A test instrument sharing platform for optical transceiver modules

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of test instrument sharing platform for optical transceiver module, to solve the low utilization of test instrument in prior art, the problem that conflict is prone to occur in shared scheduling, test instrument sharing platform for optical transceiver module, comprising: N test instruments;M test base stations, the optical transceiver module to be tested is set on the test base station, wherein N, M are integer greater than or equal to 1, N is less than M;Optical switch unit, the optical switch unit is arranged between the test instrument and the test base station, for establishing optical path connection between test instrument and test base station.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of optical communication testing technology, and more specifically, to a shared platform for testing instruments for optical transceiver modules. Background Technology

[0002] In large-scale production testing of optical transceiver modules, a variety of precision test instruments are required, such as optical spectrum analyzers (OSA), bit error rate testers (BERT), and oscilloscopes (DCA). Among these, core test instruments such as optical spectrum analyzers are expensive, and the time required for a single test is usually much shorter than the total time the optical module spends on the test bench.

[0003] Currently, the industry generally has the following two instrument deployment modes: One-to-one mode: This means that one test station is equipped with one dedicated spectrometer. The disadvantages of this mode are obvious: the spectrometer is idle for most of the time. For example, its effective testing time may only account for 1 / 10 of the total testing cycle, resulting in a huge waste of equipment assets.

[0004] Simple sharing mode: This mode involves one spectrometer connecting to multiple test stations via a 1×N optical switch. Ideally, this mode allows for time-sharing multiplexing of spectrometers, improving utilization. However, in actual production, because the start time, test items, and test durations of each test station are not fixed, test request conflicts can easily occur. When a spectrometer is occupied, other stations must wait in line, causing congestion in the testing process. In severe cases, this can affect the overall turnaround efficiency of the test stations, creating new production bottlenecks.

[0005] Therefore, how to efficiently and flexibly schedule and share expensive test instruments, while maximizing equipment utilization while ensuring test efficiency, is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Utility Model Content

[0006] The main purpose of this utility model is to provide a test instrument sharing platform for optical transceiver modules, which aims to solve the problems of low utilization rate of test instruments and easy conflict in sharing and scheduling in the prior art.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the first aspect of this utility model provides: a test instrument sharing platform for optical transceiver modules, characterized in that it comprises: N test instruments; M test base stations are used, and the optical transceiver module to be tested is set on the test base stations, where N and M are integers greater than or equal to 1, and N is less than M; An optical switch unit is disposed between the test instrument and the test base, and is used to establish an optical path connection between the test instrument and the test base.

[0008] Furthermore, it also includes a control unit, which is connected to the optical switch unit and is used to control the switching state of the optical switch unit according to the test requirements, and to establish an optical path connection between the test base and the idle test instrument.

[0009] Furthermore, the control unit receives test requests from one or more of the test base stations; determines whether there is an idle test instrument matching the test request according to a preset scheduling strategy, and performs queue management of the test requests; generates control commands based on the scheduling results, and drives the optical switch unit to establish an optical path connection between the requesting test base station and an idle test instrument.

[0010] Furthermore, it also includes a base-side optical switch, the common terminal of which is connected to the optical switch unit, and the branch terminals of which are respectively connected to the test base.

[0011] Furthermore, the test instrument includes at least one of a bit error rate tester, an oscilloscope, and a spectrometer.

[0012] Furthermore, the optical switch unit includes: The first switch subarray includes N first switch units, each of which is a 1×M optical switch. The common terminal of the N first switch units is used to connect to the test instrument, where N and M are integers greater than or equal to 1. The second switch subarray includes M second switch units, each of which is a 1×N optical switch. The common terminal of the M second switch units is used to connect to the test base. For any integer i in the range 1≤i≤N, the M branch ends of the i-th first switch unit in the first switch subarray are respectively connected to the i-th branch ends of the M second switch units in the second switch subarray through optical paths.

[0013] Furthermore, the optical switch unit adopts an M×M optical switch. The M ports on the first side of the M×M optical switch are respectively connected to the test base. N ports on the second side of the M optical switch are connected to the first type of test instruments, and the MN ports on the second side are used for other types of test instruments.

[0014] Furthermore, when the number of test instruments is X and the number of test bases is M, where X and M are both even numbers greater than or equal to 2, and M is greater than X, the optical switch unit adopts a K×K optical switch, where K is an integer greater than or equal to (M / 2 + X / 2). The K×K optical switch has a first side and a second side. The X test instruments are divided into a first instrument group and a second instrument group, and the M test bases are divided into a first base group and a second base group. The first instrument group and the first base group are connected to the port on the first side of the K×K optical switch, and the second instrument group and the second base group are connected to the port on the second side of the K×K optical switch. The test instruments of the first instrument group can establish an optical path connection with the test bases of the second base group through the K×K optical switch, and the test instruments of the second instrument group can establish an optical path connection with the test bases of the first base group through the K×K optical switch.

[0015] Furthermore, when the number of test instruments is X and the number of test bases is M, X and M are both even numbers greater than or equal to 2, and M is greater than X. The optical switch unit adopts a (M / 2+X / 2)×(M / 2+X / 2) optical switch. X / 2 ports on the first side of the (M / 2+X / 2)×(M / 2+X / 2) optical switch are respectively connected to the test instruments. The remaining M / 2 ports on the first side of the (M / 2+X / 2)×(M / 2+X / 2) optical switch are respectively connected to the test bases. X / 2 ports on the second side of the (M / 2+X / 2)×(M / 2+X / 2) optical switch are respectively connected to the test instruments. The remaining M / 2 ports on the second side of the (M / 2+X / 2)×(M / 2+X / 2) optical switch are respectively connected to the test bases.

[0016] This utility model discloses a test instrument sharing platform for optical transceiver modules, which allows expensive test instruments to be shared. Any test base can dynamically call any idle test instrument through an optical switch when needed, breaking the traditional model of one base binding one set of instruments. This avoids the situation where a large number of instruments are idle during test intervals or due to the availability of specific bases, effectively reducing the idle time of spectrometers and maximizing utilization. Since the test instruments can be shared, the overall number of instruments required is far less than the number of test bases, significantly reducing the capital investment in equipment procurement. In addition, the use of optical switch units to switch optical paths can avoid variables introduced by manual operation, ensuring that each optical transceiver module under test is tested under the same conditions, thus improving the reliability of product quality control. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a test instrument sharing platform for an optical transceiver module provided in Embodiment 1 of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the optical switch unit in Embodiment 2 of this utility model; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the test instrument sharing platform for the optical transceiver module in Embodiment 3 of this utility model; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the test instrument sharing platform for the optical transceiver module in Embodiment 4 of this utility model. Detailed Implementation The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present utility model without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0018] Example 1: See Figure 1 This embodiment provides a shared test instrument platform for optical transceiver modules, including N test instruments 1, M test bases 2, and optical switch units 3. The N test instruments can be of the same type, such as N spectrometers; or they can be of different types, such as spectrometers, oscilloscopes, bit error rate testers, etc. In this embodiment, a spectrometer is used as an example for illustration, but it is not limited to this.

[0019] M test base stations 2 are physical workstations for performing optical transceiver module tests. The optical transceiver modules to be tested are installed on the test base stations. Typically, the number of test base stations 2 M on the production line is greater than the number of expensive test instruments 1 such as spectrometers N.

[0020] In this embodiment, the optical switch unit 3 is the core component for realizing dynamic optical path connection. The optical switch unit 3 has at least N instrument-side ports and M base station-side ports, which are connected to the test instrument and the test base 2 respectively. The optical switch unit 3 can establish an optical path between any instrument-side port and any base station-side port.

[0021] In one embodiment, a control unit 4 is also included. The control unit 4 is connected to the optical switch unit 3 and is used to control the switching state of the optical switch unit 3 according to the test requirements to establish an optical path connection between the test base 1 and the idle test instrument 2.

[0022] In one embodiment, when any test base 2 needs to be tested using a spectrometer, its control system sends a test request to the control unit 4. The request includes at least the ID of the test base 2 requesting the test and the required test instrument, such as a spectrometer. Upon receiving a request, the control unit 4 checks if there are any available test instruments. If there are available test instruments, they are immediately allocated. If all test instruments are occupied, the request is placed in a queue according to the request time order or other preset priority strategy until there is an available test instrument without test conflicts. Then, the test instrument is used as the target test instrument. To allocate an idle test instrument to the test base 1, the control unit 4 sends a control command to the optical switch unit 3 to establish an optical path connection between the corresponding instrument-side port and the base-side port, so that the test instrument and the test base can be connected for testing.

[0023] In this embodiment, all optical path connections can be completed by the control platform driving the optical switches, or by manually plugging and unplugging fiber optic patch cords. Control platform-driven operation reduces the time spent on manual operations, increases the speed of the testing process, simplifies cable management in the testing room, reduces the difficulty of troubleshooting due to cable clutter, and ensures the consistency of the optical performance of the test links, providing a guarantee for obtaining reliable and comparable test data.

[0024] Example 2: Based on Example 1, please refer to Figure 2 This embodiment describes in detail a specific implementation of the optical switch unit 3. The embodiment provides an asymmetric N×M optical switch matrix, which is composed of multiple optical switching devices spliced ​​together. It is particularly suitable for situations where the number of instruments N and the number of base stations are not equal.

[0025] In this embodiment, the optical switch unit 3 includes: The first switch subarray includes N first switch units, each of which is a 1×M optical switch 301. The common terminal of the N first switch units is used to connect to the test instrument, where N and M are integers greater than or equal to 1. The second switch subarray includes M second switch units, each of which is a 1×N optical switch 302. The common terminal of the M second switch units is used to connect to the test base. For any integer i in the range 1≤i≤N, the M branch ends of the i-th first switch unit in the first switch subarray are connected to the i-th branch ends of the M second switch units in the second switch subarray through optical paths.

[0026] Taking N=3 and M=4 as an example, the first switch subarray includes three 1×4 optical switches, and the common terminal of the three 1×M optical switches is connected to three test instruments respectively. In this embodiment, the test instrument is a spectrometer; the second switch subarray 132 includes four 1×3 optical switches, and the common terminal of the four 1×3 optical switches is connected to four test bases 2 respectively.

[0027] Taking N=3 and M=4 as an example, the working principle is explained as follows: Assuming that the first test instrument is idle, the control unit 4 needs to connect the fourth test base to the first test instrument. The first 1×4 optical switch in the first switch subarray is switched to its fourth branch, and the fourth 1×3 optical switch in the second switch subarray is switched to its first branch. At this time, the optical path is established from the test base 2 to the common terminal of the first 1×4 switch, the fourth branch of the first 1×4 switch, and then through the optical path connection to the first branch of the fourth 1×3 switch, the common terminal of the fourth 1×3 switch, and then to the test instrument 1. Through the optical switch unit 3 in the embodiment, the connection between any test base and an idle test instrument can be realized.

[0028] Example 3: Based on Example 1, please refer to Figure 3 This embodiment describes in detail a specific implementation of the optical switch unit 3. This embodiment provides a scheme utilizing a standard M×M optical switch. The M ports on the first side of the M×M optical switch are respectively connected to the test base. N ports out of the M ports on the second side of the M×M optical switch are connected to test instruments of the first category, and the MN ports on the second side are used for test instruments of other categories. When the control unit receives a request, it allocates the corresponding instrument type, facilitating the management of shared instruments of different types.

[0029] Traditional laboratories require building separate systems for different testing tasks. Switching between tasks necessitates significant time for rewiring and configuration, resulting in low efficiency and a high risk of errors. However, with the solution described in this example, researchers can modify the testing plan at any time via software, based on testing needs. For instance, an optical transceiver module can be tested for bit error rate performance using a bit error rate meter, and then the optical path can be immediately switched to perform a spectrometer test. The entire process can be completed without any physical wiring modifications.

[0030] In this embodiment, a base-side optical switch 4 is also included. The common terminal of the base-side optical switch 4 is connected to the optical switch unit 3, and the branch terminals of the base-side optical switch 4 are respectively connected to the test base 2. In this embodiment, the base-side optical switch 4 adopts a 1×4 optical switch, which can further connect more test bases to the system.

[0031] Example 4: Based on Example 1, please refer to Figure 4 This embodiment describes in detail one specific implementation of the optical switch unit 3, and provides a scheme utilizing a standard K×K optical switch. When the number of test instruments 1 is X and the number of test bases 2 is M, X and M are even numbers greater than or equal to 2, and M is greater than X. The optical switch unit 3 adopts a K×K optical switch, where K is an integer greater than or equal to (M / 2+X / 2). The K×K optical switch has a first side and a second side. The X test instruments are divided into a first instrument group and a second instrument group, and the M test bases are divided into a first base group and a second base group. The first instrument group and the first base group are connected to the port on the first side of the K×K optical switch, and the second instrument group and the second base group are connected to the port on the second side of the K×K optical switch. The test instruments of the first instrument group can establish an optical path connection with the test bases of the second base group through the K×K optical switch, and the test instruments of the second instrument group can establish an optical path connection with the test bases of the first base group through the K×K optical switch.

[0032] The system has good scalability. When it is necessary to add test stations or add new instruments, it is only necessary to connect them to the idle port of the K×K optical switch. There is no need to make large-scale changes to the existing physical connection, making production line upgrades and transformations simple and quick.

[0033] In one embodiment, when the number of test instruments is X and the number of test bases is M, X and M are both even numbers greater than or equal to 2, and M is greater than X. The optical switch unit adopts a (M / 2+X / 2)×(M / 2+X / 2) optical switch. X / 2 ports on the first side of the (M / 2+X / 2)×(M / 2+X / 2) optical switch are connected to the test instruments respectively. The remaining M / 2 ports on the first side of the (M / 2+X / 2)×(M / 2+X / 2) optical switch are connected to the test bases respectively. X / 2 ports on the second side of the (M / 2+X / 2)×(M / 2+X / 2) optical switch are connected to the test instruments respectively. The remaining M / 2 ports on the second side of the (M / 2+X / 2)×(M / 2+X / 2) optical switch are connected to the test bases respectively.

[0034] The following scenario illustrates the solution of Example 4.

[0035] Assuming a business scenario of X=8 spectrometers and M=24 test stations, if conventional methods are used, at least a 24×24 optical switch is needed to connect the 8 spectrometers on one side and the 24 test stations on the other side, which would waste a lot of ports.

[0036] In this embodiment, a K×K optical switch is selected as the optical switch unit 130, where K=(M / 2+X / 2)=(24 / 2+8 / 2)=12+4=16. Therefore, a commercially available 16×16 optical switch is selected.

[0037] The X=8 test instruments 1 are divided into two groups: the first instrument group and the second instrument group, each with 4 test instruments 1; the M=24 test bases 2 are divided into two groups: the first base group and the second base group, each with 12 test bases. The 16 ports on the first side of the 16×16 optical switch are allocated as follows: 4 ports are connected to the first instrument group and 12 ports are connected to the first base station group; the 16 ports on the second side of the 16×16 optical switch are allocated as follows: 4 ports are connected to the second instrument group and 12 ports are connected to the second base station group.

[0038] When any test base station on the first side initiates a test request, an available instrument is searched for and allocated only in the second instrument group on the second side. For example, if a test base station in the first base station group requests a test, the 16×16 optical switch is controlled to establish an optical path between the test base station and an available test instrument in the second instrument group. Conversely, when any test base station on the second side initiates a test request, an available test instrument is searched for and allocated only in the first instrument group on the first side.

[0039] Through the symmetrical deployment and cross-side testing scheme in the embodiment, a single 16×16 optical switch was used to successfully achieve shared connection of 8 test instruments to 24 test base stations. Compared with the traditional scheme that requires 24×24 optical switches, this can save hardware costs and rack space.

[0040] In this embodiment, a base-side optical switch 4 can also be provided. The common end of the base-side optical switch 4 is connected to the optical switch unit 3, and the branch ends of the base-side optical switch 4 are respectively connected to the test base 2. In this embodiment, the base-side optical switch 4 adopts a 1×4 optical switch, which can further connect more test bases to the system.

[0041] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that it can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of this invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered exemplary and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of this invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be included within this invention.

[0042] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A test instrument sharing platform for optical transceiver modules, characterized in that, include: N test instruments; M test base stations are set up, and the optical transceiver module to be tested is set up on the test base stations, where N and M are integers greater than or equal to 1, and N is less than M; An optical switch unit is disposed between the test instrument and the test base, and is used to establish an optical path connection between the test instrument and the test base.

2. The test instrument sharing platform for optical transceiver modules according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a control unit, which is connected to the optical switch unit and is used to control the switching state of the optical switch unit according to the test requirements, and to establish an optical path connection between the test base and the idle test instrument.

3. The test instrument sharing platform for optical transceiver modules according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a base-side optical switch, the common terminal of which is connected to the optical switch unit, and the branch terminals of which are respectively connected to the test base.

4. The test instrument sharing platform for optical transceiver modules according to claim 1, characterized in that: The test instruments include at least one of a bit error rate tester, an oscilloscope, and a spectrometer.

5. A test instrument sharing platform for optical transceiver modules according to claim 1, characterized in that: The optical switch unit includes: The first switch subarray includes N first switch units, each of which is a 1×M optical switch. The common terminal of the N first switch units is used to connect to the test instrument, where N and M are integers greater than or equal to 1. The second switch subarray includes M second switch units, each of which is a 1×N optical switch. The common terminal of the M second switch units is used to connect to the test base. For any integer i in the range 1≤i≤N, the M branch ends of the i-th first switch unit in the first switch subarray are respectively connected to the i-th branch ends of the M second switch units in the second switch subarray through optical paths.

6. A test instrument sharing platform for optical transceiver modules according to claim 1, characterized in that: The optical switch unit adopts an M×M optical switch. The M ports on the first side of the M×M optical switch are respectively connected to the test base. N ports on the second side of the M×M optical switch are connected to the first type of test instruments, and the MN ports on the second side are used for other types of test instruments.

7. A test instrument sharing platform for optical transceiver modules according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the number of test instruments is X and the number of test bases is M, where X and M are both even numbers greater than or equal to 2, and M is greater than X, the optical switch unit adopts a K×K optical switch, where K is an integer greater than or equal to (M / 2 + X / 2). The K×K optical switch has a first side and a second side. The X test instruments are divided into a first instrument group and a second instrument group, and the M test bases are divided into a first base group and a second base group. The first instrument group and the first base group are connected to the port on the first side of the K×K optical switch, and the second instrument group and the second base group are connected to the port on the second side of the K×K optical switch. The test instruments of the first instrument group can establish an optical path connection with the test bases of the second base group through the K×K optical switch, and the test instruments of the second instrument group can establish an optical path connection with the test bases of the first base group through the K×K optical switch.

8. A test instrument sharing platform for optical transceiver modules according to claim 7, characterized in that: When the number of test instruments is X and the number of test bases is M, where X and M are even numbers greater than or equal to 2, and M is greater than X, the optical switch unit adopts a (M / 2+X / 2)×(M / 2+X / 2) optical switch. X / 2 ports on the first side of the (M / 2+X / 2)×(M / 2+X / 2) optical switch are respectively connected to the test instruments, and the remaining M / 2 ports on the first side of the (M / 2+X / 2)×(M / 2+X / 2) optical switch are respectively connected to the test bases. X / 2 ports on the second side of the (M / 2+X / 2)×(M / 2+X / 2) optical switch are respectively connected to the test instruments, and the remaining M / 2 ports on the second side of the (M / 2+X / 2)×(M / 2+X / 2) optical switch are respectively connected to the test bases.

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