Incident light monitoring method and optical module

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an incident light monitoring method and an optical module. The method comprises the following steps: after the optical module is powered on, a first current value collected by a first photodetector is obtained and stored in a first register; a second current value collected by a second photodetector is obtained and stored in a second register; an initial value of a filter wavelength of an etalon is a target wavelength; the first register and the second register are read, a deviation rate of the target wavelength is obtained according to a ratio of the second current value to the first current value; if the deviation rate is greater than or equal to a preset threshold value stored in a third register, first alarm information is sent to a host computer; and if the deviation rate is less than the preset threshold value, an optical power distribution network is initialized. Embodiments of the present disclosure realize monitoring of an incident light source of an optical module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of optical communication technology, and in particular to an incident light monitoring method and an optical module. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of new business and application models such as cloud computing, mobile internet, and video, advancements in optical communication technology have become increasingly important. In optical communication technology, the optical module, as one of the key components of optical communication equipment, can realize photoelectric signal conversion. With the development of optical communication technology, related technologies have enabled optical modules to support more and more channels for parallel transmission. The optical signal from the incident light source, after multi-path modulation, can be transmitted in parallel through multiple output channels. The split optical signals of the incident light source on these channels directly affect the data transmission quality and system stability of each channel. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In some embodiments, an incident light monitoring method and an optical module are provided to provide an optical module design.

[0004] In some embodiments, an incident light monitoring method is provided, applied to an optical module. The optical module is electrically connected to a host computer and is disposed on a first circuit board of the host computer. A second circuit board of the optical module is provided with an optical chip and a controller. The optical chip includes a coupler and an optical power distribution network. The coupler is disposed on the light-incident side of the optical chip. A first photodetector is disposed on the first output optical path of the coupler. The second output optical path of the coupler is connected to the optical power distribution network, which is used to evenly distribute the incident light source of the optical module to multiple output channels of the optical chip. A etalon and a second photodetector are sequentially disposed on the third output optical path of the coupler. The first photodetector, the second photodetector, and the etalon are all connected to the controller. The method includes: After the optical module is powered on, the first current value collected by the first photodetector is obtained and stored in the first register. The second current value collected by the second photodetector is acquired and stored in the second register; wherein the initial value of the filter wavelength of the etalon is the target wavelength. Read the first register and the second register, and calculate the ratio of the second current value to the first current value to obtain the deviation rate of the target wavelength; If the deviation rate is greater than or equal to the preset threshold stored in the third register, send the first alarm message to the host computer; If the deviation rate is less than the preset threshold, the optical power distribution network will be initialized.

[0005] One of the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: In this embodiment, the input light of the optical chip is split by a coupler, and a first current value is collected through the first output optical path, which can be used to determine the optical power of the optical signal of the unfiltered incident light source. After being filtered by a standard etalon through the third output optical path, a second current value is collected by a second photodetector. The ratio of the two values ​​can be combined to monitor the wavelength drift of the incident light source in real time. Compared with the prior art, this embodiment achieves effective monitoring of the incident light source, solves the problem of poor optical signal quality of each channel caused by the wavelength shift of the incident light source, and thus affects the data transmission effect, significantly improving the stability and reliability of multi-channel parallel transmission.

[0006] In some embodiments, an incident light monitoring method is provided, the method further comprising: If the deviation rate is less than, greater than or equal to, the preset threshold stored in the third register, the filter wavelength of the etalon is adjusted. Reread the second register and calculate the updated deviation rate; If the updated deviation rate is less than the preset threshold and the filter wavelength of the etalon is not the initial value, then the light source detection information is fed back to the host computer. The light source detection information includes the adjusted filter wavelength or information used to determine the adjusted filter wavelength. If the updated deviation rate is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, and the filter wavelength of the etalon is not the initial value, then the filter wavelength of the etalon will continue to be adjusted.

[0007] One of the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: By performing the above-mentioned light source detection, the MCU can accurately identify the wavelength offset and obtain the actual center wavelength of the incident light source. This wavelength offset or the actual center wavelength of the incident light source is then fed back to the host computer, allowing the host computer to determine whether the incident light source needs to be replaced or whether an automatic wavelength calibration operation needs to be performed. For example, if the wavelength offset is within the adjustable range, the incident light source can be automatically calibrated; if it exceeds the adjustable range, a replacement prompt for the incident light source is generated to remind technicians to replace the incident light source in a timely manner, ensuring the reliable execution of subsequent processes.

[0008] In some embodiments, an incident light monitoring method is provided, which adjusts the filtering wavelength of the etalon and further includes receiving a detection command from a host computer, wherein the host computer feeds back the detection command to the optical module based on the received first alarm information.

[0009] One of the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: the host computer sends a detection command to the MCU, and the MCU executes the detection process after receiving the detection command, so as to avoid unnecessary resource consumption. For example, if the wavelength offset is large, it may be necessary to directly replace the incident light source. If the detection process is executed before replacing the incident light source, it will increase the system response delay. Therefore, the host computer only issues the detection command when it is confirmed that calibration is required rather than replacement, so as to ensure both efficient use of resources and timeliness of fault handling.

[0010] In some embodiments, an incident light monitoring method is provided, which, after sending alarm information to a host computer, further includes: In response to receiving the light source update command from the host computer, the filter wavelength of the etalon is adjusted to the initial value; Reread the second register and calculate the updated deviation rate; If the updated deviation rate is less than the preset threshold and the filter wavelength of the etalon is the initial value, then the optical power distribution network is initialized.

[0011] One of the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: re-monitoring of the incident light source based on the light source update ensures the reliability of the monitoring.

[0012] In some embodiments, an incident light monitoring method is provided, the method further comprising: Calculate the total optical power of the incident light source based on the first current value; If the total optical power is lower than the preset optical power, a second alarm message is sent to the host computer.

[0013] One of the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: by monitoring the total optical power, the MCU can determine whether the incident light source meets the power requirements, thereby triggering an alarm in time when the light intensity is insufficient, and avoiding signal quality degradation or communication interruption due to insufficient optical power.

[0014] In some embodiments, an incident light monitoring method is provided, wherein the initial value of the heating current of the etalon is stored in a fourth register, the heating current is used to determine the filtering wavelength, and the heating current after the etalon is adjusted is stored in a fifth register.

[0015] One of the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: by storing the initial and real-time heating current values ​​of the standard etalon separately in the fourth and fifth registers, the MCU can quickly compare the deviation and determine the degree of temperature drift.

[0016] In some embodiments, an incident light monitoring method is provided, which calculates the ratio of a second current value to a first current value, including: calculating the ratio of the second current value to the first current value when the changes in both the second current value and the first current value within a preset period are less than a preset change.

[0017] One of the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: by introducing a dynamic stability determination mechanism, it effectively avoids misjudgments caused by transient disturbances, ensures that the ratio calculation is triggered only when the system is in a steady state, and significantly improves the accuracy of wavelength offset identification and the reliability of calibration decisions.

[0018] In some embodiments, an incident light monitoring method is provided, wherein the splitting ratio of the coupler on the first output optical path to the incident light source is the same as the splitting ratio of the coupler on the second output optical path to the incident light source.

[0019] One of the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: by ensuring that the two optical signals have strict symmetry, it provides a physical basis for subsequent current ratio calculation and avoids systematic errors introduced by uneven beam splitting.

[0020] In some embodiments, an incident light monitoring method is provided, wherein the optical module has multiple incident light sources, and an optical power distribution network is used to combine the multiple incident light sources first, and then split them to the output channels corresponding to multiple modulators.

[0021] One of the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: through the combiner-splitter architecture, it is possible to uniformly monitor the total power of multiple light sources and support independent wavelength calibration of each channel, which significantly improves the integration and operation and maintenance efficiency of high-density optical communication systems.

[0022] In some embodiments, an optical module is provided, which is electrically connected to a host computer and is disposed on a first circuit board of the host computer. A second circuit board of the optical module is provided with an optical chip and a controller. The optical chip includes a coupler, an optical power distribution network, and a modulator. The coupler is disposed on the light-incident side of the optical chip. A first photodetector is disposed on the first output optical path of the coupler. The second output optical path of the coupler is sequentially connected to the optical power distribution network and the modulator. The optical power distribution network is used to evenly distribute the incident light source of the optical module to the output channels corresponding to multiple modulators. A etalon and a second photodetector are sequentially disposed on the third output optical path of the coupler. The first photodetector, the second photodetector, and the etalon are all connected to the controller. The controller is used to execute the methods described in the above embodiments.

[0023] One of the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: In this embodiment, the input light of the optical chip is split by a coupler, and a first current value is collected through the first output optical path, which can be used to determine the optical power of the optical signal of the unfiltered incident light source. After being filtered by a standard etalon through the third output optical path, a second current value is collected by a second photodetector. The ratio of the two values ​​can be combined to monitor the wavelength drift of the incident light source in real time. Compared with the prior art, this embodiment achieves effective monitoring of the incident light source, solves the problem of poor optical signal quality of each channel caused by the wavelength shift of the incident light source, and thus affects the data transmission effect, significantly improving the stability and reliability of multi-channel parallel transmission. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in some embodiments of this disclosure will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely drawings of some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings. Furthermore, the drawings described below can be regarded as schematic diagrams and are not intended to limit the actual size of the product, the actual flow of the method, the actual timing of the signals, etc. involved in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an optical module connected to a host computer according to some embodiments; Figure 2a This is a partial structure of a host computer and an optical module according to some embodiments. Figure 1 ; Figure 2b Partial breakdown of an optical module according to some embodiments Figure 1 ; Figure 2c A partial exploded view of an optical module provided according to some embodiments is shown in Figure 2. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an optical module structure according to some embodiments; Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of an optical module from another perspective, according to some embodiments; Figure 5 An exploded view of an optical module according to some embodiments; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an optical chip modulation process according to some embodiments; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of incident light monitoring according to some embodiments; Figure 8 This is a partial structure of an optical chip-based dynamic optical power allocation network according to some embodiments. Figure 1 ; Figure 9 This is a schematic flowchart of an incident light monitoring method according to some embodiments; Figure 10 This is a partial structure of an intra-chip optical power dynamic allocation network according to some embodiments. Figure 1 ; Figure 11 Figure 2 shows a partial structure of an optical chip optical power dynamic allocation network according to some embodiments; Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for dynamically adjusting optical power according to some embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described clearly and in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the described embodiments are merely some, and not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments provided in this disclosure are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0027] Unless the context otherwise requires, throughout the specification and claims, the term "comprising" is interpreted as open and inclusive, meaning "including, but not limited to"; the terms "first" and "second" should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or indicating an upper limit on the number; the term "multiple" means two or more; the term "connection" should be interpreted broadly, for example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part, and can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; the use of the terms "applicable to" or "configured to" implies open and inclusive language, which does not exclude applicability to or configuration to devices performing additional tasks or steps; descriptions such as "parallel," "perpendicular," "identical," "consistent," and "aligned" are not limited to absolute mathematical theoretical relationships, but also include acceptable error ranges arising in practice, and differences based on the same design concept but due to manufacturing reasons.

[0028] In optical communication technology, information is loaded onto light to generate optical signals, which are then used to transmit information between information processing devices. Connections are established between these devices via optical transmission equipment. Optical power loss is minimal during transmission through optical transmission equipment, allowing for long-distance transmission with minimal power loss. Light boasts extremely high transmission speeds. The cost of optical transmission equipment, such as fiber optic cables, is lower than that of electrical transmission equipment like copper wires. Using optical signals to transmit information offers advantages such as long-distance transmission, high speed, and low cost.

[0029] Information processing equipment typically includes switches, servers, optical network units (ONUs), optical distribution networks (ODNs), optical line terminals (OLTs), gateways, routers, mobile phones, computers, tablets, televisions, etc.; optical transmission equipment typically includes optical fibers and optical waveguides. Information processing equipment can recognize and process electrical signals, while optical transmission equipment can transmit optical signals. Therefore, optical modules are needed between the optical transmission equipment and the information processing equipment to perform the conversion between optical and electrical signals.

[0030] In some embodiments, the optical signal input and / or optical signal output of the optical module are connected to an optical fiber, and the electrical signal input and / or electrical signal output of the optical module are connected to a switch; a first optical signal from the optical fiber is transmitted to the optical module, the optical module converts the first optical signal into a first electrical signal, and transmits the first electrical signal to the switch; a second electrical signal from the switch is transmitted to the optical module, the optical module converts the second electrical signal into a second optical signal, and transmits the second optical signal to the optical fiber.

[0031] Information processing equipment connected to optical modules is also known as the host computer for optical modules. In access network transmission scenarios, the host computer for optical modules is usually an ONU, ODN, or OLT; in data center transmission scenarios, the host computer for optical modules is usually a Switch or Server.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of an optical module connected to a host computer according to some embodiments. Figure 1 As shown, the host computer 100 includes a circuit board 102, on which a processing chip 110 is mounted; multiple optical modules 200 are placed around the processing chip 110. The optical modules 200 are directly placed on the host computer's circuit board 102, surrounding the processing chip 110. This design not only shortens the distance of electrical signal transmission but also increases the area for optical module deployment, enabling high-density, high-quality signal transmission. This combination of optical modules and the host computer is known in the industry as NPO (Near packaged optics) or CPO (Co-packaged optics).

[0033] Multiple optical modules are directly deployed on the circuit board of the host computer, establishing electrical signal communication between the optical modules and the host computer; optical fiber 101 is connected to the optical modules, establishing optical signal communication between the optical fiber and the optical modules. One end of optical fiber 101 is connected to the optical module, and the other end of optical fiber 101 ( Figure 1 (not shown in the image) connects to another optical module ( Figure 1 (Not shown in the image), another optical module is connected to its corresponding host computer ( Figure 1 (Not shown in the image).

[0034] In some embodiments, the optical fiber 101 and the optical module 200 are detachably connected; in other embodiments, the optical fiber 101 and the optical module 200 are non-detachably connected.

[0035] In some embodiments, the host computer 100 is configured to provide data electrical signals to the optical module 200, or receive data electrical signals from the optical module 200, or monitor or control the operating status of the optical module 200.

[0036] In some embodiments, the optical module is a tool for converting optical signals to electrical signals. During the conversion process, the information does not change, but the encoding or decoding method of the information changes.

[0037] Figure 2a This is a partial structure of a host computer and an optical module according to some embodiments. Figure 1 . Figure 2b Partial breakdown of an optical module according to some embodiments Figure 1 . Figure 2c This is a partially exploded view of an optical module according to some embodiments, as shown in Figure 2. Figure 2a , Figure 2b and Figure 2c Only the structure of the host computer 100 related to the optical module 200 is shown.

[0038] In some embodiments, the optical module includes a housing 201, a circuit board 300, and an electrical connection socket 103. The housing and the electrical connection socket 103 are combined to form a cavity, and the circuit board 300 is placed in the cavity between the housing 201 and the electrical connection socket 103. The electrical connection between the circuit board 300 of the optical module and the host computer circuit board 102 is achieved through the electrical connection socket 103.

[0039] In some embodiments, the optical module includes a housing 201 and a circuit board 300. An electrical connection socket 103 is located on the circuit board 102 of the host computer, and the electrical connection between the circuit board 300 of the optical module and the circuit board 102 of the host computer is realized through the electrical connection socket 103.

[0040] When optical module manufacturers provide optical module products, whether the optical module includes the electrical connection socket 103 or not is a matter of commercial choice and there is no technical difference; the electrical connection socket 103 is used to establish the electrical connection between the optical module circuit board 300 and the host computer circuit board 102.

[0041] In some embodiments, the host computer 100 includes an electrical connection socket 103 disposed on the surface of the PCB circuit board 102, while the optical module 200 does not include the electrical connection socket 103. The optical module 200 is directly inserted into the electrical connection socket 103, and the optical module 200 is fixed by the electrical connection socket 103, thereby fixing the optical module 200 to the host computer 100.

[0042] In some embodiments, the host computer 100 does not include the electrical connection socket 103, and the optical module 200 includes the electrical connection socket 103. The electrical connection socket 103 is fixed to the surface of the PCB circuit board 102 so that the optical module 200 is fixed to the host computer 100.

[0043] In some embodiments, an electrical connector 134 is provided inside the electrical connection socket 103. One end of the electrical connector 134 is electrically connected to the circuit board 300 of the optical module, and the other end of the electrical connector 134 is electrically connected to the circuit board 102 of the host computer, thereby establishing an electrical signal connection between the optical module 200 and the host computer 100.

[0044] In some embodiments, the optical interface of the optical module 200 is connected to the optical fiber 101, thereby enabling the optical module 200 to establish an optical signal connection with the optical fiber 101.

[0045] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an optical module structure according to some embodiments. Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of an optical module from another perspective, according to some embodiments. For example... Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the optical module 200 may include a housing 201 and a circuit board 300. The housing 201 covers the circuit board 300, and an opening is formed on the side of the housing for connecting an optical fiber.

[0046] In some embodiments, the housing 201 is made of a metallic material, which facilitates electromagnetic shielding and heat dissipation.

[0047] The assembly method of combining the housing 201 and the circuit board 300 facilitates the installation of optical chips and other devices between the circuit board 300 and the housing 201. The housing 201 and the circuit board can encapsulate and protect the optical chips and other devices.

[0048] In some embodiments, the circuit board 300 includes circuit traces, electronic components, and chips. The electronic components and chips are connected according to the circuit design through the circuit traces to realize functions such as power supply, electrical signal transmission, and grounding. Electronic components may include, for example, capacitors, resistors, transistors, and metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). Chips may include silicon photonics chips, microcontroller units (MCUs), laser driver chips, transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs), limiting amplifiers (LAs), clock and data recovery (CDR) chips, power management chips, and digital signal processing (DSP) chips.

[0049] In some embodiments, the circuit board includes a rigid circuit board, which, due to its relatively rigid material, can also serve a load-bearing function, such as being able to stably support the aforementioned electronic components and chips.

[0050] In some embodiments, the circuit board further includes a flexible circuit board, which can be used independently or in conjunction with a rigid circuit board to increase the area for the placement of electrical components.

[0051] In some embodiments, the optical module 200 includes a fiber optic ferrule array 800, which includes at least one fiber optic ferrule. In some embodiments, the fiber optic ferrule array 800 is capable of transmitting optical signals emitted by the optical module 200; in some embodiments, the fiber optic ferrule array 800 is capable of receiving external optical signals; in some embodiments, the fiber optic ferrule array 800 is capable of receiving external light that does not carry signals.

[0052] In some embodiments, the optical module 200 may include a fiber optic connector array 600. A fiber optic ferrule array 800 may be inserted into one end of the fiber optic connector array 600 to connect the fiber optic ferrule array 800 to the fiber optic connector array 600. An external fiber optic ferrule array may be inserted into the other end of the fiber optic connector array 600 to connect the external fiber optic ferrule array to the fiber optic connector array 600, thereby connecting the fiber optic ferrule array 800 to the external fiber optic ferrule array via the fiber optic connector array 600.

[0053] The fiber optic connector array 600 may include at least one fiber optic connector. The number of fiber optic connectors may be the same as the number of fiber optic ferrules, so that each fiber optic connector can be connected to its corresponding fiber optic ferrule to achieve stable transmission of optical signals. The arrangement of the fiber optic connector array 600 allows the optical module 200 to be easily connected to external fiber optic devices, improving the flexibility and applicability of the optical module.

[0054] In some embodiments, the optical module 200 may include an optical fiber ribbon 710. One end of the optical fiber ribbon 710 may be connected to the optical fiber ferrule array 800. The optical fiber ribbon 710 may include multiple optical fibers.

[0055] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of an optical module according to some embodiments. Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the optical module 200 may include an optical chip 900, which may be disposed on the upper surface of the circuit board 300 and electrically connected to the upper surface of the circuit board 300. In some embodiments, the circuit board 300 may provide data signals from a host computer to the optical chip 900, and the optical chip 900 may modulate light emitted by the incident light source that does not carry data signals into an optical signal; in some embodiments, the optical chip 900 may receive external optical signals, demodulate the optical signals into electrical signals, and output the demodulated electrical signals to the host computer through the circuit board 300.

[0056] In some embodiments, the optical chip 900 can modulate 8 optical signals without data signals into 32 optical signals, or demodulate the received 32 optical signals into 32 electrical signals.

[0057] In some embodiments, the optical chip 900 can modulate four optical signals without data signals into 16 optical signals, or demodulate the received 16 optical signals into 16 electrical signals.

[0058] In some embodiments, the optical module 200 may include one optical chip 900; in some embodiments, the optical module 200 may include two optical chips 900.

[0059] In some embodiments, a wire bonding process is used to place the back side of the optical chip 900 facing the circuit board 300 and the front side of the optical chip 900 facing away from the circuit board 300. The pads on the front side of the optical chip 900 are wire bonded to the pads on the upper surface of the circuit board 300 so that the optical chip 900 is electrically connected to the circuit board 300.

[0060] In some embodiments, a flip chip process is used, with the front side of the optical chip 900 facing the circuit board 300 and the back side of the optical chip 900 facing away from the circuit board 300. The pads on the front side of the optical chip 900 are electrically connected to the solder balls, and the solder balls are soldered to the pads on the upper surface of the circuit board 300, so that the optical chip 900 is electrically connected to the circuit board 300.

[0061] In some embodiments, the optical module 200 may include an optical fiber connector 700. One end of the optical fiber connector 700 may be optically coupled to an optical chip 900, enabling light transmission between the optical chip 900 and the optical fiber connector 700. The other end of the optical fiber connector 700 may be connected to an optical fiber ribbon 710, allowing light transmission between the optical fiber ferrule array 800 and the optical fiber connector 700 via the optical fiber ribbon 710. In some embodiments, the optical module 200 may include one optical chip and one optical fiber connector 700, with one optical chip 900 coupled to one optical fiber connector 700. In some embodiments, the optical module 200 may include two optical chips and two optical fiber connectors 700, with one optical chip 900 coupled to one optical fiber connector 700. In some embodiments, the optical module 200 may include one optical chip and two optical fiber connectors 700, with one optical chip 900 coupled to two optical fiber connectors 700 respectively.

[0062] In some embodiments, the fiber optic ferrule array 800 may include a second fiber optic ferrule 820. The second fiber optic ferrule 820 may be connected to a second external fiber optic cable so that the second fiber optic ferrule 820 can transmit optical signals to the outside of the optical module 200.

[0063] In some embodiments, the fiber optic ferrule array 800 may include a second fiber optic ferrule 820 and a first fiber optic ferrule 810. The first fiber optic ferrule 810 may be connected to the incident light source via a first external optical fiber, so that the first fiber optic ferrule 810 can receive light emitted by the incident light source that does not carry a data signal.

[0064] In some embodiments, the fiber optic ferrule array 800 includes a third fiber optic ferrule 830, or includes a second fiber optic ferrule 820 and a third fiber optic ferrule 830; or includes a second fiber optic ferrule 820, a first fiber optic ferrule 810 and a third fiber optic ferrule 830; the third fiber optic ferrule 830 can be connected to a third external fiber optic cable so that the third fiber optic ferrule 830 can receive external optical signals.

[0065] In some embodiments, the fiber optic ribbon 710 may include a first fiber optic ribbon 711, one end of which may be connected to a fiber optic connector 700, and the other end of which may be connected to a first fiber optic ferrule 810, so that a fiber optic connector 700 is connected to the first fiber optic ferrule 810, and an optical chip 900 coupled to a fiber optic connector 700 may receive light emitted by an incident light source that does not carry data signals.

[0066] In some embodiments, the fiber optic strip 710 may include a first fiber optic strip 711 and a second fiber optic strip 712. One end of the first fiber optic strip 711 and one end of the second fiber optic strip 712 are respectively connected to the first fiber optic ferrule 810. The other end of the first fiber optic strip 711 is connected to one optical chip, and the other end of the second fiber optic strip 712 is connected to another optical chip. This allows light from the first fiber optic ferrule 810 that does not carry a data signal to be transmitted to two different optical chips.

[0067] In some embodiments, the fiber optic ribbon 710 may include a third fiber optic ribbon 713, or may include a first fiber optic ribbon 711 and a third fiber optic ribbon 713. One end of the third fiber optic ribbon 713 may be connected to the fiber optic connector 700, and the other end of the third fiber optic ribbon 713 may be connected to the second fiber optic ferrule 820, so that the fiber optic connector 700 is connected to the second fiber optic ferrule 820, and the optical signal emitted by the optical chip 900 can be emitted through the second fiber optic ferrule 820.

[0068] In some embodiments, the fiber optic strip 710 may include a first fiber optic strip 711, a second fiber optic strip 712, a third fiber optic strip 713, and a fifth fiber optic strip 715; the first fiber optic strip 711 transmits light without carrying a data signal to the optical chip, and the optical signal output by the optical chip is transmitted to the third fiber optic strip 713; the second fiber optic strip 712 transmits light without carrying a data signal to another optical chip, and the optical signal output by the other optical chip is transmitted to the fifth fiber optic strip 715.

[0069] In some embodiments, the fiber optic ribbon 710 may include a fourth fiber optic ribbon 714, one end of which may be connected to the fiber optic connector 700 and the other end of which may be connected to the third fiber optic ferrule 830, so that the fiber optic connector 700 is connected to the third fiber optic ferrule 830, and the optical chip 900 can receive external optical signals.

[0070] In some embodiments, the optical emitting component may include an optical chip 900. The optical chip 900 is used to modulate and demodulate optical signals. The optical chip 900 modulates received electrical signals into optical signals and demodulates received optical signals into electrical signals.

[0071] In some embodiments, the optical chip 900 can be a monolithically integrated optical chip. For example, the optical chip 900 can be a monolithically integrated silicon optical chip. Silicon material is easily etched, allowing for the integration of functional devices within the silicon optical chip, resulting in good integration. The optical chip 900 can also be a monolithically integrated thin-film lithium niobate chip. Thin-film lithium niobate exhibits a linear electro-optic effect; an applied electric field causes a linear change in its refractive index in the corresponding direction, allowing the light wave propagating in the medium to have adjustable intensity, phase, and other information. Therefore, thin-film lithium niobate can be selected as the material for the optical modulator, thereby achieving higher modulation rates, etc.

[0072] In some embodiments, the optical chip 900 can be a hybrid integrated optical chip. Exemplarily, the optical chip 900 can be a III-V group / Si hybrid integrated optical chip. In the III-V group / Si hybrid integrated optical chip, the growth material system of the optical modulator is a III-V group semiconductor material. III-V group semiconductors are direct bandgap semiconductors with a strong quantum well-confined Stark effect. By controlling the change of the applied electric field, a change in charge carriers is caused, thereby causing a change in refractive index and realizing optical signal modulation. The growth material system of the beam splitter, beam combiner, mixer, photodetector, etc., is a Si-based material. Exemplarily, the optical chip 900 can be a thin-film lithium niobate / Si hybrid integrated optical chip. Compared to the III-V group / Si hybrid integrated optical chip, the optical modulator in the thin-film lithium niobate / Si hybrid integrated optical chip is a thin-film lithium niobate-based optical modulator.

[0073] In some embodiments, when the optical chip 900 is a monolithic integrated silicon optical chip, since Si is an indirect bandgap semiconductor material with extremely low luminous efficiency, a light source needs to be provided on one side of the optical chip 900. Light is emitted from the side of the light source and coupled into the optical chip 900. The light emitted by the light source is light without carrying data. After entering the optical chip 900, it is phase-modulated by the optical chip 900 to load an electrical signal into the light, thus obtaining light carrying data, i.e., generating an optical emission signal, thereby realizing the transmission of the optical signal.

[0074] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an optical chip modulation process according to some embodiments. For example... Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, one side of the optical chip 900 is an input port to receive an incident light source; the other side is an output port to output a modulated optical signal.

[0075] In some embodiments, the optical chip 900 may include a modulation region. The modulation region is located on one side of the light inlet, receives the incident light source input through the light inlet, and modulates it to generate an optical signal. The modulation region includes a multi-channel modulator to achieve multi-channel modulation.

[0076] In some embodiments, taking a 16-channel optical chip 900 as an example, the optical chip 900 includes four light source input ports on its light-incident side. Four incident light sources LD1~LD4 are coupled into the optical chip 900 through the four light source input ports. One of the incident light sources is first split into two paths by a coupler inside the optical chip 900, and then another coupler is set on each path, thereby uniformly decomposing the single incident light source into four modulated light sources. These four modulated light sources then enter four modulators for optical signal modulation. The four incident light sources are ultimately decomposed into 16 modulated light sources, which are then entered into 16 modulators for optical signal modulation, ultimately outputting 16 modulated optical signals.

[0077] In some embodiments, the input and output sides of the optical chip 900 are coupled via a fiber array (FA). Specifically, the input fiber array is a first fiber array 900a, meaning the optical chip 900 is coupled to the first fiber array 900a, and the incident light source is coupled along the fiber array 900a into the interior of the optical chip 900. The output fiber array is a second fiber array 900b, meaning the output side of the optical chip 900 is coupled to the second fiber array 900b, and the modulated optical signal is coupled along the fiber array 900b to the exterior of the optical chip 900.

[0078] In some embodiments, insertion loss is easily generated when the optical chip 900 is coupled with the first fiber array 900a or the second fiber array 900b. The insertion loss difference between each channel is large, resulting in a large deviation in the output optical power between each channel of the optical chip 900, which exceeds the specification range.

[0079] To monitor the incident light input to the light-incident side of the optical chip 900, this disclosure provides an incident light monitoring method applied to an optical module. This method divides the incident light into a main optical path and a monitoring optical path, thereby enabling real-time monitoring of the incident light through the monitoring optical path without affecting the main optical path.

[0080] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of incident light monitoring according to some embodiments. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the incident light is split into three optical paths by the coupler. One path is the main optical path, which directs most of the optical power to the modulation region, ensuring that the modulation region receives sufficient optical power to achieve signal modulation. The other two paths are monitoring optical paths, used to monitor the optical power. This coupler can be placed on the light-incident side of the optical chip and connected to the output of the spot size converter (SSC).

[0081] The optical power of the main optical path is much greater than that of the monitoring optical path, such as accounting for more than 90%, to ensure that the modulation performance is not affected. For example, the power distribution ratio of the three optical paths can be set as 1%∶98%∶1%, that is, the two monitoring optical paths each account for 1%, and the main optical path accounts for 98%. This ratio can take into account both monitoring accuracy and modulation performance stability.

[0082] The two monitoring optical paths are designated as the first monitoring optical path and the second monitoring optical path. For ease of description, the two monitoring optical paths are referred to as the first output optical path and the third output optical path of the coupler, respectively, while the main optical path is referred to as the second output optical path of the coupler.

[0083] The power distribution ratio of the two monitoring optical paths can be the same, which facilitates direct comparison and analysis of the monitoring data of the two optical paths; or, the power distribution ratio of the two optical paths can be different, which can be dynamically adjusted according to actual monitoring needs. When the ratio is different, the monitoring data of the two optical paths need to be converted to the same benchmark before comparison and analysis, so as to eliminate the measurement deviation caused by the ratio difference.

[0084] The first monitoring optical path is connected to the first photodetector MPD1 to monitor the total optical power of the incident light in real time. The total optical power can be calculated by back-calculating the power ratio of the first monitoring optical path in the beam splitter and the measured value of the first photodetector MPD1.

[0085] The second monitoring optical path is sequentially connected to the etalon (ETALON) and the second photodetector (MPD2) to monitor the wavelength stability of the incident light. The etalon contains a heater; by adjusting the heating current input to the heater, the filtering wavelength of the etalon can be adjusted, allowing incident light of a specified wavelength to pass through while filtering out other wavelengths, thus obtaining the optical power at the specified wavelength. When the power distribution ratio of the first and second monitoring optical paths is the same, the ratio of MPD1 to MPD2 can be used to characterize the wavelength shift of the incident light; a larger ratio indicates a more significant wavelength shift, and vice versa.

[0086] The two monitoring signals are processed by the signal processing circuit and then sent to the controller, i.e., the MCU. The controller analyzes and calculates the signals to obtain the monitoring results.

[0087] For example, the signal processing circuit may include a current-to-voltage conversion and amplification module, an analog-to-digital conversion module, and a digital signal processing module. The photocurrent signals output by the first photodetector MPD1 and the second photodetector MPD2 are linearly converted into voltage signals by the current-to-voltage conversion and amplification module, and then quantized into digital signals by the analog-to-digital conversion module. The digital signal processing module synchronously samples, filters, and normalizes the two data streams to eliminate the effects of temperature drift and device differences. The controller calculates the optical power and wavelength offset of the incident light in real time according to a preset algorithm to obtain the monitoring results.

[0088] Figure 8 This is a partial structure of an optical chip-based dynamic optical power allocation network according to some embodiments. Figure 1 .like Figure 8 As shown, in some embodiments, taking four incident light sources as an example, the four incident light sources LD1-LD4 are coupled to the interior of the optical chip 900 along the light incident side of the optical chip 900.

[0089] In some embodiments, taking a four-path incident light source as an example, the optical chip 900 internally includes a first-stage combiner array and a second-stage combiner array. The first-stage combiner array includes a first combiner 911a and a second combiner 912a. The second-stage combiner array includes a third combiner 913a.

[0090] In some embodiments, taking a four-path incident light source as an example, the optical chip 900 includes a first-stage splitter array. The first-stage splitter array includes a first splitter 914a and a second splitter 915a.

[0091] In some embodiments, the optical chip 900 may include a first combiner 911a. The first combiner 911a may be... The coupler, the first combiner 911a, includes two input optical ports and one output optical port to combine two optical paths input into the first combiner 911a into one optical output. The first combiner 911a is located on the transmission optical path of the first incident light source LD1 and the second incident light source LD2, and is used to combine the first incident light source LD1 and the second incident light source LD2 into a first beam of light.

[0092] In some embodiments, the optical chip 900 may include a second combiner 912a. The second combiner 912a may be... The coupler, the second combiner 912a, includes two input optical ports and one output optical port to combine two optical paths input into the second combiner 912a into a single output optical path. The second combiner 912a is located on the transmission optical path of the third incident light source LD3 and the fourth incident light source LD4, and is used to combine the third incident light source LD3 and the fourth incident light source LD4 into a second beam of light.

[0093] In some embodiments, inside the optical chip 9000, a first incident light source LD1 and a second incident light source LD2 are coupled to the first combiner 911a through their respective input ports. The first light beam is then combined through the first combiner 911a and output through its output port. Similarly, a third incident light source LD3 and a fourth incident light source LD4 are coupled to the second combiner 912a through their respective input ports. The second light beam is then combined through the second combiner 912a and output through its output port.

[0094] In some embodiments, the optical chip 900 may include a third combiner 913a. The third combiner 913a may be... The coupler, the third combiner 913a, includes two input optical ports and two output optical ports. The third combiner 913a is located on the transmission optical path of the first beam and the second beam to receive the first beam and the second beam. The first beam and the second beam are combined within the third combiner 913a and then split, with the two split beams output along the two output optical ports respectively.

[0095] In some embodiments, the first beam and the second beam are coupled to the third combiner 913a through the two input ports of the third combiner 913a, respectively, and combined within the third combiner 913a. The four incident light sources are then combined into a single large beam within the third combiner 913a, and the light field energies of the four incident light sources are superimposed within the third combiner 913a. The resulting beams are then output as a third beam and a fourth beam through the two beam-splitting branches of the third combiner 913a, respectively. The third beam and the fourth beam are then output through the two output ports of the third combiner 913a, thus splitting the combined large beam into two beams. The power ratio of the third beam to the fourth beam can be 1.

[0096] In some embodiments, the optical chip 900 may include a first splitter 914a. The first splitter 914a is located on a branch of the third combiner 913a, i.e., on the transmission optical path of the third beam. The first splitter 914a can be... The coupler includes one input optical port and two output optical ports. The third beam is coupled into the first splitter 914a through the input optical port. The third beam is then decomposed by the first splitter 914a into a first internal adjustment light source LD1' and a second internal adjustment light source LD2'. The first internal adjustment light source LD1' and the second internal adjustment light source LD2' are output through the two output optical ports of the first splitter 914a, respectively.

[0097] In some embodiments, the optical chip 900 may include a second splitter 915a. The second splitter 915a is located on another branch of the third combiner 913a, i.e., on the transmission optical path of the fourth beam. The second splitter 915a may be a coupler, which includes one input optical port and two output optical ports. The fourth beam is coupled into the second splitter 915a through the input optical port, and the fourth beam is decomposed by the second splitter 915a into a third internal adjustment light source LD3' and a fourth internal adjustment light source LD4'. The third internal adjustment light source LD3' and the fourth internal adjustment light source LD4' are output through the two output optical ports of the second splitter 915a, respectively.

[0098] In some embodiments, the first internal adjustment light source LD1', the second internal adjustment light source LD2', the third internal adjustment light source LD3', and the fourth internal adjustment light source LD4' dynamically distribute optical power relative to the four initial incident light sources LD1-LD4 during the light combining and splitting process. This dynamically adjusts the optical power to balance the coupling insertion loss between the first fiber array 900a and the optical chip 900 at the light input side, achieving controllable optical power. For example, the coupling ratio of the first splitter 914a can be 1:1, and the coupling ratio of the second splitter 915a can be 1:1. The coupling ratio determines the energy distribution ratio, ensuring equal optical power among the first internal adjustment light source LD1', the second internal adjustment light source LD2', the third internal adjustment light source LD3', and the fourth internal adjustment light source LD4'.

[0099] To achieve consistent and stable output power for each output channel of the optical chip 900, i.e., each output channel of the second fiber array, and to mitigate the problem of power not meeting the target optical power due to manufacturing process deviations or external light source factors, this embodiment of the present disclosure addresses the issue from two aspects: monitoring and dynamic adjustment of the incident light source. The optical module is calibrated, and the calibration results can be directly applied to achieve a high degree of consistency in power for each output channel, with wavelength and power levels meeting the requirements.

[0100] The calibration process for this optical module includes the following steps: powering on the optical module and initializing the MCU; powering on and initializing the driver, TIA, DAC, and other modules; using the ELSFP module as an external light source, i.e., the incident light source, to input the light source signal to the LD optical port of the PIC chip in the NPO optical module; incident light source monitoring; TX-end debugging (at this time, modulators L, f, and s are not working); and dynamic adjustment of optical power. Among these, incident light source monitoring and dynamic adjustment of optical power are the calibration processes that are emphasized in this embodiment.

[0101] Figure 9This is a flowchart illustrating an incident light source monitoring method according to some embodiments, applied to an MCU in an optical module for monitoring the incident light source of the optical chip in the optical module. The optical module to which this method is applicable may include the following features: the optical module is electrically connected to a host computer and is mounted on the host computer's circuit board, i.e., a first circuit board; the optical module's circuit board, i.e., a second circuit board, has an optical chip and a controller; the optical chip includes a coupler and an optical power distribution network; the coupler is located on the light-incident side of the optical chip; a first photodetector is mounted on the first output optical path of the coupler; the second output optical path of the coupler is connected to the optical power distribution network, which is used to evenly distribute the incident light source of the optical module to multiple output channels of the optical chip; a etalon and a second photodetector are sequentially mounted on the third output optical path of the coupler; the first photodetector, the second photodetector, and the etalon are all connected to the controller.

[0102] In some embodiments, the optical power distribution network is used to combine multiple incident light sources and then split them to the output channels corresponding to multiple modulators, so as to reduce the output channel imbalance problem caused by the differences between multiple incident light sources.

[0103] The monitoring of the incident light source is an indirect monitoring method, that is, by analyzing the optical signal coupled out of the optical chip 900 via the PIC SSC, the information of the incident light source of the optical module is obtained. Since the optical signal coupled out of the optical chip 900 via the PIC SSC is obtained after coupling with the optical chip 900's input side via the first fiber array 900a, and there is coupling insertion loss between the first fiber array 900a and the optical chip 900's input side, there is a difference between the optical signal coupled out of the optical chip 900 via the PIC SSC and the actual optical power of the incident light source. However, the optical signal coupled out of the optical chip 900 via the PIC SSC is more substantial and can truly reflect the actual state of the optical signal received and processed by the optical chip. Therefore, this embodiment monitors the optical signal coupled out of the optical chip 900 via the PIC SSC and determines the monitoring result as the monitoring result of the incident light source.

[0104] like Figure 9 As shown, the monitoring method may include the following steps: Step S110: After the optical module is powered on, the first current value collected by the first photodetector is obtained and stored in the first register.

[0105] In some embodiments, after the optical module is powered on, before initializing the optical power distribution network, the incident light is monitored to avoid the optical power distribution network from malfunctioning due to the incident light not meeting the input requirements of the optical power distribution network. For example, the incident light source of the optical module cannot be evenly distributed to multiple output channels of the optical chip, or although the optical signals distributed to each output channel are small in difference, the optical power and / or wavelength of the optical signals do not meet the optical signal requirements of the optical module, thereby causing the optical module to malfunction.

[0106] Therefore, after the optical module is powered on, the incident light source can be monitored before the optical power distribution network is initialized.

[0107] In some embodiments, monitoring of the incident light source includes optical power monitoring, which can also be referred to as the total optical power of the incident light source, i.e., the sum of all optical power coupled into the optical chip 900 via the first fiber array 900a. If this total optical power is insufficient or excessive, the optical distribution network of the optical chip may not achieve the expected effect, i.e., the balanced and appropriate distribution of optical power to each output channel.

[0108] Therefore, if the total optical power is lower than a preset optical power, such as below a preset lower power limit, a second alarm message is sent to the host computer; if the total optical power is higher than a preset optical power, such as above a preset upper power limit, a third alarm message is sent to the host computer. The host computer can determine whether the incident light source is within the safe operating range, i.e., the range defined by the lower and upper power limits, based on the second and third alarm messages, and trigger an automatic calibration or manual intervention process accordingly. Automatic calibration includes calibrating the optical power of the incident light source to ensure it is within the safe operating range. Manual intervention refers to replacing the incident light source, which may include sending a light source update command to the MCU, allowing the MCU to automatically re-monitor the incident light source.

[0109] If the total optical power is within the safe range, the subsequent initialization process continues; otherwise, initialization is paused until the alarm is cleared. This mechanism ensures that the optical power distribution network always starts within the design tolerance, significantly improving the module's startup reliability and long-term operational stability.

[0110] In some embodiments, monitoring of the incident light source includes wavelength monitoring, i.e., detecting the center wavelength and wavelength offset of the incident light to ensure that it meets the nominal wavelength range and channel spacing requirements of the optical module; if the center wavelength offset exceeds the tolerance, the optical wavelength of each output channel will also fail to meet the requirements.

[0111] In some embodiments, monitoring of the incident light source may include the aforementioned wavelength monitoring and optical power monitoring, providing comprehensive monitoring and ensuring the normal operation of the optical chip.

[0112] In some embodiments, the MCU uses memory map technology to read and write registers, which can write the first current value into a preset register of the MCU, such as the first register.

[0113] Step S120: Obtain the second current value collected by the second photodetector and store the second current value in the second register; wherein, the initial value of the filter wavelength of the etalon is the target wavelength.

[0114] In some embodiments, the initial value of the filter wavelength of the etalon, such as the first etalon 923, i.e. the target wavelength, is preset by the MCU according to the nominal center wavelength of the optical module and is calibrated during the power-on self-test phase; the second photodetector collects the optical signal current filtered by the etalon in real time, and its value change directly reflects the power change of the optical signal at the target wavelength.

[0115] In some embodiments, the MCU uses memory mapping technology to read and write registers, which can write the second current value into a preset register of the MCU, such as the second register.

[0116] In some embodiments, the initial value of the etalon's heating current is stored in a fourth register. This heating current is used to determine the filtering wavelength. The heating current adjusted by the etalon is stored in a fifth register for easy reading and use by the MCU. The initial heating current stored in the fourth register is obtained by the MCU from a lookup table based on the nominal center wavelength. This lookup process is based on a pre-stored current-wavelength mapping curve. The updated heating current in the fifth register is dynamically calculated by the MCU based on the deviation between the second current value and a preset threshold, such as the preset current value, using a PID control algorithm to ensure that the filtering wavelength is always accurately locked to the target wavelength.

[0117] Step S130: Read the first register and the second register, and obtain the deviation rate of the target wavelength based on the ratio of the second current value to the first current value.

[0118] In some embodiments, the MCU can map both the first current value stored in the first register and the first current value stored in the second register to the MCU memory address space, and convert these two current values ​​into corresponding optical power in real time through table lookup or linear fitting algorithm. Subsequently, based on the converted optical power, the MCU calculates the ratio to accurately characterize the filtering efficiency of the etalon for the target wavelength optical signal. Further, subtracting the ratio from 1 yields the deviation rate of the target wavelength.

[0119] Step S140: If the deviation rate is greater than or equal to the preset threshold stored in the third register, send the first alarm information to the host computer.

[0120] In some embodiments, if the deviation rate is greater than or equal to a preset threshold stored in the third register of the MCU, such as the preset deviation rate, it indicates that the target wavelength has shifted significantly. The MCU immediately sends an alarm signal to the host computer to notify the host computer of the incident light source failure. The alarm signal may be an interrupt request in a specific encoding format corresponding to the error type. The alarm signal of the error type may carry first alarm information, which may include the error type encoding. At this time, the error type encoding is a fault identifier indicating the center wavelength shift of the incident light source.

[0121] After receiving the alarm information, the host computer can display the alarm information to notify technicians to replace the incident light source or automatically adjust the incident light source.

[0122] Step S150: If the deviation rate is less than the preset threshold, initialize the optical power distribution network.

[0123] In some embodiments, if the deviation rate is less than a preset threshold, such as a preset deviation rate, the incident light source is determined to be normal, and subsequent processes can continue, such as the initialization process of the optical power distribution network.

[0124] In some embodiments, during the monitoring process, if the MCU detects that the deviation rate is greater than or equal to the preset threshold stored in the third register, it can also detect the incident light source to determine the current center wavelength offset of the incident light source.

[0125] For example, the MCU can adjust the filter wavelength of the etalon; reread the second register and calculate the updated deviation rate; if the updated deviation rate is less than the preset threshold and the filter wavelength of the etalon is not the initial value, then it feeds back the light source detection information to the host computer, which includes the adjusted filter wavelength or information used to determine the adjusted filter wavelength; if the updated deviation rate is greater than or equal to the preset threshold and the filter wavelength of the etalon is not the initial value, then it continues to adjust the filter wavelength of the etalon.

[0126] By performing the aforementioned light source detection, the MCU can accurately identify the wavelength offset and obtain the actual center wavelength of the incident light source. This wavelength offset or the actual center wavelength of the incident light source is then fed back to the host computer, allowing the host computer to determine whether the incident light source needs to be replaced or whether automatic wavelength calibration should be performed. For example, if the wavelength offset is within the adjustable range, the incident light source can be automatically calibrated; if it exceeds the adjustable range, a replacement prompt for the incident light source is generated to remind technicians to replace the incident light source in a timely manner, ensuring the reliable execution of subsequent processes.

[0127] In some embodiments, after the MCU reports the first alarm information, the host computer can send a detection command to the MCU. After receiving the detection command, the MCU will then execute the detection process to avoid unnecessary resource consumption. For example, if the wavelength offset is large, it may be necessary to directly replace the incident light source. Executing the detection process before replacing the incident light source will increase the system response delay. Therefore, the host computer only issues the detection command when it is confirmed that calibration is required rather than replacement, ensuring both efficient resource utilization and timely fault handling.

[0128] In some embodiments, if the host computer determines that the incident light source needs to be updated, it generates a light source update command after updating the incident light source to notify the MCU to re-execute the incident light source monitoring process. It is important to note that the MCU needs to adjust the etalon's filter wavelength to its initial value according to the host computer's light source update command to ensure the effectiveness of the incident light source monitoring; reread the second register and calculate the updated deviation rate; if the updated deviation rate is less than a preset threshold and the etalon's filter wavelength is the initial value, then the optical power distribution network is initialized.

[0129] As can be seen from the above embodiments, by dividing the input light of the optical chip into multiple optical paths, multi-channel monitoring can be achieved without affecting the signal quality of the main optical path, enabling real-time monitoring of the incident light source and laying the foundation for balanced distribution of optical power.

[0130] The above compensation method will be explained below in conjunction with the optical path structure of the modulation region.

[0131] Figure 11 This is a partial structure of an intra-chip optical power dynamic allocation network according to some embodiments. Figure 1 .like Figure 11 As shown, in some embodiments, four incident light sources LD1-LD4 are coupled to the interior of the optical chip 900 along the incident light side of the optical chip 900.

[0132] In some embodiments, the optical chip 900 may include a first coupler 911b. The first coupler 911b may be... The coupler, the first coupler 911b, includes two input optical ports and one output optical port to combine two optical paths input to the first coupler 911b into one optical output. The first coupler 911b is located on the transmission optical path of the first incident light source LD1 and the second incident light source LD2, and is used to combine the first incident light source LD1 and the second incident light source LD2 into one beam of light.

[0133] In some embodiments, the optical chip 900 may include a second coupler 912b. The second coupler 912b may be... The coupler, the second coupler 912b, includes two input optical ports and one output optical port to combine two optical paths input to the second coupler 912b into a single optical output. The second coupler 912b is located on the transmission optical path of the third incident light source LD3 and the fourth incident light source LD4, and is used to combine the third incident light source LD3 and the fourth incident light source LD4 into a single beam of light.

[0134] In some embodiments, the first incident light source LD1 and the second incident light source LD2 are coupled to the first coupler 911b through their respective input optical ports, and are combined through the first coupler 911b to form a first beam, which is then output through the output optical port of the first combiner 911a. The third incident light source LD3 and the fourth incident light source LD4 are coupled to the second coupler 912b through their respective input optical ports, and are combined through the second coupler 912b to form a second beam, which is then output through the output optical port of the second coupler 912b.

[0135] In some embodiments, the optical chip 900 may include a third coupler 913b. The third coupler 913b may be... The coupler, the third coupler 913b, includes two input optical ports and two output optical ports. The third coupler 913b is located on the transmission optical path of the first beam and the second beam to receive the first beam and the second beam. The first beam and the second beam are combined within the third coupler 913b and then split, with the two split beams output along the two output optical ports respectively.

[0136] In some embodiments, the first beam and the second beam are coupled to the third coupler 913b through the two input ports of the third coupler 913b, and are combined within the third coupler 913b. Thus, the four incident light sources are combined into a large beam within the third coupler 913b, and the energy of the four incident light sources is superimposed within the third coupler 913b. Then, the energy is split into the third beam and the fourth beam through the third coupler 913b, and the third beam and the fourth beam are output through the two output ports of the third coupler 913b, respectively.

[0137] In some embodiments, the optical chip 900 may include a first modulator 931b. A third coupler 913b is located on the light-incident side of the first modulator 931b, thus placing the first modulator 931b in the transmission optical path of the third and fourth beams to receive them. The third and fourth beams can be coupled into the first modulator 931b with a 1:1 optical field energy distribution ratio. The first modulator 931b is not electrically connected to the driver chip, does not receive drive signals, and therefore does not modulate the third and fourth beams.

[0138] In some embodiments, the first modulator 931b includes a first waveguide arm 9311b and a second waveguide arm 9312b. A third beam is coupled into the first waveguide arm 9311b along the input port of the first modulator 931b, and a fourth beam is coupled into the second waveguide arm 9312b along the input port of the first modulator 931b. The third beam propagates along the first waveguide arm 9311b, and the fourth beam propagates along the second waveguide arm 9312b.

[0139] In some embodiments, the optical chip 900 may include a fourth coupler 914b. The fourth coupler 914b is located on the light-emitting side of the first modulator 931b. The fourth coupler 914b can be... The coupler, the fourth coupler 914b, includes two input optical ports and two output optical ports. One input optical port of the fourth coupler 914b is connected to the first waveguide arm 9311b, and the other input optical port is connected to the second waveguide arm 9312b. The third beam output from the first waveguide arm 9311b is coupled into the fourth coupler 914b, and the fourth beam output from the second waveguide arm 9312b is coupled into the fourth coupler 914b. Within the fourth coupler 914b, the optical field energy is superimposed, resulting in beam combining, and then beam splitting. The split beams are then output through the two output optical ports of the fourth coupler 914b. For example, the fourth coupler 914b outputs a fifth beam and a sixth beam, which are output through the two output optical ports of the fourth coupler 914b, respectively.

[0140] In some embodiments, the first waveguide arm 9311b and the second waveguide arm 9312b are parallel waveguide structures. When a temperature change is applied to one of the arms, the refractive index of the waveguide material changes with temperature, resulting in a refractive index difference between the first waveguide arm 9311b and the second waveguide arm 9312b. The phase of light propagating in the waveguide is proportional to the refractive index, thus changing the phase difference of the light transmitted between the first waveguide arm 9311b and the second waveguide arm 9312b. The modulator output light is formed by the interference of the light from the two waveguide arms, and the output light power has a cosine function relationship with the phase difference between the light from the two waveguide arms. Therefore, when the phase difference between the two arms changes, the output light power of the two arms changes, thereby achieving power modulation between the two arms.

[0141] In some embodiments, a first heating element 9313b is provided on the first waveguide arm 9311b or the second waveguide arm 9312b. By changing the heating current input to the first heating element 9313b, the refractive index difference between the first waveguide arm 9311b and the second waveguide arm 9312b is adjusted, thereby adjusting the phase difference between the two waveguide arms. This allows for dynamic adjustment of the output optical power of the first waveguide arm 9311b and the second waveguide arm 9312b, and consequently, dynamic adjustment of the output optical power of the fifth beam and the sixth beam. The output optical power of the fifth beam and the sixth beam depends on the phase difference between the two waveguide arms and the coupling ratio of the fourth coupler 914b. For example, the coupling ratio of the fourth coupler 914b is not 1.

[0142] In some embodiments, the optical chip 900 may include a second modulator 932b and a third modulator 933b. The second modulator 932b is located in the transmission optical path of the fifth beam to receive the fifth beam. The third modulator 933b is located in the transmission optical path of the sixth beam to receive the sixth beam. Neither the second modulator 932b nor the third modulator 933b is electrically connected to the driver chip, does not receive drive signals, and therefore does not perform signal modulation.

[0143] In some embodiments, the second modulator 932b includes a first waveguide arm 9321b and a second waveguide arm 9322b. The third modulator 933b includes a first waveguide arm 9331b and a second waveguide arm 9332b.

[0144] In some embodiments, the light input end and the light output end of the second modulator 932b are respectively provided with a fifth coupler 915b and a seventh coupler 917b.

[0145] In some embodiments, the light input end and the light output end of the third modulator 933b are respectively provided with a sixth coupler 916b and an eighth coupler 918b.

[0146] In some embodiments, the light input end of the second modulator 932b is provided with a fifth coupler 915b, which is a beam splitter that splits the fifth beam into two beams. The two beams are then transmitted to the two waveguide arms of the second modulator 932b and propagated along the waveguide arms. The energy distribution ratio of the two beams can be 1:1.

[0147] In some embodiments, the light input end of the third modulator 933b is provided with a sixth coupler 916b, which is a beam splitter that splits the sixth beam into two beams. The two beams are then transmitted to the two waveguide arms of the third modulator 933b and propagated along the waveguide arms. The energy distribution ratio of the two beams can be 1:1.

[0148] In some embodiments, the light-emitting end of the second modulator 932b is provided with a seventh coupler 917b, the seventh coupler 917b being... The coupler has two input optical ports and two output optical ports. The seventh coupler 917b can combine and then split the output light from the two waveguide arms of the second modulator 932b to obtain the first internal adjustment light source LD1' and the second internal adjustment light source LD2'.

[0149] In some embodiments, the output end of the third modulator 933b is provided with an eighth coupler 918b, the eighth coupler 918b being... The coupler has two input optical ports and two output optical ports. The eighth coupler 918b can combine and then split the output light from the two waveguide arms of the third modulator 933b to obtain the third internal adjustment light source LD3' and the fourth internal adjustment light source LD4'.

[0150] In some embodiments, a second heating element 9323b is provided on the first waveguide arm 9321b or the second waveguide arm 9322b. By changing the heating current input to the second heating element 9323b, the refractive index difference between the first waveguide arm 9321b and the second waveguide arm 9322b is adjusted, thereby adjusting the phase difference between the two waveguide arms and realizing dynamic adjustment of the output light power of the first internal adjustment light source LD1' and the second internal adjustment light source LD2'. The output light power of the first internal adjustment light source LD1' and the second internal adjustment light source LD2' depends on the phase difference between the two waveguide arms and the coupling ratio of the seventh coupler 917b. For example, the coupling ratio of the seventh coupler 917b may not be 1.

[0151] In some embodiments, a third heating element 9333b is provided on the first waveguide arm 9331b or the second waveguide arm 9332b. By changing the heating current input to the third heating element 9333b, the refractive index difference between the first waveguide arm 9331b and the second waveguide arm 9332b is adjusted, thereby adjusting the phase difference between the two waveguide arms and realizing dynamic adjustment of the output light power of the third internal adjustment light source LD3' and the fourth internal adjustment light source LD4'. The output light power of the third internal adjustment light source LD3' and the fourth internal adjustment light source LD4' depends on the phase difference between the two waveguide arms and the coupling ratio of the eighth coupler 918b. For example, the coupling ratio of the eighth coupler 918b may not be 1.

[0152] In some embodiments, by adjusting the heating current of the first heating element 9313b, the incoming light power coupled to the second modulator 932b and the third modulator 933b can be dynamically adjusted.

[0153] In some embodiments, by adjusting the heating current of the second heating unit 9323b, the optical power difference between the first internal adjustment light source LD1' and the second internal adjustment light source LD2' can be dynamically adjusted to compensate for the one with lower optical power.

[0154] In some embodiments, by adjusting the heating current of the third heating unit 9333b, the optical power difference between the third internal adjustment light source LD3' and the fourth internal adjustment light source LD4' can be dynamically adjusted to compensate for the one with lower optical power.

[0155] In some embodiments, by coordinating the heating currents of the second heating unit 9323b and the third heating unit 9333b, the optical power difference between the first internal adjustment light source LD1' and the third internal adjustment light source LD3', or the first internal adjustment light source LD1' and the fourth internal adjustment light source LD4', or the second internal adjustment light source LD2' and the third internal adjustment light source LD3', or the second internal adjustment light source LD2' and the fourth internal adjustment light source LD4' can be dynamically adjusted.

[0156] In some embodiments, the first internal adjustment light source LD1', the second internal adjustment light source LD2', the third internal adjustment light source LD3', and the fourth internal adjustment light source LD4', relative to the four incident light sources LD1-LD4, dynamically adjust the optical power to address the coupling insertion loss between the first fiber array 900a and the optical chip 900, thereby adjusting the optical power differences among the four light sources. For example, the optical power of the first internal adjustment light source LD1', the second internal adjustment light source LD2', the third internal adjustment light source LD3', and the fourth internal adjustment light source LD4' may be uneven.

[0157] In some embodiments, the first incident light source LD1 is coupled into the optical chip 900, from which a certain proportion of the light source, such as 1%, is split and coupled into the first photodetector 921 for incident light power monitoring. The second to fourth incident light sources are configured in this way to monitor incident light power separately.

[0158] In some embodiments, a first incident light source LD1 is coupled into an optical chip 900, from which a certain proportion of another light source, such as 1%, is split and coupled into a second photodetector 922. A first etalon 923 is provided on the incident light path of the second photodetector 922. By monitoring the ratio of the photocurrent detected by the second photodetector 922 to that detected by the first photodetector 921, the stability of the incident light wavelength is monitored. When the ratio of the photocurrent detected by the second photodetector 922 to that detected by the first photodetector 921 is not 1, a deviation in the incident light wavelength channel of the first incident light source is detected, and the incident light wavelength of the first incident light source can be adjusted. A heater is provided inside the first etalon 923. By adjusting the heating current input to the heater, the filtering wavelength of the first etalon 923 is adjusted, thereby allowing the adjusted incident light wavelength to pass through. The second to fourth incident light sources are arranged in this way to monitor whether the wavelength channel of the incident light source has deviated.

[0159] Figure 12 Figure 2 shows a partial structure of an optical chip optical power dynamic allocation network according to some embodiments. Figure 12 As shown, in some embodiments, the first internally adjustable light source LD1', the second internally adjustable light source LD2', the third internally adjustable light source LD3', and the fourth internally adjustable light source LD4' are respectively transmitted to the next-level optical power dynamic allocation network, until they are divided into 16 light source signals with dynamically adjustable optical power.

[0160] In some embodiments, a fourth modulator 934 is provided on the transmission optical path of the first internally adjustable light source LD1'. The fourth modulator 934 may include a first waveguide arm 9341 and a second waveguide arm 9342, which are arranged in parallel. A fourth heating element 9343 is provided on either the first waveguide arm 9341 or the second waveguide arm 9342. By changing the heating current of the fourth heating element 9343, the refractive index difference between the two waveguide arms is changed, the phase difference between the two waveguide arms is changed, and thus the output optical power of the two waveguide arms is dynamically adjusted.

[0161] In some embodiments, the fourth modulator 934 has a first beam splitter 941 at the light input end and a second beam splitter 942 at the light output end. The first beam splitter 941 is used to split the first internal adjustment light source LD1' into two beams, and the two beams are transmitted to the first waveguide arm 9341 and the second waveguide arm 9342 respectively. The optical power of the two beams is dynamically adjusted by the fourth heating unit 9343.

[0162] In some embodiments, the two beams of light output from the fourth modulator 934 are coupled to the second beam splitter 942, and then combined and split again within the second beam splitter 942.

[0163] In some embodiments, a fifth modulator 935 is provided on one of the splitting branches of the second beam splitter 942. The fifth modulator 935 may include a first waveguide arm 9351 and a second waveguide arm 9352, which are arranged in parallel. A fifth heating element 9353 is provided on either the first waveguide arm 9351 or the second waveguide arm 9352. By changing the heating current of the fifth heating element 9353, the refractive index difference between the two waveguide arms is changed, the phase difference between the two waveguide arms is changed, and thus the output optical power of the two waveguide arms is dynamically adjusted.

[0164] In some embodiments, a sixth modulator 936 is provided on another splitting branch of the second beam splitter 942. The sixth modulator 936 may include a first waveguide arm 9361 and a second waveguide arm 9362, which are arranged in parallel. A sixth heating element 9363 is provided on either the first waveguide arm 9361 or the second waveguide arm 9362. By changing the heating current of the sixth heating element 9363, the refractive index difference between the two waveguide arms is changed, the phase difference between the two waveguide arms is changed, and thus the output optical power of the two waveguide arms is dynamically adjusted.

[0165] In some embodiments, the fifth modulator 935 has a third beam splitter 943 at its input end and a fourth beam splitter 944 at its output end. The third beam splitter 943 is used to split a beam of light split by the second beam splitter 942 into two beams. The two beams after being split by the third beam splitter 943 are transmitted to the first waveguide arm 9351 and the second waveguide arm 9352, respectively. The optical power of the two beams is dynamically adjusted by the fifth heating unit 9353.

[0166] In some embodiments, the two beams of light output from the fifth modulator 935 are coupled to the fourth beam splitter 944, and then combined and split into the first light source to be modulated and the second light source to be modulated.

[0167] In some embodiments, the third modulator 936 has a fifth beam splitter 945 at its input end and a sixth beam splitter 946 at its output end. The fifth beam splitter 945 is used to split the two beams split by the second beam splitter 942 into two beams. The two beams after being split by the fifth beam splitter 945 are transmitted to the first waveguide arm 9361 and the second waveguide arm 9362, respectively. The optical power of the two beams is dynamically adjusted by the sixth heating unit 9363.

[0168] In some embodiments, the two beams of light output from the sixth modulator 936 are coupled to the sixth beam splitter 946, and then combined and split into the third and fourth light sources to be modulated.

[0169] In some embodiments, the first and second modulated light sources are output from the fourth beam splitter 944, and the third and fourth modulated light sources are output from the sixth beam splitter 946, thereby splitting the first internal adjustment light source LD1' into four modulated light sources. Similarly, the second internal adjustment light source LD2', the third internal adjustment light source LD3', and the fourth internal adjustment light source LD4' are split into four modulated light sources, resulting in 16 modulated light sources for multi-channel modulation.

[0170] In some embodiments, a modulator 951 is provided on the transmission optical path of each light source to be modulated for signal modulation. The modulator 951 is electrically connected to the driver chip to receive the drive modulation signal and apply the drive modulation signal to the light source to be modulated, thereby realizing signal modulation. The modulated optical signal is output along the optical chip 900.

[0171] In some embodiments, the optical power of the first modulated light source and the second modulated light source can be dynamically adjusted by adjusting the heating current of the fifth heating unit 9353.

[0172] In some embodiments, the optical power of the third and fourth light sources to be modulated can be dynamically adjusted by adjusting the heating current of the sixth heating unit 9363.

[0173] In some embodiments, by adjusting the heating current of the fourth heating part 9343, the fifth heating part 9353 and the sixth heating part 9363, the optical power of the first light source to be modulated and the third light source to be modulated, or the optical power of the first light source to be modulated and the fourth light source to be modulated, or the optical power of the second light source to be modulated and the third light source to be modulated, or the optical power of the second light source to be modulated and the fourth light source to be modulated can be dynamically adjusted.

[0174] based on Figure 10 and Figure 11 The optical path structure shown, when inputting 4 light sources, ultimately yields 16 output channels. Specifically, light source LD1 corresponds to output channels TP1~TP4, light source LD2 corresponds to output channels TP5~TP8, light source LD3 corresponds to output channels TP9~TP12, and light source LD4 corresponds to output channels TP13~TP18.

[0175] In some embodiments, even devices with a fixed splitting ratio can still experience slight drifts in the splitting ratio due to temperature changes or manufacturing tolerances, thus affecting the long-term stability and consistency of the multi-path optical power. To further improve the uniformity of output power, embodiments of this disclosure also provide several dynamically adjustable power compensation schemes. These power compensation schemes, by embedding multi-stage heaters within the modulation region, allow the phase and intensity of each optical signal to be independently or collaboratively controlled, thereby compensating in real time for power deviations caused by ambient temperature fluctuations or device aging.

[0176] To address the issue of uneven optical power in the output channel, this disclosure provides a method for dynamic adjustment of optical power. Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating a dynamic optical power adjustment method according to some embodiments, applied to an MCU in an optical module for monitoring the incident light source of the optical chip 900 in the optical module. The optical module to which this method is applicable may include the following features: an optical chip 900, a controller, a first fiber array 900a, and a second fiber array 900b are disposed on a second circuit board of the module; the first fiber array 900a is used to couple multiple incident light sources of the optical module to the optical chip 900; the optical chip 900 includes an optical power distribution network and a second type modulator; the optical power distribution network includes multiple levels of network units along the input-to-output direction, each level of network unit including at least one first type modulator; the first type modulator is used to combine and then split multiple output optical paths from the previous level; the last level of the first type modulator is connected to the second fiber array 900b via a second type modulator; the second type modulator is used to modulate its input optical signal according to a radio frequency electrical signal; and the first type modulator is communicatively connected to the controller.

[0177] The first type of modulator includes modulator L, modulator f, and modulator s, where modulator L generally refers to MZM L1, MZM L2, and MZM L3, and modulator f and modulator s are similar.

[0178] The second type of modulator includes modulator 951.

[0179] Figure 10 In the diagram, the first-level network unit and the second-level network unit are distinguished by a vertical dotted line. Figure 11 In the diagram, the second-level network units and the third-level network units are distinguished by vertical dotted lines.

[0180] See Figure 12 The method for dynamically adjusting optical power may include the following steps: Step S210: Keep all first-type modulators off, measure the initial optical power of each output channel of the second fiber array, and the initial photocurrent of the second-type modulator corresponding to the output channel.

[0181] In some embodiments, the output channel refers to the channel at the output end of the second fiber array 900b. At this time, all heaters are kept off, and the optical power of the output channel can be measured using an optical power meter. This optical power is called the initial optical power, and the photocurrent of the second type modulator corresponding to each output channel is called the initial photocurrent. For example, the initial photocurrent corresponding to TP1 is the initial photocurrent of MPD-CH1.

[0182] Taking the dynamic compensation of the optical power of the incident light source LD1 as an example, all the first type modulators are kept off, the MCU reads the initial photocurrent of the four modulators 951, and obtains the initial optical power of TP1~TP4.

[0183] Step S220: Based on the difference between the initial optical power and the target optical power, determine the output channel to be adjusted as the target channel.

[0184] In some embodiments, in order to ensure that the difference in optical power between channels, such as TP1 to TP4, is within a certain range, the target optical power of each channel can be calculated, and the difference between the target optical power and the initial optical power of each channel can be compared. Channels whose difference exceeds a preset threshold, such as a preset optical power difference, are marked as target channels.

[0185] It should be noted that when the optical power input to the silicon chip 900 from an incident light source, such as incident light source LD1, is different, the target optical power of the corresponding output channels, such as TP1~TP4, will also be different. The input optical power can be determined according to the actual application scenario, and then the target optical power can be determined.

[0186] Step S230: Based on the positional relationship of the target channel in the optical power distribution network, the first type of modulator to be adjusted is determined as the target modulator.

[0187] In some embodiments, the heaters associated with a target channel can be identified as target heaters based on the channel's position in the optical path structure. These associated heaters are located in the modulation region corresponding to the channel and directly affect its optical power output; that is, heaters located on the optical path between the channel and the light source. For example, if a target channel is the output port formed by the input light source after passing through multiple splitters and combiners, then its associated target heaters are all the heaters on that optical path.

[0188] It should be noted that if there are multiple target heaters, it may not be necessary to adjust all of them; adjusting only some of them may be sufficient to achieve power balance.

[0189] Step S240: Adjust the heating current of the target modulator so that the difference between the optical power of the corresponding target channel and the target optical power is within the error range, and determine the adjusted photocurrent of the target channel as the target photocurrent.

[0190] In some embodiments, in order to make the optical power of each channel more consistent, the target optical power is used as a reference, and the refractive index and optical field distribution of the waveguide where the target heater is located are dynamically changed by adjusting the heating current of the target heater, thereby finely controlling the phase and coupling efficiency of the target channel and ultimately achieving precise balance of optical power.

[0191] In some embodiments, if there are multiple target heaters, a priority strategy can be adopted to adjust them sequentially: the target heater closer to the input light source in the optical path is adjusted first, because its response to optical power regulation is faster and its impact is more direct; after the heater is adjusted to close to the target value, the subsequent cascaded heaters are adjusted sequentially to avoid coupling interference between multiple levels of adjustment. That is, the priority order is: for an output channel, the target modulator closer to the incident light source has a higher priority.

[0192] For example, if the difference between the optical power of TP1 and the target optical power is large, then modulator L1, modulator L2, modulator f1, and modulator s1 can all be identified as target heaters. Based on their distance from the light source L1, the priority order of the above heaters is: modulator L1, modulator L2, modulator f1, and modulator s1.

[0193] Adjust modulator L1 to change the power of TP1. If the power of TP1 is adjusted to be within the error range of the target optical power, and the optical power of other output channels associated with L1 is also within the error range, then the adjustment is considered successful, and there is no need to adjust modulators L2, f1, and s1. If the power of TP1 is adjusted to be within the error range of the target optical power, but the optical power of one of the other output channels associated with modulator L1 exceeds the error range, then the adjustment range of modulator L1 can be maintained at the adjustment range when a new target channel appears. Before modulator L1 is started for adjustment, it is not a target channel. At this time, while maintaining the adjustment range of L1, the next priority modulator L2 can be adjusted for compensatory fine-tuning. This ensures that TP1 remains up to standard while the optical power of the new target channel approaches the target optical power. Alternatively, the adjustment range of modulator L1 can be reversed by a certain amount, such as to a preset level, so that the optical power of the new target channel is closer to the target optical power. Multiple preset levels can be set in advance for easy and quick adjustment by level. If this is still not satisfactory, the subsequent level modulators are activated sequentially for step-by-step calibration to ensure that the overall optical power of the 16 output channels is balanced and stable.

[0194] In some embodiments, the target modulator is adjusted according to priority. If the optical power of the target channel corresponding to the target modulator has been adjusted to within the error range of the difference with the target optical power, such as within ±0.5 milliwatts, then the target modulator of the next priority will not be adjusted. Otherwise, the target modulator will continue to be adjusted or the target modulator of the next priority will be adjusted.

[0195] In some embodiments, an adjustment threshold can be used to determine whether to continue adjusting the current target modulator or adjust the next-level target modulator. If the target modulator has not reached the adjustment threshold, the target modulator continues to be adjusted; if the target modulator has reached the adjustment threshold, the next-priority target modulator is adjusted. The adjustment threshold is stored in a register, and the adjustment thresholds for the second-type modulators in different levels of network units are different. The closer the network unit is to the incident light source, the closer the splitting ratio corresponding to the adjustment threshold is to the average splitting ratio. For example, for a target modulator with two output ports, the adjustment threshold for the target modulator closest to the incident light source, such as the first-level target modulator, is set to 45%:55%, close to the ideal 50%:50% split. This is because if the first-level splitting ratio deviation is too large, subsequent cascaded modulators will find it difficult to compensate through fine-tuning. The adjustment threshold for the last-level modulator farther from the light source can be set to 30%:70%, or allow for a larger offset, to retain sufficient control margin to cope with the accumulated errors of the previous stage.

[0196] In some embodiments, the target modulator is adjusted according to priority. If the optical power of the target channel corresponding to the target modulator has been adjusted to within the error range of the difference between the target optical power and the target optical power, the target modulator of the next priority is no longer adjusted; otherwise, the target modulator is adjusted or the target modulator of the next priority is adjusted. In this way, the optical power can be quickly converged to a stable range, avoiding the possibility that adjusting too many channels may lead to more channels having a greater deviation from the target optical power or even a deviation exceeding the error range.

[0197] In some embodiments, the difference between the optical power of the remaining channels corresponding to the target modulator and the target optical power can be used to determine whether to continue adjusting the current target modulator or adjust the next-level target modulator. If the difference between the optical power of the remaining channels corresponding to the target modulator and the target optical power does not exceed the error range, the target modulator continues to be adjusted; if the difference between the optical power of the remaining channels corresponding to the target modulator and the target optical power exceeds the error range, the next-priority target modulator is adjusted. This judgment logic ensures that while balancing the optical power of one output channel, the stability of the overall optical power distribution of the system is taken into account, preventing drastic fluctuations in the power of other channels due to over-adjustment of a single channel. Especially in multi-channel coupling scenarios, by dynamically balancing the error amplitude and direction of each channel, the adjustment process can avoid falling into local oscillations, improving convergence speed and steady-state accuracy.

[0198] In some embodiments, adjusting the heating current of a target modulator includes: determining the priority of each target modulator, wherein the closer to the incident light source, the higher the priority; adjusting the target modulator according to the priority, gradually adjusting the heating current of the target modulator to an adjustment threshold, and storing the optical power of the target channel after each adjustment in a set of registers corresponding to the target modulator; reading all the optical power in the set of registers corresponding to the target modulator, and determining the heating current of the target modulator corresponding to the optical power with the smallest difference from the target optical power as the target current; if the smallest difference is zero, adjusting the target modulator to the target current, and if no further adjustment is made, adjusting the target modulator of the next priority; if the smallest difference is not zero, adjusting the target modulator to the target current, and continuing to adjust the target modulator of the next priority.

[0199] By using this traversal method, the heating current combination that is closest to the target optical power of a target channel can be determined, which helps to reduce the deviation between the target channel and the target optical power.

[0200] In some embodiments, after adjusting the optical power of a channel to the target optical power, the photocurrent of that channel is recorded at this time, and the photocurrent is the target photocurrent; the ratio of the target photocurrent to the initial photocurrent is calculated to obtain the adjustment coefficient, and the adjustment coefficient is recorded. In the application stage, the photocurrent that the channel needs to reach can be calculated based on the adjustment coefficient, and then each heater is adjusted with the photocurrent that needs to be reached as the target to initialize the first type of modulator in the optical power distribution network.

[0201] In some embodiments, after adjusting the optical power of a channel to the target optical power, the adjustment range of each heater corresponding to that channel is recorded at this time. The adjustment range is the target adjustment amount, or the heating current of each heater is recorded and stored in a register. Subsequently, under the same input optical power conditions, the corresponding heater can be directly preset and controlled according to the target adjustment amount or heating current to initialize the first type of modulator in the optical power distribution network, which greatly shortens the dynamic equalization response time and improves the real-time performance and stability of the system.

[0202] In some embodiments, the target current value and adjustment coefficient of each channel can be recorded simultaneously. During the application phase, the reference control parameters of each heater can be quickly located based on the target current value. Using the target optical power as the ultimate benchmark, the adjustment coefficient is mapped to the optimal heating current under real-time operating conditions to initialize the first type of modulator in the optical power distribution network, so that the system can still adaptively maintain power balance under uncertain factors such as environmental disturbances and device aging.

[0203] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An incident light monitoring method, applied to an optical module, characterized in that, The optical module is electrically connected to a host computer and is mounted on a first circuit board of the host computer. A second circuit board of the optical module houses an optical chip and a controller. The optical chip includes a coupler and an optical power distribution network. The coupler is located on the light-incident side of the optical chip. A first photodetector is located on the first output optical path of the coupler. The second output optical path of the coupler is connected to the optical power distribution network, which is used to evenly distribute the incident light source of the optical module to multiple output channels of the optical chip. A etalon and a second photodetector are sequentially located on the third output optical path of the coupler. The first photodetector, the second photodetector, and the etalon are all connected to the controller. The method includes: After the optical module is powered on, the first current value collected by the first photodetector is obtained and the first current value is stored in the first register. The second current value collected by the second photodetector is acquired and stored in the second register; wherein the initial value of the filter wavelength of the etalon is the target wavelength; Read the first register and the second register, and calculate the ratio of the second current value to the first current value to obtain the deviation rate of the target wavelength; If the deviation rate is greater than or equal to the preset threshold stored in the third register, a first alarm message is sent to the host computer. If the deviation rate is less than the preset threshold, the optical power distribution network is initialized.

2. The incident light monitoring method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the deviation rate is less than, greater than or equal to, a preset threshold stored in the third register, the filtering wavelength of the etalon is adjusted. Reread the second register and calculate the updated deviation rate; If the updated deviation rate is less than the preset threshold and the filter wavelength of the etalon is not the initial value, then the light source detection information is fed back to the host computer. The light source detection information includes the adjusted filter wavelength or information used to determine the adjusted filter wavelength. If the updated deviation rate is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, and the filter wavelength of the etalon is not the initial value, then the filter wavelength of the etalon continues to be adjusted.

3. The incident light monitoring method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Before adjusting the filtering wavelength of the etalon, the method further includes receiving a detection command from the host computer, wherein the host computer sends the detection command back to the optical module based on the first alarm information received.

4. The incident light monitoring method according to claim 2, characterized in that, After sending the alarm information to the host computer, the method further includes: In response to receiving the light source update command from the host computer, the filter wavelength of the etalon is adjusted to the initial value; Reread the second register and calculate the updated deviation rate; If the updated deviation rate is less than the preset threshold and the filtering wavelength of the etalon is the initial value, then the optical power distribution network is initialized.

5. The incident light monitoring method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Calculate the total optical power of the incident light source based on the first current value; If the total optical power is lower than the preset optical power, a second alarm message is sent to the host computer.

6. The incident light monitoring method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The initial value of the heating temperature of the etalon is stored in the fourth register, and the heating temperature is used to determine the filtering wavelength. The adjusted heating temperature of the etalon is stored in the fifth register.

7. The incident light monitoring method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Calculating the ratio of the second current value to the first current value includes: calculating the ratio of the second current value to the first current value when the changes in both the second current value and the first current value within a preset period are less than a preset change.

8. The incident light monitoring method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The splitting ratio of the coupler on the first output optical path for the incident light source is the same as the splitting ratio of the coupler on the second output optical path for the incident light source.

9. The incident light monitoring method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The optical module has multiple incident light sources, and the optical power distribution network is used to combine the multiple incident light sources first, and then split them to the output channels corresponding to the multiple modulators.

10. An optical module, characterized in that, The optical module is electrically connected to a host computer and is mounted on a first circuit board of the host computer. A second circuit board of the optical module is provided with an optical chip and a controller. The optical chip includes a coupler, an optical power distribution network, and a modulator. The coupler is located on the light-incident side of the optical chip. A first photodetector is located on the first output optical path of the coupler. The second output optical path of the coupler is sequentially connected to the optical power distribution network and the modulator. The optical power distribution network is used to evenly distribute the incident light source of the optical module to multiple output channels corresponding to the modulators. A etalon and a second photodetector are sequentially located on the third output optical path of the coupler. The first photodetector, the second photodetector, and the etalon are all connected to the controller. The controller is used to execute the method described in any one of claims 1-9.

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