the receiving unit in the optical module can be used to execute the actions performed by the optical module in S401.

[0088] S402, The optical module controls the power consumption mode of channel i according to the channel control information i;

[0089] After acquiring channel control information i, the optical module can control the power consumption mode of channel i based on the channel control information i. For example, the optical module can set the power consumption mode of channel i to the second power consumption mode based on the channel control information i, or control the power consumption mode of channel i to change from the first power consumption mode to the second power consumption mode.

[0090] The power consumption corresponding to the second power consumption mode can be greater than that corresponding to the first power consumption mode. Accordingly, after the optical module controls the power consumption mode of channel i according to the channel control information i, it is beneficial to improve the data transmission capability of channel i. This is beneficial to improve the performance of the optical module with a smaller granularity of power consumption, such as increasing the data traffic transmitted by the optical module.

[0091] The power consumption corresponding to the second power consumption mode can be less than that corresponding to the first power consumption mode. Accordingly, after the optical module controls the power consumption mode of channel i according to the channel control information i, it is beneficial to reduce the power consumption of channel i. Thus, while meeting the requirement of a small performance improvement, the power consumption of the optical module can be reduced with a small granularity.

[0092] like Figure 4 As shown, optionally, the control unit can control the power consumption mode of channel i according to the channel control information i. For example, it can control the communication unit to change the power consumption mode of channel i from a first power consumption mode to a second power consumption mode. The module control unit in the optical module described above can be used to execute the actions performed by the optical module in S402.

[0093] In this application, the configuration scheme indicated by the first power consumption mode is referred to as the first configuration scheme, and the configuration scheme indicated by the second power consumption mode is referred to as the second configuration scheme. After the control unit controls the power consumption mode of channel i according to the channel control information i, the communication unit can transmit the data of channel i according to the second configuration scheme.

[0094] Assumption Figure 3-1 The four solid lines pointing to the communication units shown represent Tx channel 1 to Tx channel 4 from top to bottom. Figure 3-1 The four solid lines pointing to the host, from top to bottom, represent Rx channels 1 to 4, and channel i includes Tx channel 2 and Rx channel 2. For example, before S402, the communication unit can transmit data for each channel according to the first configuration scheme, as shown below. Figure 3-1As shown, the electrical signals of the four Tx channels sent by the host are converted into four Tx channel optical signals, and the received optical signals of the four Rx channels are converted into four Rx channel electrical signals and sent back to the host. After S402, the communication unit can transmit data of channel 2 according to the second configuration scheme and transmit data of other channels according to the first configuration scheme, such as... Figure 4 As shown, after receiving electrical signals from four Tx channels from the host, only the electrical signals of Tx channel 1, Tx channel 3, and Tx channel 4 are converted into optical signals for these three Tx channels respectively. The electrical signal of Tx channel 2 is not converted into an optical signal. Furthermore, only the received optical signals of Rx channel 1, Rx channel 3, and Rx channel 4 are converted into electrical signals for these three Rx channels and sent to the host respectively. The electrical signal of Rx channel 2 is not sent to the host.

[0095] Figure 4 By way of example only, this application does not limit the optical module from being unable to transmit data for channel i when the power consumption mode of channel i is a low-power mode. In some examples, when the power consumption mode of channel i is a low-power mode, the optical module can continue to transmit data for channel i, but the performance of the optical module in transmitting data for channel i may be reduced compared to when the power consumption mode of channel i is a high-power mode.

[0096] This application does not limit the number of channels in channel i. Channel i may include one or more channels, as long as the number of channels in channel i is less than or no greater than the total number of channels in the optical module. When channel i includes multiple channels, the power consumption mode of channel i being the second power consumption mode can mean that all channels in channel i are in the second power consumption mode. This application does not limit the relative positional relationship between multiple channels in channel i; for example, the sequence numbers or positions of multiple channels may be adjacent or non-adjacent.

[0097] When the optical module supports bidirectional data transmission, such as Figure 4 As shown, channel i can include Tx channel i and Rx channel i. Alternatively, in some examples, channel i can be either Tx channel i or Rx channel i, which allows for more granular and flexible adjustment of the power consumption and performance of the optical module.

[0098] In some examples, channel i may include all Tx channels of the optical module or all Rx channels of the optical module, which is beneficial for controlling Tx channels and Rx channels separately, and realizing differentiated control of power consumption modes in the uplink and downlink directions of the optical module.

[0099] S403, the optical module sends a response message to the host, and the host receives the response message sent by the optical module accordingly;

[0100] After the optical module controls the power consumption mode of channel i according to the channel control information i, it can send a response message to the host to notify the host of the control result of the power consumption mode of channel i. Correspondingly, the host can receive the response message sent by the optical module to determine the control result of the optical module on the power consumption mode of channel i. For example, the control result can indicate success or failure.

[0101] The receiving unit in the communication device described above can be used to perform the actions performed by the host in S403, and the transmitting unit in the optical module can be used to perform the actions performed by the optical module in S403.

[0102] The optical module can control the power consumption mode of channel i based on channel control information i, allowing the host to adjust the optical module's power consumption with finer granularity. For example, when the traffic increases from below a first traffic threshold to above the first traffic threshold but below a second traffic threshold, the host can control channel i to switch from a low-power mode to a high-power mode, while other channels remain in low-power mode. Alternatively, for example, when the traffic decreases from above the second traffic threshold to below the second traffic threshold but above the first traffic threshold, the host can control channel i to switch from a high-power mode to a low-power mode, while other channels remain in high-power mode. This not only helps meet the host's traffic requirements but also conserves the optical module's processing power and reduces its power consumption.

[0103] In some examples, the channel control information i can indicate the value of the low-power transition signal for channel i. The value of the low-power transition signal for channel i is used to control the power mode of channel i, such as controlling whether the low-power mode of channel i is enabled (i.e., entering low-power mode) or disabled (i.e., entering high-power mode).

[0104] For ease of distinction, the low-power transition signal used to control the power consumption mode of all channels mentioned above will be referred to as the module low-power transition signal, and the low-power transition signal used to control the power consumption mode of the channel proposed in this application will be referred to as the channel low-power transition signal.

[0105] This application does not limit the number of power consumption modes supported by channel i, nor does it limit the number of possible values ​​for the channel's low-power transition signal. The following description assumes that channel i supports two power consumption modes, namely a high-power mode and a low-power mode, and that the possible values ​​for the channel's low-power transition signal are 0 and 1.

[0106] For example, a value of 0 for the channel low-power transition signal of channel i indicates that the power mode of channel i is high-power mode, and a value of 1 indicates that the power mode of channel i is low-power mode.

[0107] This application does not limit the method by which the host sends channel control information i to the optical module. For example, the optical module may have multiple configuration items (referred to as configuration item combination i) for controlling the power consumption mode of channel i or for determining the value of the channel low-power transition signal of channel i, and the value of configuration item combination i can be configured by the host. The value of configuration item combination i or the values ​​of each configuration item in configuration item combination i is used to indicate or determine the value of the channel low-power transition signal of channel i. The host can send or transmit the value of the channel low-power transition signal of channel i to the optical module by sending control signals to the optical module to configure the value of at least one configuration item (referred to as the target configuration item) in configuration item combination i, that is, to send channel control information i.

[0108] Optionally, the channel control information i also indicates a change in the value of the channel low-power transition signal of channel i. Accordingly, the channel control information i can be used to change the power consumption mode of channel i. The host can change the value of configuration item combination i by sending control signals to the optical module to modify the value of the target configuration item, thereby changing the value of the channel low-power transition signal of channel i.

[0109] This application does not limit the method by which the optical module determines the value of the channel low-power transition signal indicated by the value of configuration item combination i. For example, the optical module may use a truth table or formula to determine the value of the channel low-power transition signal indicated by the value of configuration item combination i. The value of configuration item combination i can be a combination of values ​​of configuration item combination i, that is, it includes the values ​​of each item in configuration item combination i.

[0110] In order to achieve individual control of the power consumption mode of channel i, this application proposes that the configuration item combination i includes at least one configuration item for channel i, and the value of the configuration item for channel i is used to control the power consumption mode of channel i, but not to control the power consumption mode of other channels.

[0111] This application does not limit the type of configuration items for channel i. For example, the configuration items for channel i may include at least one of registers and hardware pins. The host can configure protocol registers and / or hardware pins related to power consumption or power consumption mode, and the optical module can obtain the configuration status of each configuration item to realize power consumption mode control of the optical module.

[0112] The hardware pins of the optical module can be connected to the hardware pins of the host. The hardware pins of the optical module can be one or more pins of the optical module's gold fingers. As mentioned earlier, the control unit can receive hardware input signals sent by the host through the hardware pins in the electrical connector. Correspondingly, the control unit can connect to the hardware pin, and the software in the control unit can sense the state changes of the hardware pin in the form of interrupts or short-cycle polling, triggering a rapid switching of the power consumption mode of the optical module or channel.

[0113] When the target configuration item is a hardware pin, the channel control signal i can be a hardware input signal received through that hardware pin. The optical module can determine or configure the value of the target configuration item based on the hardware input signal. This application does not limit the number of symbols that the hardware input signal can represent, nor does it limit the type of hardware input signal. For example, the signal can include at least one of current, voltage, resistance, inductance, and capacitance. The change of the symbol of the hardware pin can be triggered by level or by rising and falling edges. For example, when the level of the hardware pin changes from low level (denoted as VIL) to high level (VIH), the value of the pin can be considered to have changed from 0 to 1; conversely, when the level of the pin changes from VIH to VIL, the value of the pin can be considered to have changed from 1 to 0. This application does not limit the values ​​corresponding to low level and high level respectively. This application takes VIL and VIH as corresponding to 0 and 1 respectively as examples.

[0114] This application does not limit the number of bits in the register. For example, the number of bits in the register can be 1 bit or 1 bit, and the corresponding value of the register can be 0 or 1. Optionally, the configuration item of channel i can be a part of the bit field of the register, such as a bit field of the register, and the value of the configuration item is stored in that bit field of the register.

[0115] When the target configuration item is a register or a part of the bit field in the register, the channel control signal i can be used to configure the value of the corresponding register or bit field, and the optical module can configure the value of the register or bit field accordingly.

[0116] Table 1 introduces three configuration items used to control the power consumption mode of all channels: Forced Low Power Register, Low Power Register, and Low Power Mode Hardware Pins. For ease of distinction, the Forced Low Power Register and Low Power Register introduced above will be referred to as Forced Module Low Power Register and Module Low Power Register, respectively, in the following text.

[0117] Optionally, configuration item combination i may also include one or more configuration items (referred to as global configuration items) for controlling the power consumption mode of all channels. This application does not limit the number or type of global configuration items in configuration item combination i. In contrast, the configuration items for channel i proposed in this application may also be referred to as channel configuration items for channel i.

[0118] Below, taking configuration item combination i, which includes three global configuration items (force module low power register, module low power register, and low power mode hardware pin), as an example, we will introduce the configuration items of channel i.

[0119] Example 1: Configuration item combination i includes a configuration item for channel i, and this configuration item is the channel low-power register (or channel LowPwr register).

[0120] Taking multiple configuration items, including the forced module low-power register, module low-power register, low-power mode hardware pins, and channel low-power register of channel i, as an example, Table 2 schematically shows an example of the low-power transition signal truth table proposed in this application. Each row in Table 2 corresponds to a value combination of these four configuration items, and different rows correspond to different value combinations. The values ​​in the first four columns of a single row represent the values ​​of the corresponding configuration items, where "1" represents the value of the corresponding configuration item as 1, "0" represents the value of the corresponding configuration item as 0, and "X" represents the value of the corresponding configuration item as 1 or 0. The last three columns represent the control information or power status indication indicated by the corresponding value combination, where the value in the third to last column represents the value of the module low-power transition signal, where "0" represents the entire optical module (i.e., all channels) entering high power, "1" represents the entire optical module entering low power, and "-" indicates that the optical module has not obtained the module low-power transition signal or that no operation is performed to control the power mode of the entire optical module. The values ​​in the second-to-last column represent the values ​​of channel low-power transition signal 1, and the values ​​in the last column represent the values ​​of channel low-power transition signal 2. "0" indicates that channel i enters high power mode, "1" indicates that channel i enters low power mode, and "-" indicates that the optical module has not received the channel low-power transition signal for channel i or that it does not perform separate control of the power mode of channel i. The channel low-power transition signal for channel i can be either channel low-power transition signal 1 or channel low-power transition signal 2. Therefore, when the host configures the value of the target configuration item, if the combination of configuration item i is any one of the last four rows in Table 2, the optical module can determine the value of the channel low-power transition signal for channel i, and it can be considered that the host has sent channel control information i to the optical module.

[0121] Since the low-power transition signals determined according to Table 2 include module low-power transition signals and channel low-power transition signals, the truth table shown in Table 2 can also be called the extended low-power transition signal truth table.

[0122] Table 2

[0123]

[0124] The following text describes the rules for determining the low-power transition signal as defined in Table 2.

[0125] When the logical OR of the forced module low power register and the module low power register is 1, the channel low power register is ineffective, and the power conversion signal only controls the optical module as a whole; when both the forced module low power register and the module low power register are 0, the power conversion signal controls the channel level, and the channel low power conversion signal is the result of the logical operation between the channel low power register and the low power mode hardware pin.

[0126] Module low-power transition signal: If (Force Module Low-Power Register OR Module Low-Power Register == 1), then the low-power transition signal = Force Module Low-Power Register OR (Module Low-Power Register AND Low-Power Mode Hardware Pin).

[0127] Module low power status indication: When all channels are in low power, it indicates low power status 1; otherwise, it indicates high power status 0.

[0128] Channel Low Power Transition Signal Mode 1: When the logical AND of the module low power register and the module low power register is forced to be 0, the channel low power transition signal = low power mode hardware pin AND channel low power register.

[0129] Channel low-power transition signal mode 2: When the logical AND of the forced module low-power register and the module low-power register is 0, the channel low-power transition signal = low-power mode hardware pin OR channel low-power register;

[0130] Low power state indicator for the channel: indicates state 1 when the corresponding channel is low power, and indicates state 0 when the corresponding channel is high power.

[0131] Here, "OR" represents logical AND, and "AND" represents logical OR.

[0132] Unlike the truth table shown in Table 1, where the combination of multiple configuration items can only indicate the value of the module's low-power transition signal, the truth table shown in Table 2 can also indicate the value of the channel low-power transition signal of channel i. This allows the host to send channel control information i to the optical module by changing the value of the target configuration item, thereby changing the power consumption mode of channel i.

[0133] As an example, assuming the channel low-power transition signal for channel i is referenced as channel low-power transition signal 1 in Table 2, before the optical module receives the channel control information i, the combination of values ​​for multiple configuration items of the optical module is shown in the second-to-last row of Table 2. That is, the value of the forced low-power register is 0, the value of the module low-power register is 0, the value of the low-power mode hardware pin is 0, and the value of the channel low-power register is 1. Therefore, before the optical module receives the channel control information i, channel i is in high-power mode. Afterwards, the host changes the value of the low-power mode hardware pin to 1, which changes the combination of values ​​for multiple configuration items of the optical module to the fourth-to-last row of Table 2. This transmits the channel control information i, which states that the value of the channel low-power transition signal for channel i is 1, to the optical module. The optical module can then configure the power mode of channel i to low-power mode according to the received channel control information i, thereby enabling the host to switch the power mode of channel i.

[0134] like Figure 3-1As shown, the control unit of the optical module and the host can be connected via hardware pins and bus pins. These hardware pins can be low-power mode hardware pins. Optionally, the low-power mode hardware pins in Table 2 can reuse the QSFP-DD MSA protocol low-power mode hardware pins. These hardware pins on the optical module's gold fingers are connected to the control unit of the optical module and the host respectively, realizing channel-level high-low power switching. The level state switching of the low-power mode hardware pins can achieve interrupt-triggered fast switching between high and low power of the module.

[0135] Based on the truth table shown in Table 2, one possible flow step of the optical module control method (or low-power control state machine) can be as follows: Figure 5 As shown. Figure 5 As shown, the host can configure the global Force LowPwr register, the global LowPwr register, and the channel LowPwr register of channel i of the optical module. The optical module can determine whether the value of the global Force LowPwr register is 1. If it is, the entire optical module enters low-power mode; otherwise, it checks whether the value of the global LowPwr is 1. If the value of the global LowPwr is 1, the optical module can detect the state of the hardware LPMODE pin (i.e., the value of the hardware input signal received through this pin). When the state of the hardware LPMODE pin is 1, the entire optical module can enter low-power mode; when the state of the hardware LPMODE pin is 0, the entire optical module can enter high-power mode. If the value of the global LowPwr is not 1, the MCU can obtain the value of the channel LowPwr register of channel i and the state of the LPMODE pin, and determine the power mode of channel i based on the value of the channel LowPwr register of channel i and the logic state of the LPMODE pin.

[0136] Compared to existing technologies, this application designs a channel low-power register, enabling some channels to enter low-power mode while the remaining channels continue to operate normally. This ensures that even when some channels are malfunctioning, other channels of the module can still function. Alternatively, the host can use this channel low-power register to actively shut down some channels without affecting the operation of other channels. This allows for more flexible channel data configuration based on host or network service traffic requirements, achieving energy savings.

[0137] Example 2: Configuration item combination i includes a configuration item for channel i, and this configuration item is the channel low-power mask register.

[0138] Taking multiple configuration items, including the forced module low-power register, module low-power register, low-power mode hardware pins, and channel low-power mask register for channel i, as an example, Table 3 schematically illustrates another example of the low-power transition signal truth table proposed in this application. Each row in Table 3 corresponds to a value combination of these four configuration items, and different rows correspond to different value combinations. The values ​​in the first four columns of a single row represent the values ​​of the corresponding configuration items, where "1" represents the value of the corresponding configuration item as 1, "0" represents the value of the corresponding configuration item as 0, and "X" represents the value of the corresponding configuration item as 1 or 0. The last two columns represent the control information or power status indication indicated by the corresponding value combination, where the value in the second-to-last column represents the value of the module low-power transition signal, where "0" represents the entire optical module (i.e., all channels) entering high power, "1" represents the entire optical module entering low power, and "-" indicates that the optical module has not obtained the module low-power transition signal or that no operation is performed to control the power mode of the entire optical module. The values ​​in the last column represent the channel low-power transition signal value for channel i. "0" indicates channel i enters high power mode, "1" indicates channel i enters low power mode, and "-" indicates the optical module did not receive the channel low-power transition signal for channel i or that no separate control operation for the power mode of channel i is performed. Therefore, when the host configures the value of the target configuration item, if the combination of configuration item i is any of the values ​​in the last three rows of Table 3, the optical module can determine the value of the channel low-power transition signal for channel i, and it can be considered that the host has sent channel control information i to the optical module.

[0139] Since the low-power transition signals determined according to Table 3 include module low-power transition signals and channel low-power transition signals, the truth table shown in Table 3 can also be called the extended low-power transition signal truth table.

[0140] Table 3

[0141]

[0142] The following text describes the rules for determining the low-power transition signal as defined in Table 2.

[0143] Module low-power transition signal: If (Force Module Low-Power Register OR Module Low-Power Register == 1), then the low-power transition signal = Force Module Low-Power Register OR (Module Low-Power Register AND Low-Power Mode Hardware Pin).

[0144] Module low power status indication: When all channels are in low power, it indicates low power status 1; otherwise, it indicates high power status 0.

[0145] Channel low-power transition signal: 1. If (Forced module low-power register AND Module low-power register == 0 AND Channel low-power mask register == 1), the channel low-power transition signal = low-power mode hardware pin; 2. If (Forced module low-power register AND Module low-power register == 0 AND Channel low-power mask register == 0), the channel low-power transition signal = Forced module low-power register AND Module low-power register, regardless of the low-power hardware pin.

[0146] Low power state indicator for the channel: indicates state 1 when the corresponding channel is low power, and indicates state 0 when the corresponding channel is high power.

[0147] Here, "OR" represents logical AND, and "AND" represents logical OR.

[0148] As shown in Table 3, the channel low-power mask register is only effective when both the forced module low-power register and the module low-power register are 0. When this register is effective, Table 3 uses a bit of 0 in the low-power mask register to represent the masking of low-power mode hardware pin control, resulting in a defined power state of 0; other values ​​(such as 1) can also be used to represent the masking of low-power mode hardware pin control.

[0149] Unlike the truth table shown in Table 1, where the combination of multiple configuration items can only indicate the control information of the module, the truth table shown in Table 3 can also indicate the control information of channel i. This allows the host to change the power consumption mode of channel i by changing the value of the target configuration item.

[0150] As an example, before the optical module receives channel control information i, the combination of values ​​for multiple configuration items of the optical module is shown in the second-to-last row of Table 3. That is, the value of the forced low-power register is 0, the value of the module's low-power register is 0, the value of the channel low-power mask register is 1, and the value of the low-power mode hardware pin is 0. Therefore, before the optical module receives channel control information i, channel i is in high-power mode. Afterwards, the host changes the value of the low-power mode hardware pin to 1, which changes the combination of values ​​for multiple configuration items of the optical module to the first-to-last row of Table 3. This transmits the channel control information i, which is channel i with a low-power transition signal value of 1, to the optical module. The optical module can then configure channel i to low-power mode according to the received channel control information i, thereby realizing the host's switching of the power mode of channel i.

[0151] By pre-configuring a low-power mask register and coordinating with the high and low level changes of the host's low-power mode hardware pins, rapid high-to-low power switching is triggered for some channels according to the mask rules. By combining low-power mode hardware pin interrupts with the channel power mask register to switch high and low power states at the channel level, the control flow of register interaction is saved during the high-to-low power switching process, greatly reducing the interaction time and enabling rapid high-to-low power switching by module channel.

[0152] As shown in Table 3, by adding a new protocol channel power mask register, the key communication subunits can be controlled to switch between high and low power states of the channel by a single "key" according to the pre-configured channel power register mask using a low-power mode hardware pin interrupt trigger within the optical module. The communication units within the module can support power mask control technology.

[0153] This application provides a method for controlling the power consumption mode of an optical module through a combination of global configuration items and channel configuration items. The power consumption mode of the module (i.e., the overall low-power control of the optical module) can be controlled using global configuration items (e.g., a forced low-power register, a module low-power register, and / or low-power mode hardware pins), or multiple channels can be controlled simultaneously using channel configuration items for each channel (e.g., a channel low-power mask register and / or a channel low-power register).

[0154] Based on the truth table shown in Table 3, one possible flow steps for the optical module control method (or low-power control state machine) can be as follows: Figure 6-1 As shown. Figure 6-1As shown, the optical module can determine whether the value of the global Force LowPwr register is 1. If it is, the entire optical module enters low-power mode; otherwise, it checks whether the value of the global LowPwr register is 1. If the global LowPwr value is 1, the optical module can detect the state of the hardware LPMODE pin (i.e., the value of the hardware input signal received through this pin). When the hardware LPMODE pin state is 1, the entire optical module can enter low-power mode; when the hardware LPMODE pin state is 0, the entire optical module can enter high-power mode. If the global LowPwr value is not 1, the MCU can assign the value of the low-power mask register of channel i to the channel low-power mask of the key communication subunit within the module. When the low-power mask register value is 0, the optical module can obtain the state of the LPMODE pin and then configure the LPMODE pin state of the key communication subunit. The key communication subunit does not respond to changes in the LPMODE pin state, and the power mode of channel i defaults to 0, i.e., the power mode of channel i is high-power mode. When the low-power mask register is set to 1, the optical module can obtain the status of the LPMODE pin and then configure the LPMODE pin status of the critical communication subunit. The critical communication subunit does not respond to changes in the LPMODE pin status. When the LPMODE value is 1, the power consumption mode of channel i is low-power mode; when the LPMODE value is 0, the power consumption mode of channel i is high-power mode. The critical communication subunit will be illustrated with examples later and will not be discussed in detail here.

[0155] As an example, as shown in Table 3, when the values ​​of the forced module low-power register, the module low-power register, and the channel low-power mask register of channel i are all 0, the value of the module low-power transition signal indicated by configuration item combination i is "-", and the value of the channel low-power transition signal of channel i is 0. Optionally, when the values ​​of the forced module low-power register, the module low-power register, and the channel low-power mask register of channel i are all 0, the value of the module low-power transition signal indicated by configuration item combination i and the value of the channel low-power transition signal of channel i can both be "-", which is equivalent to this combination of values ​​of configuration item combination i not instructing the optical module to change the power consumption mode of the entire module, nor instructing it to change the power consumption mode of channel i.

[0156] Example 3: Configuration item combination i includes two configuration items for channel i, namely the channel low-power mask register and the channel low-power register.

[0157] Taking multiple configuration items, including the forced module low-power register, module low-power register, channel i's low-power mask register, low-power mode hardware pins, and channel i's channel low-power register, as an example, Table 4 schematically illustrates another example of the low-power transition signal truth table proposed in this application. Each row in Table 4 corresponds to a value combination of these five configuration items, with different rows corresponding to different value combinations. The values ​​in the first four columns of a single row represent the values ​​of the corresponding configuration items, and the meaning of each value can be found in Table 2 or Table 3. The last three columns represent the control information or power status indication indicated by the corresponding value combination. Among them, the value in the third to last column represents the value of the module low-power transition signal, and the meaning of each value can be found in Table 2 or Table 3. The value in the second to last column represents the value of channel low-power transition signal 1, and the value in the last column represents the value of channel low-power transition signal 2, and the meaning of each value can be found in Table 2 or Table 3. The channel low-power transition signal of channel i can be channel low-power transition signal 1 or channel low-power transition signal 2. Therefore, when the host configures the value of the target configuration item, and the combination of configuration item i is any of the five rows from the bottom in Table 4, the optical module can determine the value of the channel low power conversion signal of channel i, and it can be considered that the host has sent channel control information i to the optical module.

[0158] Table 4

[0159]

[0160] The following text describes the rules for determining the low-power transition signal as defined in Table 4.

[0161] Module low-power transition signal: If (Force Module Low-Power Register OR Module Low-Power Register == 1), then the low-power transition signal = Force Module Low-Power Register OR (Module Low-Power Register AND Low-Power Mode Hardware Pin).

[0162] Module low power status indication: When all channels are in low power, it indicates low power status 1; otherwise, it indicates high power status 0.

[0163] Channel Low Power Transition Signal: 1. If (Force Module Low Power Register AND Module Low Power Register == 0 AND Channel Low Power Mask Register == 1), the channel low power transition signal = low power mode hardware pin AND or OR channel low power register; 2. If (Force Module Low Power Register AND Module Low Power Register == 0 AND Channel Low Power Mask Register == 0), the channel low power transition signal = Force Module Low Power Register AND Module Low Power Register, and is independent of the low power hardware pin and channel low power mask register.

[0164] Low power state indicator for the channel: indicates state 1 when the corresponding channel is low power, and indicates state 0 when the corresponding channel is high power.

[0165] Here, "OR" represents logical AND, and "AND" represents logical OR.

[0166] As shown in Table 4, the channel low-power mask register is only effective when both the forced module low-power register and the module low-power register are 0. When this register is effective, the channel low-power mask register can be used to mask the high-low power switching operation of channel i, obtaining a definite power state of 0 during the high-low power switching process triggered by the state switching of the low-power mode hardware pin and the channel low-power register. Table 4 uses a bit of 0 in the low-power mask register to represent masking the low-power mode hardware pin and channel low-power register control, but other values ​​(such as 1) can also be used to represent masking the low-power mode hardware pin and channel low-power register control.

[0167] Unlike the truth table shown in Table 1, where the combination of multiple configuration items can only indicate the control information of the module, the truth table shown in Table 4 can also indicate the control information of channel i. This allows the host to change the power consumption mode of channel i by changing the value of the target configuration item.

[0168] As an example, assuming the low-power transition signal for channel i is referenced to channel low-power transition signal 1 in Table 2, before the optical module receives channel control information i, the combination of values ​​for multiple configuration items of the optical module is shown in the second-to-last row of Table 4. That is, the value of the forced low-power register is 0, the value of the module low-power register is 0, the value of the channel low-power mask register is 1, the value of the low-power mode hardware pin is 0, and the value of the channel low-power register is 1. Therefore, before the optical module receives channel control information i, channel i is in high-power mode. Afterwards, the host changes the value of the low-power mode hardware pin to 1, which changes the combination of values ​​for multiple configuration items of the optical module to the fourth-to-last row of Table 4. This transmits the channel control information i, which indicates that the low-power transition signal for channel i is 1, to the optical module. The optical module can then configure channel i to low-power mode according to the received channel control information i, thereby enabling the host to switch the power mode of channel i.

[0169] Based on the truth table shown in Table 4, the following is combined with... Figure 6-2 This section describes one possible workflow for controlling an optical module. For example... Figure 6-2As shown, the host initializes the optical module registers and LPMODE pins. The optical module (hereinafter referred to as the module) checks the values ​​of the global Force LowPwr and global LowPwr registers. If any register is not zero, the module performs overall low-power control. The control state truth table is determined by the global Force LowPwr, global LowPwr registers, and LPMODE truth table. The module checks the values ​​of the global Force LowPwr and global LowPwr registers. If both are zero, the module performs channel-level low-power control. The module checks if the value of the channel low-power mask register is zero. If it is zero, the channel power control ignores LPMODE and the channel low-power register, the corresponding configuration is ineffective, and the power state is high power. If the value of the channel low-power mask register is not zero (e.g., if it is 1), the channel power consumption is determined by the AND operation between the LPMODE hardware pin and the channel LowPwr register value. For example, a result of 1 indicates that the power mode of channel i is low-power mode, and a result of 0 indicates that the power mode of channel i is high-power mode.

[0170] The host / module can first configure the corresponding channel low-power mask register and channel LowPwr register, and during operation, configure the LPMODE hardware pin level status as needed. The optical module detects the LPMODE pins via interrupt or polling, and, in conjunction with the channel LowPwr and channel low-power mask register status, quickly responds to high-low power switching, while simultaneously disabling the mask channel and preventing operation.

[0171] Optionally, the configuration item combination for channel i can omit defining the global Force LowPwr and global LowPwr registers, omitting the step of the optical module judging the values ​​of the global Force LowPwr register and the global LowPwr register, and directly proceeding to the subsequent steps to achieve low power control of some channels or the entire module through multi-channel parallel control processing.

[0172] Optionally, the module can generate the value of the low-power mask register used by the critical communication subunit within the module based on the values ​​of the channel LowPwr register and the channel low-power mask register, and pre-configure it for the critical communication subunit. After determining the LPMODE pin state, the module can directly configure the LPMODE state to the critical communication subunit, or directly connect the LPMODE hardware pin to the critical communication subunit.

[0173] Optionally, the channel configuration options can be combined to add a defined register whose value indicates whether power mode control is performed for the entire module or at the channel level, or in other words, whether it is global power control or control based on channel-level registers.

[0174] As an example, as shown in Table 4, when the values ​​of the forced module low-power register, the module low-power register, and the channel low-power mask register of channel i are all 0, the value of the module low-power transition signal indicated by configuration item combination i is "-", and the values ​​of channel low-power transition signal 1 and channel low-power transition signal 2 of channel i are both 0. Optionally, when the values ​​of the forced module low-power register, the module low-power register, and the channel low-power mask register of channel i are all 0, the value of the module low-power transition signal indicated by configuration item combination i can be "-", and the values ​​of channel low-power transition signal 1 and / or channel low-power transition signal 2 of channel i can be "-".

[0175] The optical module can switch the power consumption mode of channel i by changing the configuration scheme of channel i. For ease of description, the configuration scheme of channel i when it is in low-power mode is called the low-power configuration scheme of channel i, and the configuration scheme of channel i when it is in high-power mode is called the high-power configuration scheme of channel i. The low-power configuration scheme and the high-power configuration scheme are different.

[0176] The communication unit of the optical module can support register configuration to achieve high-power switching per channel. The configuration scheme of channel i can describe the type and value of one or more parameters that make up the communication unit of the optical module, and different configuration schemes of channel i can describe different values ​​of the same parameter.

[0177] This application does not limit the type and value of the parameters described in the configuration scheme of channel i. For example... Figure 3-2 As shown, the parameters described in the configuration scheme may include DSP / CDR parameters, and / or TIA parameters, and / or photodetector parameters, and / or driver parameters, and / or laser parameters.

[0178] This application does not limit the values ​​of all parameters of the communication unit of the optical module to different configuration schemes for channel i. Assume... Figure 3-2 The power consumption mode switching time of the other components shown is relatively long. Under different configuration schemes of channel i, the value of the parameters of these other components can remain unchanged.

[0179] The power consumption mode configuration scheme can indicate multiple parameters, which can be parameters of multiple communication subunits. The host can change the values ​​of multiple parameters by changing the power consumption mode of channel i. Compared with the power consumption that can be changed by the host changing the value of a single parameter or a single communication subunit parameter, this allows the host to achieve more efficient or granular power consumption changes in the optical module with higher control efficiency or lower latency (e.g., at the millisecond or even microsecond level).

[0180] Optionally, the optical module has multiple channel groups that support individual control, and each channel group can include one or more channels. Channel i can be any one of these channel groups; that is, for each channel group of the optical module, the optical module has at least one channel configuration item for that channel group. In this way, the optical module can support independent control (or parallel control) of multiple channel groups. As described above, the configuration item combination for channel i can include global configuration items and channel configuration items. The host can transmit control information on the power consumption modes of multiple channel groups by sending control signals to the optical module to configure the global configuration items, thereby efficiently controlling the power consumption modes of multiple channel groups. The values ​​of the channel configuration items may differ based on different channel groups, and the power consumption modes determined by the optical module based on the same global configuration item value may differ for different channel groups.

[0181] The same channel configuration item in different channel groups can be different bits or different bit fields in the same register. This application does not limit the size of the bits occupied by the channel configuration item in a single channel group. Taking 1 bit occupied by the channel configuration item in a single channel group as an example, 1 byte can correspond to a maximum of 8 channel groups, 2 bytes can be used for 16 channel groups, and so on. It is also possible to use 1 byte to control 1 channel group, and N bytes can correspond to N channel groups. For example, the optical module has a low-power mask register and a channel LowPwr register, each with multiple bits, which can support multi-channel parallel control.

[0182] This application does not limit the method of dividing multiple channel groups. Assuming the optical module has n channels, in one possible example, the optical module can divide the n channels into n channel groups, setting at least one corresponding channel configuration item for each channel. Taking the example that each bit of a register is used to store the value of a channel configuration item for one channel, assuming the optical module has n channels, the channel low-power mask register of channel 1, the channel low-power mask register of channel 2, ..., the channel low-power mask register of channel n can be the 1st bit, the 2nd bit, ..., the nth bit of the same register (e.g., called the channel low-power mask register). Assuming the optical module has n channels, in one possible example, the optical module can divide the n channels into two channel groups: one group for all channels in the transmitting direction and another group for all channels in the receiving direction. Accordingly, the optical module can set at least one channel configuration item for all channels in the transmitting direction and at least one channel configuration item for all channels in the receiving direction.

[0183] The power consumption mode of a channel can be used to indicate the value of one or more parameters corresponding to that channel in an optical module or communication unit. Different power consumption modes may indicate different values ​​for all or some of the parameters. This application does not limit the power consumption mode of a channel to indicating or controlling the parameters of each communication subunit in the communication unit. In some examples, the power consumption mode is used to indicate or control the parameters of a critical communication subunit in the communication unit. This application does not limit the number and type of critical communication subunits. For example, a critical communication subunit may include a DSP / CDR, TIA, photodetector, driver, and laser; or, a critical communication subunit may include electrical chips therein, such as a DSP / CDR, TIA, and driver (referred to as a critical communication subunit). This document uses the example of a critical communication subunit including a DSP / CDR, TIA, photodetector, driver, and laser.

[0184] like Figure 3-2 As shown, the low-power mode hardware pins of the host can be connected to the MCU of the optical module, and the MCU of the module can control the key communication sub-unit to enter and exit low power mode. Figure 7-1 This schematically illustrates another structure of the system. For example... Figure 7-1 As shown, in some examples, a hardware pin connection is added between the MCU of the optical module and the low-power control of the key communication subunit (e.g., Figure 7-1 (As shown by the bold dashed line). The MCU can connect to the key communication subunits via a communication bus (e.g., I2C) and hardware pins to switch between different power consumption modes (e.g., high and low power modes) at the channel level. The key communication subunits of the module also provide LPMODE pin control interfaces, supporting low power mode switching via pins.

[0185] The critical communication subunit of the optical module can have a configuration item combination for channel i. The number of configuration items in the configuration item combination of channel i of the critical communication subunit can be equal to or less than the number of configuration items in the configuration item combination of channel i of the MCU. This simplifies the complexity of the critical communication subunit determining the power consumption mode of channel i. For example, the configuration item combination of channel i of the critical communication subunit may include LPMODE hardware pins, channel power mask registers, and / or channel power consumption register configurations. The MCU can trigger high-low power switching by changing the value of any one or more configuration items. Channels masked by the power mask register can be selected not to respond to LPMODE pin changes.

[0186] The optical module can obtain the LPMODE hardware pin status switching through inspection or interruption, and quickly configure the LPMODE pin status connected to the communication unit within the module, thereby realizing low-power control of the module channel without the need for register interaction.

[0187] based on Figure 7-1The system structure shown and the truth table shown in Table 4 provide another example of the control method for the optical module. Figure 7-2 As shown. Figure 7-2 As shown, the optical module (hereinafter referred to as the module) determines whether the global Force LowPwr value is 1. When it is 1, the optical module enters low-power mode. When it is not 1, it checks whether the global LowPwr register value is 1. If the global LowPwr register value is 1, the optical module detects the status of the hardware LPMODE pin. When the status is 1, the module enters low-power mode; when the status is 0, the module enters high-power mode. When the global LowPwr is not 1, the optical module checks whether the channel low-power mask register value of channel i is 0. If the channel low-power mask register value is 0, the optical module can ignore the status of LPMODE and the channel LowPwr register, and the default power mode of channel i is high-power mode. When the channel low-power mask register value is not 0, the MCU can obtain the value of the channel LowPwr register and assign the result of the logical AND operation between the channel LowPwr register value and the channel low-power mask register value to the channel low-power mask register of the key communication subunit within the module. When the register value is 0, the module can obtain the status changes of the LPMODE hardware pins, the MCU can configure the LPMODE hardware pin status of the key communication subunits, and the key communication subunits can choose not to respond to the changes in the LPMODE hardware pins. The power consumption mode of channel i is high power consumption mode by default. When the register value is 1, the module can obtain the status changes of the LPMODE hardware pins, the MCU can configure the LPMODE hardware pin status of the key communication subunits. When the LPMODE hardware pin status value is 1, the key communication subunit can control the power consumption mode of the corresponding channel (such as channel i) to low power consumption mode. When the LPMODE hardware pin status value is 0, the key communication subunit can control the power consumption mode of the corresponding channel (such as channel i) to high power consumption mode.

[0188] Optionally, if the key communication subunit of the optical module does not support channel power consumption mask register configuration, the module MCU can obtain the LPMODE hardware pin status, protocol channel LowPwr register, and low power mask register, calculate the channel power consumption control target according to the truth table, and control the key communication subunit within the module to switch power consumption states through the communication bus.

[0189] Compared to existing technologies, by combining low-power mode hardware pin interrupts with channel power mask registers to switch between high and low power states at the channel level, the control process of register interaction is saved during the high-low power switching process, greatly reducing the interaction time, so as to achieve fast high-low power switching by module channel.

[0190] Compared to existing technical solutions, a new protocol channel power consumption mask register is defined. Inside the optical module, a low-power mode hardware pin interrupt triggering method is used to control the key communication sub-units to switch between high and low power consumption states of the channel with a single "key" according to the pre-configured channel power consumption register mask. The communication units within the module can support power consumption mask control technology.

[0191] In some examples, the low-power mode hardware pins of the host / optical module gold fingers can be directly connected to the key communication sub-units of the optical module, directly switching between high and low power consumption, reducing the interaction process controlled by the MCU, and further reducing the interaction processing time. Figure 8-1 This schematically illustrates another structure of the system. For example... Figure 8-1 As shown, the LPMODE hardware pins between the host and the optical module, in addition to connecting to the optical module's MCU, are also connected to the LPMODE hardware pins of the key communication subunit (e.g., Figure 8-1 (As shown by the bold dashed line). When the host configuration protocol LPMODE hardware pin state switches, the module's MCU and communication unit respond simultaneously (or separately) to the LPMODE pin state change. The communication unit controls the corresponding channel power consumption state according to the channel power consumption mask state in the chip, and the MCU simultaneously processes the power consumption switching of other hardware units.

[0192] The critical communication subunit of the optical module can have a configuration item combination for channel i. The number of configuration items in the configuration item combination of channel i of the critical communication subunit can be equal to or less than the number of configuration items in the configuration item combination of channel i of the MCU. This simplifies the complexity of the critical communication subunit determining the power consumption mode of channel i. For example, the configuration item combination of channel i of the critical communication subunit may include LPMODE hardware pins, channel power mask registers, and / or channel power consumption register configurations. The host can trigger high-low power switching by the value of the hardware input signal of the LPMODE hardware pins. Channels masked by the power mask register can be selected not to respond to changes in LPMODE pins.

[0193] exist Figure 8-1 In the example shown, the steps performed by the optical module in S401 to S403 above can be performed by the key communication subunit.

[0194] based on Figure 8-1 The system structure shown and the truth table shown in Table 4 provide another example of the control method for the optical module. Figure 8-2 As shown. Figure 8-2As shown, the optical module (hereinafter referred to as the module) checks whether the global Force LowPwr value is 1. When it is 1, the optical module enters low-power mode. When it is not 1, it checks whether the global LowPwr register value is 1. If the global LowPwr register value is 1, the MCU configures all channel register masks of the key communication subunit to 1, does not mask LPMODE state changes, and detects the state of the LPMODE hardware pins. The MCU and the key communication subunit configure the power consumption mode of all channels according to the LPMODE state. For example, when the LPMODE state is 1, all channels enter low-power mode; when the state is 0, all channels enter high-power mode. When the global LowPwr is not 1, the optical module checks whether the channel low-power mask register value of channel i is 0. If the channel low-power mask register value is 0, the optical module can ignore the states of LPMODE and the channel LowPwr registers, and the default power consumption mode of channel i is high-power mode. When the value of the channel low-power mask register is not 0, the MCU can obtain the value of the channel LowPwr register and assign the result of the logical AND operation between the values ​​of the protocol channel LowPwr register and the channel low-power mask register to the channel low-power mask register of the critical communication subunit. When the value of the channel low-power mask register of the critical communication subunit is 0, the MCU and the critical communication subunit can obtain the state of the LPMODE hardware pin respectively. Neither the MCU nor the critical communication subunit responds to the state changes of the LPMODE hardware pin, and the power mode of channel i defaults to high power. When the value of the channel low-power mask register of the critical communication subunit is 1, the MCU and the critical communication subunit can respond to the state changes of the LPMODE hardware pin respectively. When the LPMODE state is 1, channel i enters low-power mode; when the LPMODE state is 0, channel i enters high-power mode.

[0195] Compared to existing technologies, controlling the high-to-low power switching of the optical module communication unit directly through the host saves the operation process between the module and the communication unit during the high-to-low power switching process, further reducing the interaction time, so as to achieve rapid high-to-low power switching by module channel.

[0196] The host directly controls the high-low power switching of key communication subunits through the LPMODE pin, saving the master-slave interaction processing time in the high-low power control process, so as to realize fast high-low power switching by module channel.

[0197] The above, with Figure 8-1 The example shown illustrates the connection between the key communication subunit and the host via hardware pins defined by the current MSA protocol (i.e., LPMODE hardware pins). Optionally, Figure 8-1The key communication subunit and the host shown can be connected via a newly added hardware pin in the optical module's electrical connector for differentiated control definitions. When the key communication subunit of the optical module supports direct connection to this newly added hardware pin, the host can directly control the key communication subunit to switch the power consumption mode of the entire optical module or channel i through this hardware pin.

[0198] In some examples, the low-power mode hardware pins mentioned in this application can be replaced with other newly added hardware pins.

[0199] For any configuration item mentioned in this application, the positions of its values ​​0 and 1 can be interchanged; that is, the meaning of value 0 can be changed to the meaning of value 1 as described above, and the meaning of value 1 can be changed to the meaning of value 0 as described above. Alternatively, values ​​0 and / or 1 can be replaced with other values.

[0200] Since the optical module supports both transmitting and receiving signals, a single channel of the optical module can include a transmitting channel (denoted as a Tx channel) and a receiving channel (denoted as an Rx channel). The channel configuration item for channel i mentioned in this application can be specifically associated with the Tx channel i and / or Rx channel i of channel i. Optionally, for any channel's Tx channel and Rx channel, the optical module can have separate channel configuration items for the Tx channel and the Rx channel, respectively. This facilitates configuring the Tx channel and Rx channel of the same channel to handle high and low power consumption respectively.

[0201] Optionally, assuming the optical module has n channels, and based on the fact that the optical module supports both transmitting and receiving signals, it can be considered that the optical module includes n transmit channels and n receive channels. The channel configuration item for channel i mentioned in this application can be associated with either the n transmit channels or the n receive channels. The optical module can have Tx channel configuration items and Rx channel configuration items respectively. The Tx channel configuration item is associated with the n transmit channels, and its determined single power consumption mode is used to indicate the power consumption mode of all Tx channels. The Rx channel configuration item is associated with the n receive channels, and its determined single power consumption mode is used to indicate the power consumption mode of all Rx channels. This facilitates configuring all Tx channels and all Rx channels to switch between high and low power consumption respectively. For example, the Tx channel LowPwr register and the Rx channel LowPwr register can be defined separately for modules Tx and Rx, respectively. The Tx channel LowPwr register and the Rx channel LowPwr register can be used to configure module Tx (i.e., all Tx channels) and module Rx (i.e., all Rx channels) to switch between high and low power consumption respectively.

[0202] The optical module control method provided in this application can be applied to various stages of the design and use of high-speed optical modules. It enables the optical module to switch between high and low power consumption at the channel level during initialization and normal operation, thereby minimizing the control granularity for low power consumption, minimizing power consumption, reducing the switching time between high and low power consumption, and achieving fast switching between high and low power consumption.

[0203] To better implement the methods described in this application, the following provides related communication devices or equipment for implementing the methods.

[0204] This application provides a communication device 900. This communication device 900 can execute any of the method flows described above by the host. The communication device 900 can be the host described above, or it can be installed in the host described above. This application does not limit the type of host described above, as long as the host can connect to the optical module described above and can use the optical module to perform optical communication with other devices. For example, the host can be an OLT, ONU, router, switch, server, OTN transmission equipment, or computer equipment, etc.

[0205] Optional, see reference Figure 9 The communication device 900 may include, but is not limited to, a processor 910, a memory 920, and a communication interface 930.

[0206] The communication interface 930 is used to connect an optical module. Optionally, the communication interface 930 is a wired interface for connecting a wired link such as a cable or optical fiber. Alternatively, the communication interface 930 may be a wireless interface.

[0207] This application does not limit the connection method between the processor 910, memory 920, and communication interface 930. Optionally, the processor 910, memory 920, and communication interface 930 can be interconnected via an internal bus 940. The bus 940 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus 940 can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 9 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0208] Processor 910 may consist of one or more general-purpose processors, such as a central processing unit (CPU), or a combination of a CPU and hardware chips. The aforementioned hardware chips may be application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or combinations thereof. The aforementioned PLDs may be complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), generic array logic (GALs), or any combination thereof.

[0209] The memory 920 may include volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM); the memory 920 may also include non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD), or solid-state drive (SSD); the memory 920 may also include combinations of the above types.

[0210] The memory 920 stores computer instructions. By executing these computer instructions, the processor 910 can perform the steps performed by the host described above, and / or the steps performed by the transmitting unit and / or receiving unit in the communication device described above.

[0211] The method flow and effects executed by the communication device 900 can be found in the relevant content of the corresponding method executed by the host mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0212] This application provides a system that can be any of the systems described above or set in any of the optical systems described above.

[0213] This application also provides an optical network that may include one or more systems described above, and different systems can be interconnected via an optical interconnect network. This optical network can, as... Figure 1 or Figure 2 As shown, Figure 1 or Figure 2 At least one optical communication device in the system can be the system described above, or, Figure 1 or Figure 2 At least one optical communication device in the network may have the system described above deployed. The optical interconnect network may include one or more optical links (e.g., optical fibers) and one or more optical switching devices.

[0214] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, can implement some or all of the steps described in any of the above-described method examples. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a general-purpose or special-purpose computer. This invention also provides a computer program including instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform some or all of the steps of any of the method examples. Those skilled in the art will understand that the aforementioned computer-readable storage medium includes various non-transitory machine-readable media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, magnetic disks, optical disks, RAM, SSDs, or non-volatile memory.

[0215] Since the devices provided in this application can be used to execute the corresponding example methods described above, the technical effects that can be obtained by each device example in this application can be referred to the technical effects obtained by the corresponding method examples described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0216] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method examples, and will not be repeated here. The "A and / or B" mentioned in the examples of this application can be understood to include both "A and B" and "A or B". The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms can be interchanged where appropriate; this is merely a method of distinction used in describing objects with the same attributes in the examples of this application.

[0217] In the examples provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed modules, devices, or equipment can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device examples described above are merely illustrative; the division of units described above is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interface; the indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units may be electrical or other forms.

[0218] 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 protection scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A system, characterized in that, The system includes a connected communication device and an optical module, the optical module having multiple channels; The communication device is used to send control information to the optical module. The control information includes first control information, which is used to control the power consumption mode of the first channel among the plurality of channels. The optical module is used to receive the control information and control the power consumption mode of the first channel according to the first control information.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The communication device is used to send control signals to the optical module; The optical module is used to receive the control signal and configure the value of the target configuration item of the optical module according to the control signal; The optical module is configured to determine the first control information based on the value of a first configuration item combination of the optical module, wherein the first configuration item combination includes multiple configuration items, the first configuration item combination includes the target configuration item, and at least one configuration item in the first configuration item combination is a configuration item of the first channel, and the value of the configuration item of the first channel is used to control the power consumption mode of the first channel.

3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control information further includes second control information, which is used to control the power consumption mode of the second channel among the plurality of channels. The target configuration item is a configuration item for the plurality of channels, used to control the power consumption mode of the plurality of channels. The optical module is further configured to determine the second control information based on the value of the second configuration item combination of the optical module, wherein the second configuration item combination includes multiple configuration items, the second configuration item combination includes the target configuration item, and at least one configuration item in the second configuration item combination is a configuration item of the second channel, and the value of the configuration item of the second channel is used to control the power consumption mode of the second channel. The optical module is also used to control the power consumption mode of the second channel according to the second control information.

4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first control information and the second control information are used to set the power consumption modes of the first channel and the second channel to different power consumption modes.

5. The system according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The values ​​of the configuration items for the first channel and the configuration items for the second channel are stored in different registers, or in different bit fields within the same register.

6. The system according to any one of claims 3-5, characterized in that, The control signal is a hardware input signal received by the optical module through hardware pins.

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The optical module includes a control unit and a communication unit, and the communication unit is directly connected to the hardware pins. The control unit is used to control the communication unit; The communication unit is used to receive the control signal through the hardware pin and determine the first control information based on the control signal; The communication unit is further configured to receive an electrical signal of the first channel from the communication device and convert the electrical signal of the first channel into an optical signal of the first channel according to the power consumption mode of the first channel indicated by the first control information, and / or convert the optical signal of the first channel into an electrical signal of the first channel and send the electrical signal of the first channel to the communication device.

8. An optical module, characterized in that, The optical module includes: A receiving unit is configured to receive control information from the communication device, the control information including first control information, the first control information being used to control the power consumption mode of a first channel among the plurality of channels; The mode control unit is used to control the power consumption mode of the first channel according to the first control information.

9. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is used to connect to an optical module having multiple channels, and the communication device includes: A transmitting unit is used to send control information to the optical module. The control information includes first control information, which is used to control the power consumption mode of the first channel among the plurality of channels. A receiving unit is configured to receive response information from the optical module, the response information being used to indicate the control result of the power consumption mode of the first channel.

10. A method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a system including a communication device and an optical module, the optical module having multiple channels, the method comprising: The communication device sends control information to the optical module. The control information includes first control information, which is used to control the power consumption mode of the first channel among the plurality of channels. The optical module receives the control information and controls the power consumption mode of the first channel according to the first control information.

11. A method, characterized in that, The method is applied to an optical module having multiple channels, and the method includes: The control information received from the communication device includes first control information, which is used to control the power consumption mode of the first channel among the plurality of channels. The power consumption mode of the first channel is controlled according to the first control information.

12. A method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a communication device for connecting an optical module having multiple channels, and the method includes: Send control information to the optical module, the control information including first control information, the first control information being used to control the power consumption mode of the first channel among the plurality of channels; The optical module receives response information, which is used to indicate the control result of the power consumption mode of the first channel.

13. An optical network, characterized in that, It includes one or more systems, at least one of which is as described in any one of claims 1-7, and the different systems in the one or more systems are connected via an optical interconnect network.

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