Line card, optical backplane and network device

Abstract

This application provides a line card, an optical backplane, and a network device. The line card includes a packaging substrate, which includes an optical engine and a processing chip. The optical engine is connected to the processing chip and is also used to connect to a light source module cage and a light source module. The light source module and the light source module cage are pluggably connected. The light source module cage is used to provide a light source signal to the optical engine through the light source module. The processing chip is used to send a first electrical signal to the optical engine. The optical engine is used to process the light source signal according to the first electrical signal to obtain a first optical signal corresponding to the first electrical signal. This improves the flexibility of maintaining the network device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a line card, an optical backplane, and a network device. Background Technology

[0002] As signal rates continue to increase, the capacity of network devices to access signals is growing. Traditional electrical interconnection technologies, due to limitations in chip manufacturing processes, heat dissipation, and link loss control, are constantly compressing the transmission distance between network devices, failing to meet the requirements of high-speed information transmission.

[0003] In existing technologies, optical interconnect technology can be implemented using on-board optics (OBOs), which enables signal transmission between line cards in network devices via optical signals. However, lasers are encapsulated within line cards using OBOs, resulting in a high failure rate for the lasers. If a laser fails, the entire OBO needs to be replaced for maintenance, reducing the flexibility of maintaining network devices. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides line cards, optical backplanes, and network devices, which can improve the flexibility of maintaining network devices.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a line card, the line card including a packaging substrate, the packaging substrate including an optical engine and a processing chip, wherein...

[0006] The light engine is connected to the processing chip, and the light engine is also used to connect to the light source module cage and the light source module. The light source module is pluggably connected to the light source module cage.

[0007] The light source module cage is used to provide light source signals to the light engine through the light source module;

[0008] The processing chip is used to send a first electrical signal to the optical engine and to receive a second electrical signal from the optical engine.

[0009] The optical engine is used to convert between optical signals and electrical signals.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the optical engine includes an electro-optic module and an optoelectronic module, wherein,

[0011] The electro-optic module is used to modulate the first electrical signal onto the light source signal to obtain the first optical signal corresponding to the first electrical signal.

[0012] The photoelectric module is used to convert the second optical signal of the backplane into a second electrical signal.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the electro-optic module of the optical engine includes a driver and a modulator, the processing chip is connected to the driver, and the driver is connected to the modulator, wherein...

[0014] The driver is used to amplify the first electrical signal sent by the processing chip to obtain an amplified electrical signal.

[0015] The modulator is used to modulate the amplified electrical signal onto the light source signal to obtain the first optical signal.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the first optical plug of the line card is connected to the first optical socket of the optical backplane, and the modulator is connected to the first optical plug of the line card, wherein...

[0017] The first optical signal is transmitted from the line card to the optical backplane through the first optical plug of the line card and the first optical socket of the optical backplane;

[0018] The optical backplane is used to send a second optical signal to the line card, wherein the second optical signal is the optical signal of another line card connected to the optical backplane.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the optoelectronic module of the optical engine includes a PIN array and a transimpedance amplifier. The PIN array is connected to a first optical connector of the line card, the PIN array is connected to the transimpedance amplifier, and the transimpedance amplifier is connected to the processing chip.

[0020] The PIN array is used to perform photoelectric conversion on the second optical signal to obtain an intermediate electrical signal;

[0021] The transimpedance amplifier is used to amplify the intermediate electrical signal to obtain a second electrical signal, and then send the second electrical signal to the processing chip.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the electrical connector plug of the light source module is connected to the electrical connector socket of the light source module cage, and the second optical plug of the light source module is connected to the second optical socket of the light source module cage, wherein...

[0023] When the light source module is inserted into the light source module cage, the electrical pins of the electrical connector plug are connected to the electrical connector socket only after the second optical plug of the light source module is connected to the light source module cage.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the line card further includes the light source module cage, which is positioned on the panel side of the line card, or...

[0025] The light source module cage is placed outside the rack of the network device corresponding to the line card.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the line card corresponds to a front panel side and a back panel side, with the back panel side of the line card close to the optical backplane, and the front panel side of the line card located at the front panel end of the network device.

[0027] The light source module cage of the line card is located on the panel side of the line card, and the first optical plug of the line card is located on the back plate side of the line card.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the line card has multiple optical engines, the light source module cage is connected to the multiple optical engines, and the light source module is further used for:

[0029] The light source module cage provides light source signals to the multiple light engines.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the optical engine and the light source module cage are connected by a polarization-maintaining fiber, which is used to maintain the polarization state of the optical signal.

[0031] The light engine and the processing chip are connected via printed circuit board (PCB) traces.

[0032] The optical engine is connected to the first optical plug of the line card via an optical fiber ribbon or an optical waveguide.

[0033] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide an optical backplane, which includes a plurality of first optical sockets, each of which is connected to the others via fiber optic ribbons or optical waveguides.

[0034] Each of the first optical sockets is used to connect to the optical connector plug of the line card described in the first aspect and / or the first aspect.

[0035] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide an optical backplane interconnect system, comprising the line card as described in any one of claims 1-10, the optical backplane as described in claim 11, and a light source module, wherein...

[0036] The light source module is pluggably connected to the light source module cage of the line card, and the first optical plug of the line card is connected to the first optical socket of the optical backplate.

[0037] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a network device, including at least two of the first aspects and / or various possible line cards of the first aspects and the optical backplane described in the second aspect, wherein,

[0038] Each line card is connected to the optical backplane, and each line card interacts with signals through the optical backplane.

[0039] The line card, optical backplane, and network device provided in this application embodiment may include a packaging substrate in the line card, and may include an optical engine and a processing chip in the packaging substrate. The optical engine may be connected to a light source module cage, and the light source module cage may be used to provide light source signals to the optical engine through the light source module. The light source module may be pluggably connected to the light source module cage, which can realize the placement of the light source module outside the line card and improve the flexibility of maintaining the network device. Attached Figure Description

[0040] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0041] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the application scenarios provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0042] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of an optical backplane interconnect system provided in this application embodiment. Figure 1 ;

[0043] Figure 3A This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a light source module provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 3B A side view of a light source module provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a light engine provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of an optical backplane interconnect system provided in this application embodiment. Figure 2 ;

[0047] Figure 6 Schematic diagram three of an optical backplane interconnect system provided in this application embodiment;

[0048] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of an optical backplane interconnect system provided in this application embodiment. Figure 4 .

[0049] The accompanying drawings illustrate specific embodiments of this application, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept in any way, but rather to illustrate the concept of this application to those skilled in the art through reference to particular embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0050] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0051] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and are not limited in number; for example, a first object can be one or more.

[0052] Furthermore, the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0053] The terms "at least one," "at least one of," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application refer to any one, any two, or a combination of two or more of the included items. For example, at least one of a, b, and c can mean: "a," "b," "c," "a and b," "a and c," "b and c," and "a, b, and c," where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. Similarly, "at least two" refers to two or more items, and its meaning is similar to that of "at least one."

[0054] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0055] In existing technologies, optical interconnect technology can be implemented using on-board optics (OBOs), which enables signal transmission between line cards in network devices via optical signals. However, when lasers are packaged within line cards using OBOs, the failure rate of the lasers is relatively high. If a laser fails, the entire OBO needs to be replaced, resulting in low flexibility in maintaining network devices.

[0056] The line card provided in this application may include a packaging substrate, in which an optical engine and a processing chip may be included. The optical engine may be connected to a light source module cage, and the light source module cage may be used to provide light source signals to the optical engine through the light source module. The light source module may be pluggably connected to the light source module cage, which can realize the placement of the light source module outside the line card and improve the flexibility of maintaining network equipment.

[0057] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario provided in an embodiment of this application. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 The specific application scenario of this application includes a network device cluster 100, which includes multiple network devices 101 and an optical backplane 102. The multiple network devices 101 can interact with optical signals through the optical backplane 102.

[0058] Line cards can be installed in network device 101, and these line cards can be used for service processing. The signals used by the line cards for service processing can be electrical signals. After service processing, the line cards can convert the electrical signals into optical signals. Line cards can interact with each other through optical signals, enabling optical interconnection between multiple network devices 101.

[0059] Network device 101 can be a switch, router, graphics processing unit (GPU) device, tensor processing unit (TPU) device, and neural processing unit (NPU) device, etc.

[0060] The technical solution of this application and how the technical solution of this application solves the above-mentioned technical problems are described in detail below with specific embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments. The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0061] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of an optical backplane interconnect system provided in this application embodiment. Figure 1 Please see. Figure 2The optical backplane interconnect system includes a light source module, line cards, and an optical backplane. The line cards may include a light source module cage on the panel side, a packaging substrate, and a first optical connector on the backplane side. The light source module cage on the panel side is pluggably connected to the light source module. For ease of understanding, the following describes the connection in conjunction with... Figure 3A The light source module provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail.

[0062] Figure 3A This is a schematic diagram of a light source module provided in an embodiment of this application. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 3A The light source module includes an electrical connector, a second optical connector, a microcontroller, a light source, and status indicator lights. The electrical connector connects to the network device's power supply, providing power to the microcontroller. The microcontroller controls the status indicator lights, which indicate the current status of the light source module. The status indicator lights use different colors to indicate the current status; for example, a red status indicator light indicates a malfunction. The light source can be a Distributed Feedback Laser (DFB). After the light source module is powered on via the electrical connector, it emits a light source signal. The light source module can then transmit this signal to the optical engine of the line card via the second optical connector.

[0063] Figure 3B This is a side view of a light source module provided in an embodiment of this application. Please refer to... Figure 4 The diagram includes side views of the heat dissipation surface, the front panel, and the back panel. On the right side of the heat dissipation surface side view are the first optical connector and the electrical connector connector. In the center of the front panel side view is a status indicator light. In the back panel side view, the first optical connector is above the electrical connector connector.

[0064] For example, the light source module is a panel-side back panel light source module, and the second light plug is a light connector plug.

[0065] Please see Figure 2 The light source module cage may include a second optical socket and an electrical connector socket. The second optical plug of the light source module is connected to the second optical socket of the light source module cage, and the electrical connector plug of the light source module is connected to the electrical connector socket of the light source module cage. When the light source module is inserted into the light source module cage, the electrical pins of the electrical connector plug are only connected to the electrical connector socket after the second optical plug of the light source module is connected to the second optical socket of the light source module cage. This ensures that the light source module is powered on only after the second optical plug and the second optical socket are firmly connected, thus avoiding instability of the optical signal received by the backplane during insertion and removal, and improving the stability of the optical signal transmitted by the line card.

[0066] For example, the light source module cage is the back panel light source module cage on the panel side, and the second light socket is the light connector socket.

[0067] Please see Figure 2 The packaging substrate may include an optical engine and a processing chip. The optical engine and the processing chip are connected via traces on a printed circuit board (PCB). The optical engine is also used to connect to the light source module cage and the light source module. Specifically, the optical engine is connected to the light source module cage via polarization-maintaining fiber, which is used to maintain the polarization state of the optical signal. The optical engine can also be connected to the second optical connector of the line card via an optical fiber ribbon or an optical waveguide.

[0068] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a light engine provided in an embodiment of this application. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 4 The optical engine may include an electro-optic module and an optoelectronic module. The electro-optic module can be used to modulate a first electrical signal onto a light source signal to obtain a first optical signal corresponding to the first electrical signal. The optoelectronic module can be used to convert a second optical signal from the backlight into a second electrical signal.

[0069] The electro-optic module may include a driver and a modulator, while the optoelectronic module may include a photodiode (PIN) array and a transimpedance amplifier. Here, "PIN" refers to the structural type of the photodiode, i.e., a structure composed of P-type, I-type, or N-type semiconductor materials. The processing chip is connected to the driver, the driver is connected to the modulator, the modulator is connected to the first optical connector of the line card, and the modulator is connected to the second optical socket of the light source module cage. The driver amplifies the first electrical signal sent by the processing chip to obtain an amplified electrical signal. The modulator modulates the amplified electrical signal onto the light source signal based on the amplified electrical signal to obtain the first optical signal. The modulator can obtain the light source signal through the second optical socket of the light source module cage.

[0070] The modulator can be a micro-ring modulator or a Mach-Zehnder (MZ) interferometer modulator.

[0071] The processing chip can use an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) electrical chip. The processing chip is used to send a first electrical signal to the optical engine and receive a second electrical signal from the optical engine. The first electrical signal sent by the processing chip and the second electrical signal received can be high-speed electrical signals.

[0072] The optical engine and processing chip can be directly packaged together in a packaging substrate to form co-packaged opticals (CPO). This shortens the electrical distance between the optical engine and the processing chip, reduces signal loss and latency, and improves the performance of the line card. Furthermore, the optical engine eliminates the need for digital signal processing (DSP) or clock data recovery (CDR), avoiding complex nonlinear processing steps. Signals can be transmitted in a relatively simple and direct manner from input to output, reducing the cost and power consumption of the line card.

[0073] Please see Figure 2 The first optical connector of the line card connects to the first optical socket of the optical backplane. A first optical signal can be transmitted from the line card to the optical backplane via the first optical connector of the line card and the first optical socket of the optical backplane. The optical backplane may include multiple first optical sockets, each connected to the other via fiber optic ribbons or optical waveguides. For any given first optical socket, it can connect to the first optical connector of the line card, enabling optical signal interaction between multiple line cards through the optical backplane. The optical backplane can also be used to send a second optical signal to the line card, which can be an optical signal from another line card connected to the optical backplane.

[0074] For example, the first optical plug is a backplane-side optical connector plug, and the first optical socket is a backplane-side optical connector socket.

[0075] Please see Figure 4 The PIN array can connect to the first optical connector of the line card, and can also connect to a transimpedance amplifier, which in turn connects to a processing chip. The PIN array receives the second optical signal transmitted from the optical backplane via the first optical socket of the optical backplane and the first optical connector of the line card. The PIN array performs photoelectric conversion on the second optical signal to obtain an intermediate electrical signal. The transimpedance amplifier amplifies this intermediate electrical signal to obtain the second electrical signal, which is then sent to the processing chip, thus enabling signal interaction between line cards. The second electrical signal can be a high-speed electrical signal.

[0076] The line card provided in this application embodiment may include a packaging substrate, in which an optical engine and a processing chip may be included. The optical engine can be connected to a light source module cage, and the light source module cage can be used to provide light source signals to the optical engine through the light source module. The light source module can be plugged into the light source module cage, allowing the light source module to be placed outside the line card, which can improve the flexibility of network device maintenance. In addition, placing the light source module on the panel side facilitates maintenance personnel to inspect the light source module, which can improve the maintainability of the network device.

[0077] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of an optical backplane interconnect system provided in this application embodiment. Figure 2 Please see. Figure 5 The optical backplane interconnect system includes a light source module, a line card, and an optical backplane. The line card may include a packaging substrate and a first optical connector on the backplane side. The packaging substrate may include a processing chip and an optical engine. The light source module cage can be disposed on the top of the rack of the network device corresponding to the line card. The light source module cage can be connected to the optical engine of the line card via optical fiber. The light source module and the light source module cage are not limited to being placed on the top of the rack; they can be placed at any rack unit (RU) height within the rack, or they can be placed independently as a light source pool, which may include at least one light source module cage and a light source module corresponding to each light source module cage. For specific connection structures provided in the embodiments of this application, please refer to... Figure 2 The connection structure is not described in detail here.

[0078] The line card provided in this application embodiment can place the light source module and the light source module cage outside the network device corresponding to the line card, which can facilitate the detection of the light source module, improve maintenance efficiency, and also improve maintenance flexibility.

[0079] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram (3) illustrating the structure of an optical backplane interconnect system provided in an embodiment of this application. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 6 The panel side of the online card can be configured with multiple light source module cages, and the packaging substrate of the online card can include multiple light engines. Each light source module cage can insert one light source module. Figure 6 As shown, the line card has two light source module cages, and the light source modules have been inserted into the cages. Each light source module cage can be connected to its corresponding optical engine via optical fiber. Each light source module can be connected to an optical engine through its cage, providing a light source signal to that engine.

[0080] Each optical engine can be connected to the first optical plug via a fiber ribbon or optical waveguide. The optical connector corresponding to the first optical plug can be a multi-core fiber connector, and multiple fiber ribbons or optical waveguides can be connected to the first optical plug. For example, the optical connector can be a multi-fiber push-on / pull-off (MPO) optical connector. The first optical socket on the optical backplane can connect to multiple fiber ribbons or optical waveguides of the first optical plug. Other specific connection structures can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 2 The connection structure in the text will not be elaborated here.

[0081] The line card provided in this application embodiment can provide a light source for one or more optical engines through a single light source module. This solution has simple and reasonable wiring, can save panel space, increase panel density, and can achieve compatibility with traditional electrical interconnect backplane devices, thereby realizing the transition of optoelectronic hybrid backplane as optical backplane solution.

[0082] The light source module can support multiple light sources, and each light source module can provide light to multiple optical engines. For example, the laser corresponding to the light source can be a multi-wavelength laser, with a single laser providing 8 wavelengths and a signal rate of 200Gbps / channel. If the light source module includes four light sources, it can provide light to one 6.4Tbps optical engine, or two 3.2Tbps optical engines. Below, through... Figure 7 The structure of the line card that provides light sources for multiple light engines in the light source module provided in the embodiments of this application will be described.

[0083] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of an optical backplane interconnect system provided in this application embodiment. Figure 4 Please see. Figure 7 The line card's packaging substrate includes four optical engines, each with a signal rate of 3.2Tbps. The corresponding network device contains two light source module cages, each capable of connecting to two optical engines and providing them with light source signals. The light source modules that can be inserted into the cages have a signal rate of 6.4Tbps. Other specific connection structures can be found in the connection structure section above and will not be repeated here.

[0084] A multiplexer / demultiplexer can be built into the light source module to reduce the amount of optical fiber used. The multiplexer / demultiplexer can combine multiple optical signals of different wavelengths into a single optical fiber for transmission, or separate optical signals of different wavelengths in a single optical fiber.

[0085] The line card provided in this application embodiment can provide multiple light source modules through multiple light source module cages. Each light source module can provide light source signals to multiple optical engines, allowing multiple optical engines to be configured in the line card, thereby improving the signal processing efficiency of the line card. At the same time, placing multiple light source module cages outside the line card can increase the capacity of the line card, and thus configure more optical engines, thereby improving the signal processing efficiency of the line card.

[0086] This application embodiment also provides an optical backplane, which may include a plurality of first optical sockets, each of which is connected to the others via fiber optic ribbons or optical waveguides.

[0087] Each first optical socket is used to connect to the optical connector plug of any of the line cards in the above embodiments.

[0088] This application embodiment also provides an optical backplane interconnect system, which may include any of the line cards, optical backplanes, and light source modules described in the above embodiments, wherein...

[0089] The light source module and the light source module cage of the line card are pluggable and detachable, and the first optical plug of the line card is connected to the first optical socket of the optical backplate.

[0090] This application embodiment also provides a network device, which may include at least two line cards and an optical backplane as described in any of the above embodiments, wherein,

[0091] Each line card connects to the optical backplane, and each line card exchanges signals through the optical backplane.

[0092] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of the present invention can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present invention can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, the present invention can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0093] This invention is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0094] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0095] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0096] In a typical configuration, a computing device includes one or more processors (CPU), input / output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory.

[0097] Memory may include non-persistent storage in computer-readable media, such as random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM. Memory is an example of computer-readable media.

[0098] Computer-readable media includes both permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can store information using any method or technology. Information can be computer-readable instructions, data structures, modules of programs, or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase-change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile optical disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transferable medium that can be used to store information accessible by a computing device. As defined herein, computer-readable media does not include transient computer-readable media, such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0099] It should also be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0100] The above are merely embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A line card, characterized in that, The line card includes a packaging substrate, which includes an optical engine and a processing chip. The light engine is connected to the processing chip, and the light engine is also used to connect to the light source module cage and the light source module. The light source module is pluggably connected to the light source module cage. The light source module cage is used to provide light source signals to the light engine through the light source module; The processing chip is used to send a first electrical signal to the optical engine and to receive a second electrical signal from the optical engine. The optical engine is used to convert between optical signals and electrical signals.

2. The line card according to claim 1, characterized in that, The optical engine includes an electro-optic module and an opto-optic module, wherein... The electro-optic module is used to modulate the first electrical signal onto the light source signal to obtain the first optical signal corresponding to the first electrical signal. The photoelectric module is used to convert the second optical signal of the backplane into a second electrical signal.

3. The line card according to claim 2, characterized in that, The electro-optic module of the optical engine includes a driver and a modulator. The processing chip is connected to the driver, and the driver is connected to the modulator. The driver is used to amplify the first electrical signal sent by the processing chip to obtain an amplified electrical signal. The modulator is used to modulate the amplified electrical signal onto the light source signal to obtain the first optical signal.

4. The line card according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first optical plug of the line card is connected to the first optical socket of the optical backplane, and the modulator is connected to the first optical plug of the line card. The first optical signal is transmitted from the line card to the optical backplane through the first optical plug of the line card and the first optical socket of the optical backplane; The optical backplane is used to send a second optical signal to the line card, wherein the second optical signal is the optical signal of another line card connected to the optical backplane.

5. The line card according to claim 2, characterized in that, The optoelectronic module of the optical engine includes a photodiode PIN array and a transimpedance amplifier. The PIN array is connected to the first optical connector of the line card, the PIN array is connected to the transimpedance amplifier, and the transimpedance amplifier is connected to the processing chip. The PIN array is used to perform photoelectric conversion on the second optical signal to obtain an intermediate electrical signal; The transimpedance amplifier is used to amplify the intermediate electrical signal to obtain a second electrical signal, and then send the second electrical signal to the processing chip.

6. The line card according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The electrical connector plug of the light source module is connected to the electrical connector socket of the light source module cage, and the second optical plug of the light source module is connected to the second optical socket of the light source module cage. When the light source module is inserted into the light source module cage, the electrical pins of the electrical connector plug are connected to the electrical connector socket only after the second optical plug of the light source module is connected to the light source module cage.

7. The line card according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The line card also includes the light source module cage, which is located on the panel side of the line card, or... The light source module cage is placed outside the rack of the network device corresponding to the line card.

8. The line card according to claim 7, characterized in that, The line card corresponds to the front panel side and the back panel side. The back panel side of the line card is close to the optical backplane, and the front panel side of the line card is located at the front panel end of the network device. The light source module cage of the line card is located on the panel side of the line card, and the first optical plug of the line card is located on the back plate side of the line card.

9. The line card according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The line card has multiple optical engines, and the light source module cage is connected to the multiple optical engines. The light source module is also used for: The light source module cage provides light source signals to the multiple light engines.

10. The line card according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The optical engine and the light source module cage are connected by a polarization-maintaining fiber, which is used to maintain the polarization state of the optical signal. The light engine and the processing chip are connected via printed circuit board (PCB) traces. The optical engine is connected to the first optical plug of the line card via an optical fiber ribbon or an optical waveguide.

11. A backlight panel, characterized in that, The optical backplane includes multiple first optical sockets, each of which is connected to the others via fiber optic ribbons or optical waveguides. Each first optical socket is used to connect to the optical connector plug of the line card according to any one of claims 1-10.

12. An optical backplane interconnect system, characterized in that, Includes the line card as described in any one of claims 1-10, the backlight plate as described in claim 11, and the light source module, wherein, The light source module is pluggably connected to the light source module cage of the line card, and the first optical plug of the line card is connected to the first optical socket of the optical backplate.

13. A network device, characterized in that, It includes at least two line cards as described in any one of claims 1-10, and the optical backplane as described in claim 11, wherein, Each line card is connected to the optical backplane, and each line card interacts with signals through the optical backplane.

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