MT-FA with circulator and optical module thereof

Abstract

The utility model relates to an MT-FA with a circulator and an optical module thereof. The device mainly comprises a multi-core insertion core connector, a receiving end optical fiber array, a sending end optical fiber array and a plurality of circulators, the multi-core insertion core connector is connected with the circulators through a plurality of first optical fibers, and the number of the first optical fibers is the same as that of the circulators; the receiving end optical fiber array is connected with the plurality of circulators through a plurality of second optical fibers, and the number of the second optical fibers is the same as that of the circulators; the sending end optical fiber array is connected with the plurality of circulators through a plurality of third optical fibers, and the number of the third optical fibers is the same as that of the circulators. According to the utility model, the circulator is arranged between the MT and the FA, so that the number of optical fibers at the MT end can be reduced by half, and the purpose of reducing the investment and maintenance cost of the optical fibers is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of optical communication, in particular to an MT-FA with a circulator and an optical module thereof. Background Art

[0002] At present, the optical devices and optical modules used in the data center field all require two or more optical fibers to transmit the transmitting and receiving optical paths respectively, so as to achieve optical connection with the outside world. With the increasing construction demand of data centers, the investment and maintenance costs of optical fiber alone are huge. The existing 400G DR4 and 800G DR8 optical modules (where "DR" refers to the use of single-mode optical fiber to achieve a transmission distance of 500 meters, "DR4" means that the module has 4 optical fiber channels, and "DR8" means that the module has 8 optical fiber channels) mostly use MPO optical connectors (MPO stands for Multi Push On, which is a type of multi-core optical fiber connector). The connection structure refers to Figure 1 shown.

[0003] Figure 1 The traditional MT-FA is provided. MT-FA is the core optical device of parallel optical modules. It is used in various parallel optical transmission fields because of its small size, high reliability, high-density large channel, and stable operation under wide temperature environment. Among them, MT refers to multi-core ferrule connector, FA refers to optical device of fiber array; MPO connector is one of MT series connectors. Figure 1 Taking MPO as an example, MT in the example connects the fiber array FA at the transmitting end through 4 optical fibers, TX1, TX2, TX3 and TX4, and connects the fiber array FA at the receiving end through 4 optical fibers, RX1, RX2, RX3 and RX4. In the design of this 8-core MPO optical connector, a 1-to-8 optical fiber is used to connect to the outside world, which means that an optical module requires at least 8 optical fibers for signal transmission. With the continuous upgrading of data centers, such a fiber scale is also a huge expense for the construction of data centers.

[0004] In view of this, how to overcome the defects of the existing technology and how to reduce the investment and maintenance costs of optical fibers under the construction demand of increasingly larger data centers are problems that need to be solved urgently in this technical field. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of the defects or improvement needs of the existing technology: How to reduce the investment and maintenance costs of optical fibers under the construction demand of increasingly large-scale data centers. The utility model proposes an MT-FA with a circulator and an optical module thereof. By setting a circulator between MT and FA, the number of optical fibers at the MT end can be reduced by half, thereby achieving the purpose of reducing the investment and maintenance costs of optical fibers.

[0006] The utility model adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] In the first aspect, the utility model provides an MT-FA with a circulator, comprising a multi-core ferrule connector 1, a receiving end optical fiber array 2, a transmitting end optical fiber array 3 and a plurality of circulators 4, wherein:

[0008] The multi-core ferrule connector 1 is connected to a plurality of the circulators 4 via a plurality of first optical fibers 5, and the number of the first optical fibers 5 is the same as the number of the circulators 4;

[0009] The receiving end optical fiber array 2 is connected to a plurality of the circulators 4 via a plurality of second optical fibers 6, and the number of the second optical fibers 6 is the same as the number of the circulators 4;

[0010] The transmitting end optical fiber array 3 is connected to a plurality of the circulators 4 via a plurality of third optical fibers 7 , and the number of the third optical fibers 7 is the same as the number of the circulators 4 .

[0011] In some embodiments, the circulator 4 includes a circulator receiving end, a circulator transmitting end and a circulator common end, wherein the circulator common end is connected to the multi-core ferrule connector 1 through the first optical fiber 5; the circulator receiving end is connected to the receiving end optical fiber array 2 through the second optical fiber 6; the circulator transmitting end is connected to the transmitting end optical fiber array 3 through the third optical fiber 7.

[0012] In some embodiments, each of the circulators 4 is connected to the multi-core ferrule connector 1 via one of the first optical fibers 5; each of the circulators 4 is connected to the receiving end optical fiber array 2 via one of the second optical fibers 6; and each of the circulators 4 is connected to the transmitting end optical fiber array 3 via one of the third optical fibers 7.

[0013] In some embodiments, the number of the circulators 4 is four, the number of the first optical fibers 5 is four, the number of the second optical fibers 6 is four, and the number of the third optical fibers 7 is four.

[0014] In some embodiments, the multi-core ferrule connector 1 adopts a four-core configuration.

[0015] In some embodiments, the circulator 4 includes a first circulator, a second circulator, a third circulator and a fourth circulator, wherein the circulator common end of the first circulator is connected to the first core of the multi-core ferrule connector 1 through the first first optical fiber 5; the circulator common end of the second circulator is connected to the second core of the multi-core ferrule connector 1 through the second first optical fiber 5; the circulator common end of the third circulator is connected to the third core of the multi-core ferrule connector 1 through the third first optical fiber 5; and the circulator common end of the fourth circulator is connected to the fourth core of the multi-core ferrule connector 1 through the fourth first optical fiber 5.

[0016] In some embodiments, the circulator receiving end of the first circulator is connected to the receiving end optical fiber array 2 through the first second optical fiber 6; the circulator receiving end of the second circulator is connected to the receiving end optical fiber array 2 through the second second optical fiber 6; the circulator receiving end of the third circulator is connected to the receiving end optical fiber array 2 through the third second optical fiber 6; the circulator receiving end of the fourth circulator is connected to the receiving end optical fiber array 2 through the fourth second optical fiber 6.

[0017] In some embodiments, the circulator transmitting end of the first circulator is connected to the transmitting end optical fiber array 3 through the first third optical fiber 7; the circulator transmitting end of the second circulator is connected to the transmitting end optical fiber array 3 through the second third optical fiber 7; the circulator transmitting end of the third circulator is connected to the transmitting end optical fiber array 3 through the third third optical fiber 7; the circulator transmitting end of the fourth circulator is connected to the transmitting end optical fiber array 3 through the fourth third optical fiber 7.

[0018] In some embodiments, the multi-fiber ferrule connector 1 includes an MPO optical connector.

[0019] In a second aspect, the utility model provides an optical module, using the MT-FA with a circulator as described in the first aspect.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the utility model has the beneficial effect of: proposing an MT-FA with a circulator and an optical module thereof, by setting a circulator between the MT and the FA, the number of optical fibers at the MT end can be reduced by half, achieving the purpose of reducing the investment and maintenance costs of optical fibers. The utility model embodiment can reduce the number of optical fibers, reduce the optical fiber cost of the transmission process, and reduce the workload of optical fiber wiring and maintenance in the data center. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present utility model, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present utility model. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a traditional MT-FA provided as the background technology of the utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of an MT-FA with a circulator provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0024] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the connection of the circulator provided in the embodiment of the utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In the description of the present invention, the terms "inside", "outside", "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", etc. indicate directions or positional relationships based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and do not require that the present invention must be constructed and operated in a specific direction. Therefore, they should not be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0026] The present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments. The following embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but do not limit the present invention in any form. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention. These all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] It should be noted that, if there is no conflict, the various features in the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other, all within the scope of protection of the present invention. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as those commonly understood by technicians in the technical field of the present invention. The terms and directions used in this specification are only for the purpose of describing specific implementation methods and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0028] Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims, the term "including" is to be interpreted as open inclusion, that is, "including, but not limited to". In the description of the specification, the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "exemplary embodiments", "examples", "specific examples" or "some examples" and the like are intended to indicate that specific features, structures, materials or characteristics associated with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. The schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. In addition, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics may be included in any one or more embodiments or examples in any appropriate manner, that is, although they may be carried in the embodiments or examples of the above terms due to reasons such as the order and position of appearance, it is not limited to that they can be carried in combination by one embodiment or example.

[0029] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the utility model more clear, the utility model is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described here are only used to explain the utility model and are not used to limit the utility model.

[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, an embodiment of the utility model provides an MT-FA with a circulator, including a multi-core ferrule connector 1, a receiving end optical fiber array 2, a transmitting end optical fiber array 3 and a plurality of circulators 4, wherein: the multi-core ferrule connector 1 is connected to a plurality of the circulators 4 through a plurality of first optical fibers 5, and the number of the first optical fibers 5 is the same as the number of the circulators 4; the receiving end optical fiber array 2 is connected to a plurality of the circulators 4 through a plurality of second optical fibers 6, and the number of the second optical fibers 6 is the same as the number of the circulators 4; the transmitting end optical fiber array 3 is connected to a plurality of the circulators 4 through a plurality of third optical fibers 7, and the number of the third optical fibers 7 is the same as the number of the circulators 4. In some embodiments, the multi-core ferrule connector 1 includes an MPO optical connector.

[0031] Through the above arrangement, the number of first optical fibers 5 connected to the original multi-core ferrule connector 1, that is, the MT end, can be reduced by half. Figure 1In the setting, the MT end is directly connected to the receiving end FA and the transmitting end FA through optical fibers. The number of optical fibers connected to the receiving end FA is four, and the number of optical fibers connected to the transmitting end FA is also four. Then the number of optical fibers connected to the MT end is the sum of the two, that is, eight. However, after adopting the scheme of the embodiment of the utility model, by setting a plurality of circulators 4 between the multi-core ferrule connector 1 (also known as the MT end) and the receiving end optical fiber array 2 (also known as the receiving end FA) and the transmitting end optical fiber array 3 (also known as the transmitting end FA), the number of optical fibers connected to the multi-core ferrule connector 1 (also known as the MT end) can be equal to the number of optical fibers connected to one of the receiving end optical fiber array 2 (also known as the receiving end FA) or the transmitting end optical fiber array 3 (also known as the transmitting end FA) through the characteristics of the circulator 4; when the number of optical fibers connected to the receiving end optical fiber array 2 (also known as the receiving end FA) is four and the number of optical fibers connected to the transmitting end optical fiber array 3 (also known as the transmitting end FA) is also four, the number of optical fibers connected to the multi-core ferrule connector 1 (also known as the MT end) also only needs to be four. Compared with the traditional method of directly connecting through optical fibers, the scheme provided by the embodiment of the utility model can reduce the number of optical fibers connected to the multi-core ferrule connector 1 (also known as the MT end) by half, thereby reducing the optical fiber cost of the transmission process, and thereby reducing the workload of optical fiber wiring and maintenance in the data center.

[0032] refer to Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the circulator 4 includes a circulator receiving end, a circulator transmitting end and a circulator common end. Figure 3 In the figure, the circulator receiving end is marked as RX, the circulator transmitting end is marked as TX, the circulator common end is marked as common end, and one side of the common end is Fibre Channel, which provides a point-to-point, converted loop interface.

[0033] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the common end of the circulator is connected to the multi-core ferrule connector 1 through the first optical fiber 5; the receiving end of the circulator is connected to the receiving end optical fiber array 2 through the second optical fiber 6; the transmitting end of the circulator is connected to the transmitting end optical fiber array 3 through the third optical fiber 7. The number of the first optical fibers 5 is the same as the number of the circulators 4, for example, four; the number of the second optical fibers 6 is the same as the number of the circulators 4, for example, four; the number of the third optical fibers 7 is the same as the number of the circulators 4, for example, four.

[0034] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, in some embodiments, each of the circulators 4 is connected to the multi-core ferrule connector 1 through one of the first optical fibers 5; each of the circulators 4 is connected to the receiving end optical fiber array 2 through one of the second optical fibers 6; and each of the circulators 4 is connected to the transmitting end optical fiber array 3 through one of the third optical fibers 7. For example, in some embodiments, the number of the circulators 4 is four, the number of the first optical fibers 5 is four, the number of the second optical fibers 6 is four, and the number of the third optical fibers 7 is four, then each of the circulators 4 is respectively connected to one of the first optical fibers 5, one of the second optical fibers 6, and one of the third optical fibers 7. In some embodiments, the multi-core ferrule connector 1 adopts a four-core configuration, corresponding to the number of the four first optical fibers 5, and each core is respectively connected to one of the first optical fibers 5, and then connected to one of the circulators 4.

[0035] Specifically, in some embodiments, the circulator 4 includes a first circulator, a second circulator, a third circulator and a fourth circulator, wherein the circulator common end of the first circulator is connected to the first core of the multi-core ferrule connector 1 through the first first optical fiber 5; the circulator common end of the second circulator is connected to the second core of the multi-core ferrule connector 1 through the second first optical fiber 5; the circulator common end of the third circulator is connected to the third core of the multi-core ferrule connector 1 through the third first optical fiber 5; the circulator common end of the fourth circulator is connected to the fourth core of the multi-core ferrule connector 1 through the fourth first optical fiber 5. In some embodiments, the circulator receiving end of the first circulator is connected to the receiving end optical fiber array 2 through the first second optical fiber 6; the circulator receiving end of the second circulator is connected to the receiving end optical fiber array 2 through the second second optical fiber 6; the circulator receiving end of the third circulator is connected to the receiving end optical fiber array 2 through the third second optical fiber 6; the circulator receiving end of the fourth circulator is connected to the receiving end optical fiber array 2 through the fourth second optical fiber 6. In some embodiments, the circulator transmitting end of the first circulator is connected to the transmitting end optical fiber array 3 through the first third optical fiber 7; the circulator transmitting end of the second circulator is connected to the transmitting end optical fiber array 3 through the second third optical fiber 7; the circulator transmitting end of the third circulator is connected to the transmitting end optical fiber array 3 through the third third optical fiber 7; the circulator transmitting end of the fourth circulator is connected to the transmitting end optical fiber array 3 through the fourth third optical fiber 7.

[0036] The working principle of the above structure is as follows: the MT-FA component includes: an MPO optical connector (multi-core ferrule connector 1), a circulator 4, a TX-FA (transmitting end optical fiber array 3), a RX-FA (receiving end optical fiber array 2) and an optical fiber. The MPO optical connector is connected to the common end of the circulator 4 through an optical fiber, and the TX-FA and RX-FA are respectively connected to the TX port and the RX port of the circulator 4 through optical fibers. In this way, the output light of the TX-FA will enter the TX port of the circulator 4, output from the common end and enter the MPO optical connector, thereby emitting an optical signal from the optical module; for the receiving end, the optical signal enters the common end of the circulator 4 through the MPO optical connector in the optical module, and is input to the RX-FA through the RX port of the circulator 4.

[0037] In the above embodiment, an MT-FA with a circulator is provided. This MT-FA also includes a TX (transmit) part and an RX (receive) part. The TX part and the RX part also have 4 optical fibers for forming a light path. The difference from the traditional one is that the TX and RX parts are each connected to the MPO optical connector using multiple optical circulators. Finally, the MPO optical connector only needs 4 optical fibers to form an effective connection with the outside world. Compared with the traditional MT-FA, the number of optical fibers is reduced and the cost is reduced. The above design adds an optical circulator to the traditional MT-FA. Through the action of the circulator, the effect of non-reciprocal transmission of light is achieved, thereby reducing the number of optical fibers and fiber cores in the MPO optical connector, and also reducing the number of optical fibers required for connection between optical modules.

[0038] In some embodiments, the present invention further provides an optical module, using the MT-FA with circulator described in the above embodiments.

[0039] In summary, the embodiment of the utility model proposes an MT-FA with a circulator and an optical module thereof. By setting a circulator between the MT and the FA, the number of optical fibers at the MT end can be reduced by half, thereby achieving the purpose of reducing the investment and maintenance costs of optical fibers. The embodiment of the utility model can reduce the number of optical fibers, reduce the optical fiber cost of the transmission process, and reduce the workload of optical fiber wiring and maintenance in the data center.

[0040] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modification, equivalent replacement and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention. The contents not described in detail in this specification belong to the prior art known to professional and technical personnel in this field.

Claims

1. An MT-FA with a circulator, characterized in that: It comprises a multi-core ferrule connector (1), a receiving end optical fiber array (2), a transmitting end optical fiber array (3) and a plurality of circulators (4), wherein: The multi-core ferrule connector (1) is connected to a plurality of the circulators (4) via a plurality of first optical fibers (5), and the number of the first optical fibers (5) is the same as the number of the circulators (4); The receiving end optical fiber array (2) is connected to a plurality of the circulators (4) via a plurality of second optical fibers (6), and the number of the second optical fibers (6) is the same as the number of the circulators (4); The transmitting end optical fiber array (3) is connected to a plurality of the circulators (4) via a plurality of third optical fibers (7), and the number of the third optical fibers (7) is the same as the number of the circulators (4).

2. The MT-FA with circulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The circulator (4) comprises a circulator receiving end, a circulator transmitting end and a circulator common end, wherein the circulator common end is connected to the multi-core ferrule connector (1) via the first optical fiber (5); the circulator receiving end is connected to the receiving end optical fiber array (2) via the second optical fiber (6); and the circulator transmitting end is connected to the transmitting end optical fiber array (3) via the third optical fiber (7).

3. The MT-FA with circulator according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each of the circulators (4) is connected to the multi-core ferrule connector (1) via one of the first optical fibers (5); each of the circulators (4) is connected to the receiving end optical fiber array (2) via one of the second optical fibers (6); and each of the circulators (4) is connected to the transmitting end optical fiber array (3) via one of the third optical fibers (7).

4. The MT-FA with circulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the circulators (4) is four, the number of the first optical fibers (5) is four, the number of the second optical fibers (6) is four, and the number of the third optical fibers (7) is four.

5. The MT-FA with circulator according to claim 4, characterized in that: The multi-core ferrule connector (1) adopts a four-core configuration.

6. The MT-FA with circulator according to claim 5, characterized in that: The circulator (4) comprises a first circulator, a second circulator, a third circulator and a fourth circulator, wherein the circulator common end of the first circulator is connected to the first core of the multi-core ferrule connector (1) via the first first optical fiber (5); the circulator common end of the second circulator is connected to the second core of the multi-core ferrule connector (1) via the second first optical fiber (5); the circulator common end of the third circulator is connected to the third core of the multi-core ferrule connector (1) via the third first optical fiber (5); and the circulator common end of the fourth circulator is connected to the fourth core of the multi-core ferrule connector (1) via the fourth first optical fiber (5).

7. The MT-FA with circulator according to claim 6, characterized in that: The circulator receiving end of the first circulator is connected to the receiving end optical fiber array (2) via the first second optical fiber (6); the circulator receiving end of the second circulator is connected to the receiving end optical fiber array (2) via the second second optical fiber (6); the circulator receiving end of the third circulator is connected to the receiving end optical fiber array (2) via the third second optical fiber (6); and the circulator receiving end of the fourth circulator is connected to the receiving end optical fiber array (2) via the fourth second optical fiber (6).

8. The MT-FA with circulator according to claim 6, characterized in that: The circulator sending end of the first circulator is connected to the sending end optical fiber array (3) via the first third optical fiber (7); the circulator sending end of the second circulator is connected to the sending end optical fiber array (3) via the second third optical fiber (7); the circulator sending end of the third circulator is connected to the sending end optical fiber array (3) via the third third optical fiber (7); and the circulator sending end of the fourth circulator is connected to the sending end optical fiber array (3) via the fourth third optical fiber (7).

9. The MT-FA with circulator according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The multi-core ferrule connector (1) comprises an MPO optical connector.

10. An optical module, characterized in that: Use the MT-FA with an annulator as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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