Optical engine assembly, optical interconnect system, and network device

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of optical communication technology. An optical engine assembly (103), an optical interconnection system (1000), and a network device (3000) are provided. The optical engine assembly (103) includes an optical engine (10), a coupling base (30), and a fiber array unit (50). A first guide portion (33) is disposed on the coupling base (30), and a second guide portion (515) is disposed on the fiber array unit (50), and one of the first guide portion (33) and the second guide portion (515) is a guide rod. The other of the first guide portion (33) and the second guide portion (515) is a guide hole, and the guide rod is pluggably connected to the guide hole. The optical engine (10) is configured to perform conversion between optical signals and electrical signals. The coupling base 30 is pluggably connected to the fiber array unit 50, so that passive coupling between the fiber array unit 50 and the coupling base 30 is implemented, and the assembly efficiency of the optical engine assembly 103 is increased. In addition, when an optical fiber cut occurs in the fiber array unit 50, the failed fiber array unit 50 can be removed and replaced with a new fiber array unit 50, thereby improving the maintainability of the optical engine assembly 103.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202110587294.2, entitled “Optical Engine Assembly, Optical Interconnection System, and Network Device,” filed with the China State Intellectual Property Administration on May 27, 2021, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

[0002] The present application relates to the field of optical communication technology, and in particular to optical engine assemblies, optical interconnect systems, and network devices. [Background technology]

[0003] As the communication bandwidth of data centers continues to develop, the requirements for the density of optical fiber communication become higher and higher, and opto-electrical packaging has become the development trend of optical communication modules. Opto-electrical packaging means that optical chips and electrical chips (also called integrated circuit chips) are placed in the same packaging structure. In optoelectronic communication systems, the switching capacity of electrical switching chips has already been increased to 51.2T, the capacity that can be carried by one optical signal is 100G, the capacity of one optical engine (OE) is 6.4T, and it is assumed that the number of optical fibers that need to be fanned out by one optical engine using one fiber array unit (FAU) is 148. If eight such optical engines are placed in one optical interconnection system, the total number of optical fibers that need to be fanned out will exceed 1000. Such a large amount of optical fibers brings about very high requirements for the coupling and assembly between the fiber array unit and the optical engine.

[0004] In the existing solution where the fiber array unit is assembled on the optical engine, the optical path interconnection is performed on the chip coupling base and the optical engine through active coupling, the chip coupling base is bonded to the optical engine using adhesive, and the optical path interconnection is performed on the fiber array unit and the chip coupling base through active coupling, the fiber array unit is bonded to the chip coupling base. The active coupling means that the light needs to pass through and the insertion loss of the optical path needs to be monitored during the connection and assembly of the optical device. When the assembly position is adjusted until the minimum insertion loss of the optical path is obtained, the optical path is fixed. However, in such an assembly method, the assembly efficiency is relatively low, and when an optical fiber cut occurs, the assembled components need to be discarded and cannot be repaired. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The embodiments of the present application provide optical engine assemblies, optical interconnect systems, and network devices that can improve assembly efficiency and increase maintainability.

[0006] According to a first aspect, the present application provides a light engine assembly, including a light engine, a coupling base, and a fiber array unit. The coupling base is fastened to the light engine, a first guide portion is disposed on the coupling base, a second guide portion is disposed on the fiber array unit, one of the first guide portion and the second guide portion is a guide rod, the other of the first guide portion and the second guide portion is a guide hole, the guide rod is pluggably connected to the guide hole, and the light engine is configured to perform conversion between an optical signal and an electrical signal. An optical signal transmitted between the fiber array unit and the light engine also passes through the coupling base. An optical signal input from the fiber array unit passes through the coupling base to reach the light engine, and / or an optical signal output by the light engine passes through the coupling base to reach the fiber array unit for output.

[0007] The second guide portion of the fiber array unit and the first guide portion of the coupling base are pluggably connected together, so that the fiber array unit is pluggably connected to the coupling base, so that the passive coupling between the fiber array unit and the coupling base is implemented, and the assembly efficiency of the optical engine assembly is increased. In addition, when an optical fiber cut occurs in the fiber array unit, the failed fiber array unit can be removed and replaced with a new fiber array unit. This improves the maintainability of the optical engine assembly. Passive coupling is an assembly method in which light does not need to pass or the insertion loss of the optical path needs to be monitored during the assembly of the optical device, but precise positioning is performed using mechanical parts.

[0008] In addition, when the board carrying the optical engine assembly needs to be soldered, for example, when the board is soldered onto the system circuit board of the network device using a reflow soldering process, the soldering temperature of the reflow soldering is up to 260° C., the fiber array unit can be removed first, and the optical engine, the coupling base, and the board can form a pre-fabricated body, and the board of the pre-fabricated body is soldered onto the system circuit board. After the soldering is completed, the fiber array unit is pluggably connected to the coupling base to prevent the fiber array unit from being damaged due to the high soldering temperature.

[0009] According to a first aspect, the light engine includes a core and a first light conducting portion disposed on the core, the coupling base further includes a base and a second light conducting portion, the base is fastened onto the core, the base and the core are arranged in a stacked manner, the second light conducting portion is embedded in the base, the first light conducting portion is optically coupled to the second light conducting portion, and the first guide portion is disposed on a surface of the base remote from the core.

[0010] When the base is fastened to the core, the base and the core are arranged in a stacked manner. The location of the first light conducting portion is not limited in the present application. The first light conducting portion may be built into the core, or may be arranged on a surface of the core facing the base or on another surface. For example, the base includes a first surface and a second surface arranged opposite each other. When the base is fastened to the core, the first surface is fixedly connected to the core, and the second surface is located on a surface of the base remote from the core. The first guide portion is arranged on a surface of the base remote from the core, i.e., the first guide portion is arranged on the second surface.

[0011] The coupling base provides optical conductivity by forming a second optically conductive portion in the base instead of providing an air gap, reducing the chance of the adhesive contaminating the optical path when the coupling base is bonded to the light engine using an adhesive.

[0012] According to the first aspect, in a first possible implementation form of the first aspect of the present application, the light engine assembly further includes a limiting portion configured to limit a relative position between the fiber array unit and the coupling base to reduce a possibility of movement of the fiber array unit relative to the coupling base, thereby preventing the fiber array unit from being removed from the coupling base.

[0013] According to the first aspect of the present application or the first possible implementation of the first aspect, in a second possible implementation of the first aspect of the present application, the limiting portion includes a main body and an elastic arm arranged in a manner connected to the main body, the main body covers the coupling base and the fiber array unit, the elastic arm abuts against the fiber array unit, and the fiber array unit is restricted to the coupling base by using the elastic force of the elastic arm, thereby improving the connection stability between the coupling base and the fiber array unit. "Abut" means that two elements apply force to each other to resist each other.

[0014] According to the first aspect of the present application or the first or second possible implementation of the first aspect, in a third possible implementation of the first aspect of the present application, the body has a hollow cavity, the coupling base is fixedly accommodated in the hollow cavity, the fiber array unit passes through the hollow cavity, and a sidewall of the hollow cavity is attached to the coupling base and the fiber array unit. Since the coupling base is enclosed within the body, one end of the fiber array unit connected to the coupling base is enclosed in the body, thereby reducing the possibility that the coupling base and the fiber array unit are contaminated during assembly and use.

[0015] According to the first aspect of the present application or the first to third possible implementations of the first aspect, in a fourth possible implementation of the first aspect of the present application, the elastic arm includes a connecting portion and an abutting portion connected to each other, and a groove formed through a side wall of the hollow cavity is provided in the body, the groove includes a first end and a second end arranged opposite each other in a direction in which the base and the core are stacked, the first end of the groove is disposed at one end of the groove close to the light engine, the connecting portion is fastened to the side wall of the first end of the groove, the elastic arm is received in the groove and extends along it, and the abutting portion is exposed from the second end of the groove and abuts against the fiber array unit. Since the groove is provided in the body, the deformation ability of the body is enhanced, thereby facilitating plugging and removal of the fiber array unit.

[0016] According to the first aspect of the present application or the first to fourth possible implementation forms of the first aspect of the present application, in a fifth possible implementation form of the first aspect of the present application, the elastic arm includes a first elastic arm and a second elastic arm, the main body includes a first end and a second end arranged opposite each other in a direction in which the base and the core are stacked, the first end of the main body is attached to the core, the connecting portion of the first elastic arm is fixedly connected to the first end of the main body, and the connecting portion of the second elastic arm is fixedly connected to the second end of the main body, the main body, the first elastic arm, and the second elastic arm together enclose a clamp space, the coupling base and the fiber array unit are accommodated in the clamp space, and the abutting portion of the second elastic arm abuts against the fiber array unit.

[0017] Since the optical engine, the coupling base, and the fiber array unit are assembled together using the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm of the limiting portion, the connection stability between the coupling base and the optical engine is further improved, and the connection stability between the coupling base and the fiber array unit is enhanced, thereby improving the stability of the optical path.

[0018] According to the first aspect of the present application or the first to fifth possible implementation forms of the first aspect, in a sixth possible implementation form of the first aspect of the present application, the light engine assembly further includes a reinforcement pad, the reinforcement pad is provided with an accommodating groove, the light engine passes through the accommodating groove and is fastened together with the reinforcement pad, the base is fastened to the reinforcement pad, the abutment portion of the first elastic arm abuts against the reinforcement pad, and the reinforcement pad is positioned between the first elastic arm and the base.

[0019] The use of the reinforcing pad increases the contact area (e.g., bonding area) between the light engine and the coupling base, thereby improving the connection stability between the coupling base and the light engine (e.g., increasing the bonding force) and reducing the risk of the coupling base coming off due to plugging and removal.

[0020] According to the first aspect of the present application or the first to sixth possible implementations of the first aspect, in a seventh possible implementation of the first aspect of the present application, the core includes a first mounting surface, a second mounting surface, and a side surface, the side surface is fixedly connected between the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface, the base is fastened to the first mounting surface, the first light conducting portion includes an optical waveguide and a refractive member where an optical path interconnection is performed, the optical path interconnection is performed at the refractive member and the second light conducting portion, and the optical path interconnection is performed at the refractive member and the second light conducting portion. The refractive member is configured to change the transmission direction of the light. For example, the refractive member is used to change the transmission direction of the light entering the second light conducting portion from the fiber array unit, and then the light reaches the optical waveguide. The refractive member is used to change the transmission direction of the light output from the optical waveguide, and then the light enters the second conducting portion and reaches the fiber array unit. The coupling base and the light engine are coupled using a refractive member, and the light transmission direction is changed using the refractive member, thereby improving the degree of freedom of the light path design. The refractive member includes an optical device that can change the light transmission direction, such as a grating or a reflector.

[0021] According to the first aspect of the present application or the first to seventh possible implementations of the first aspect of the present application, in an eighth possible implementation of the first aspect of the present application, the first light conducting portion includes a light guide, the light guide is built into the core, the core includes a first mounting surface, a second mounting surface, and a side surface, the side surface is fixedly connected between the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface, the second mounting surface is connected to the substrate, the light guide surface of the light guide is located on the side surface, the base is fastened to the side surface, and the second light conducting portion is optically coupled to the light guide surface. The light transmission direction in the light guide and the second light conducting portion is parallel to the arrangement direction of the coupling base and the fiber array unit, and the light path formed by the second light conducting portion, the coupling base, and the fiber array unit is not bent, so that the light loss in the light path can be reduced.

[0022] According to the first aspect of the present application or the first to eighth possible implementation forms of the first aspect of the present application, in a ninth possible implementation form of the first aspect of the present application, the fiber array unit includes a light guide base and an optical fiber fastened to the light guide base, the abutting step is convexly arranged on an outer wall of the light guide base, the light guide base, the base, and the core are sequentially arranged in a stacked manner, the second guide portion is arranged on a surface of the guide base facing the base, and the elastic arm abuts against the abutting step. The abutting step is configured to limit the movement of the light guide base relative to the body to improve the transmission stability of the optical path.

[0023] According to a second aspect, the present application provides an optical interconnect system including a substrate, an electrical switching chip, and an optical engine assembly according to the first aspect or the first to ninth possible implementations of the first aspect, wherein the electrical switching chip is disposed on the substrate, the optical engine assembly is disposed on the substrate, and the electrical switching chip is electrically connected to an optical engine of the optical engine assembly, the electrical switching chip is configured to transmit output electrical signals to the optical engine and receive input electrical signals from the optical engine.

[0024] According to the second aspect, in a first possible implementation form of the second aspect of the present application, the substrate includes a first substrate and a second substrate arranged in a stacked manner, the electrical switching chip is disposed on a surface of the second substrate remote from the first substrate, and the light engine is disposed on a surface of the second substrate remote from the first substrate.

[0025] According to a third aspect, the present application provides a network device including a system circuit board, an optical interconnect system according to the second aspect or the first possible implementation form of the second aspect, wherein the optical interconnect system is disposed on the system circuit board. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic three-dimensional view of an assembled optical interconnection system according to a first implementation form of the present application. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic plan view of an optical interconnection system according to a first implementation of the present application; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic three-dimensional assembly diagram of an optical engine assembly of an optical interconnection system according to a first implementation form of the present application. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic three-dimensional exploded view of the light engine assembly shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic three-dimensional exploded view of a first light-conducting portion according to a first implementation form of the present application. [Figure 6a] 1 is a schematic diagram of an optical path of an output optical signal of an optical interconnection system according to a first implementation form of the present application. [Figure 6b] 1 is a schematic diagram of an optical path of an input optical signal in an optical interconnection system according to a first implementation form of the present application. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic three-dimensional view of a coupling base according to a first implementation form of the present application. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic three-dimensional view of a restricting portion according to a first implementation form of the present application. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic three-dimensional view of a fiber array unit according to a first implementation form of the present application. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a light guide base of a fiber array unit according to a first implementation form of the present application. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an arrangement of a light engine on a substrate according to a first implementation form of the present application. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of pre-interconnecting a coupling base, a limiting portion, and a fiber array unit according to a first implementation form of the present application. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an optical interconnection system after a fiber array unit according to a first implementation form of the present application has been removed. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a plan view of an optical interconnection system according to a second implementation of the present application. [Figure 15] 1 is a schematic diagram of a side view of an optical interconnection system according to a second implementation of the present application. [Figure 16]FIG. 13 is a schematic three-dimensional exploded view of an optical interconnection system according to a third implementation of the present application. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a schematic three-dimensional assembly diagram of an optical interconnection system according to a third implementation of the present application. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a side view of an optical interconnection system according to a third implementation of the present application. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is a schematic three-dimensional view of a coupling base according to a third implementation form of the present application. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a schematic three-dimensional view of a reinforcing pad according to a third implementation form of the present application. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is a schematic three-dimensional view of a reinforcing pad according to a third implementation form of the present application. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of an arrangement of a light engine on a substrate according to a third implementation form of the present application. [Diagram 23] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of pre-interconnecting a bonding base, a reinforcing pad, and a fiber array unit according to a third implementation of the present application. [Figure 24] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of an optical interconnection system after a fiber array unit has been removed according to a third implementation of the present application. [Diagram 25] FIG. 11 is a schematic three-dimensional view of an assembled optical interconnection system according to a third implementation of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] As the communication bandwidth of data centers continues to develop, the requirements for the density of optical fiber communication become higher and higher, and opto-electrical packaging has become the development trend of optical communication modules. Opto-electrical packaging means that the optical module and the electrical module are packaged as a whole. In optical communication systems, the switching capacity of the electrical switching chip has already been increased to 51.2T, and the capacity that can be carried by one optical signal is 100G. It is assumed that the capacity of one optical engine (OE) is up to 6.4T, and the number of optical fibers that need to be fanned out by one optical engine using one fiber array unit (FAU) is up to 148. If eight such optical engines are deployed in one optical interconnection system, the total number of optical fibers that need to be fanned out will exceed 1000. Such a large amount of optical fibers imposes very high requirements on the coupling and assembly on the fiber array unit (FAU).

[0028] In the existing solution where the fiber array unit is assembled on the optical engine, the optical path interconnection is performed on the chip coupling base and the optical engine through active coupling, the chip coupling base is bonded to the optical engine using an adhesive, the optical path interconnection is performed on the fiber array unit and the chip coupling base through active coupling, and the fiber array unit is bonded to the chip coupling base. An air gap is formed on a surface of the chip coupling base remote from the optical engine. A lens is disposed on a side wall of the air gap close to one end of the optical engine. The fiber array unit includes an optical fiber coupling part and an optical fiber array pluggably connected to the optical fiber coupling part. The optical fiber coupling part is bonded to a surface of the chip coupling base remote from the optical engine and covering the air gap. A prism is disposed on the optical fiber coupling part. The fiber array unit is fastened to the optical fiber coupling part. An optical signal emitted by the optical engine is used as an example. The optical signal passes through a lens on the side wall of the air gap and is reflected by the prism before entering the optical fiber array.

[0029] In the above-mentioned assembly solution, the optical path interconnection is performed on the fiber array unit and the chip coupling base through active coupling. However, during the active coupling, the light needs to pass through and the insertion loss of the optical path needs to be monitored, thereby affecting the assembly efficiency. In addition, the chip coupling base is fastened to the optical engine using adhesive, and the optical fiber coupling part is fixedly connected to the chip coupling base using adhesive. If an optical fiber cut occurs in the optical fiber array, the whole system will be scrapped, resulting in poor maintainability. In addition, in the process of fastening the chip coupling base to the optical engine and the process of fastening the optical fiber coupling part to the chip coupling base, the adhesive is easy to enter the air gap, which causes the optical path to be contaminated and causes failure.

[0030] In the related art, the radio frequency performance and loss may need to be ensured by reflow soldering (temperature up to 260°C) between both the electrical connection between the board and the optical engine and the electrical connection between the board and the system circuit board. However, the optical fiber coupling part and the optical fiber are not resistant to high temperatures. As a result, the electrical bonding process is not compatible with the optical bonding process. During assembly, the electrical bonding (electrical connection between devices) is usually completed first, and then the optical bonding (optical path interconnection between devices) is performed. This puts high requirements on the bonding process, requires the development of multiple fixtures, has low versatility, and low production efficiency.

[0031] Based on this, the present application provides an optical engine assembly, as well as an optical interconnection system and a network device related to the optical engine assembly. The optical engine assembly includes an optical engine, a coupling base, and a fiber array unit. The coupling base is fastened to the optical engine. One of the first guide portion and the second guide portion is a guide rod, and the other of the first guide portion and the second guide portion is a guide hole, the guide rod is pluggably connected to the guide hole, and the optical engine is configured to perform conversion between an optical signal and an electrical signal. The optical signal transmitted between the fiber array unit and the optical engine also passes through the coupling base. The optical signal input from the fiber array unit passes through the coupling base to reach the optical engine, and / or the optical signal output by the optical engine passes through the coupling base to reach the fiber array unit for output.

[0032] The light engine assembly and the optical interconnect system associated with the light engine assembly are further described below based on specific implementations and accompanying drawings.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, the first implementation of the present application provides a network device 3000, including one or more optical interconnection systems 1000 and a system circuit board 2000. The optical interconnection system 1000 is disposed on the system circuit board 2000, and the optical interconnection system 1000 is electrically connected to the system circuit board 2000. The network device 3000 uses the optical interconnection system 1000 to perform information exchange with another device. In this implementation, the network device 3000 is a switch. It can be understood that the type of the network device 3000 is not limited in the present application. Alternatively, the network device 3000 may be a router, a central office side device of an access network, a service board of a frame-shaped device in a telecommunication room or a data center equipment room, a baseband unit of a wireless base station, etc.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, the optical interconnect system 1000 includes an optical communication component 100, a substrate 300, a transmitting end optical fiber interface 400, and a receiving end optical fiber interface 600. The optical communication component 100, the transmitting end optical fiber interface 400, and the receiving end optical fiber interface 600 are all disposed on the substrate 300. In this implementation, the substrate 300 is a substrate of a switch, and the substrate 300 includes at least one circuit board. The substrate 300 is substantially flat and extends along a first direction (e.g., an X direction shown in FIG. 2) and a second direction (e.g., a Y direction shown in FIG. 2, where the X direction is perpendicular to the Y direction). The first direction is different from the second direction.

[0035] The optical communication component 100 includes an electrical switching chip 102 and one or more optical engine assemblies 103 (only a few optical engine assemblies are shown in FIG. 2 as an example). The electrical switching chip 102 and the one or more optical engine assemblies 103 are all disposed on a substrate 300. The electrical switching chip 102 is electrically connected to the one or more optical engine assemblies 103. The electrical switching chip 102 is configured to send output electrical signals to the optical engine assemblies 103 and receive input electrical signals from the optical engine assemblies 103. The optical engine assemblies 103 are configured to convert the output electrical signals into output optical signals for output and / or convert the received input optical signals into input electrical signals and transmit the input electrical signals to the electrical switching chip 102.

[0036] In this implementation, based on the transmission and reception of signals, the light engine assembly 103 includes a transmitting light engine assembly and a receiving light engine assembly. The transmitting light engine assembly is connected to a transmitting end optical fiber interface 400 through a transmitting end optical fiber 201 (FIG. 2 shows only one as an example), and the transmitting end optical fiber interface 400 is connected to an external device (not shown in the figure) using an external transmitting end optical fiber 203 (FIG. 2 shows only some external transmitting end optical fibers as an example). The transmitting light engine assembly is configured to receive the output electrical signal output by the electrical switching chip 102 and convert the output electrical signal into an output optical signal. The output optical signal passes through the transmitting end optical fiber 201, the transmitting end optical fiber interface 400, and the external transmitting end optical fiber 203 before being output to the external device. In this implementation, the transmitting light engine assembly is connected to an external light source pool 109 using a light source pool fiber 204 (FIG. 2 shows only one light source pool fiber as an example). The unmodulated laser emitted from the external light source pool 109 is transmitted through the light source pool fiber 204 and coupled to the light engine assembly. The transmitting optical engine assembly modulates the laser according to the output electrical signal to convert it into an output optical signal, and connects to the transmitting end optical fiber interface 400 via the transmitting end optical fiber 201, and further transmits the output optical signal to the external transmitting end optical fiber 203 to complete the signal transmission. Alternatively, it can be understood that the light source may be built into the transmitting optical engine assembly.

[0037] The receiving optical engine assembly is electrically connected to the electrical switching chip 102. The receiving optical engine assembly is connected to the receiving optical fiber interface 600 through the receiving end optical fiber 205 (FIG. 2 shows only one receiving end optical fiber as an example). The receiving end optical fiber interface 600 is connected to an external device (not shown in the figure) through the external receiving end optical fiber 207 (FIG. 2 shows only some external receiving end optical fibers as an example). An input optical signal transmitted by an external device to the network device 3000 using the external receiving end optical fiber 207 passes through the receiving end optical fiber 205 and is transmitted to the receiving end optical engine assembly through the receiving end optical fiber interface 600. The receiving optical engine assembly converts the input optical signal into an input electrical signal, and sends the input electrical signal to the electrical switching chip 102 to complete signal reception.

[0038] It should be noted that the light engine assembly 103 and the transmitting end optical fiber 201 may be independent of each other, or the transmitting end optical fiber 201 may be part of the light engine assembly 103. The light engine assembly 103 and the light source pool fiber 204 may be independent of each other, or the light source pool fiber 204 may be part of the light engine assembly 103.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the optical engine assembly 103 (transmitting optical engine assembly and receiving optical engine assembly) includes an optical engine (OE) 10, a coupling base 30, and a fiber array unit 50. The optical engine 10 is configured to perform conversion between an optical signal and an electrical signal. The optical signal includes an output optical signal and an input optical signal. The electrical signal includes an input electrical signal and an output electrical signal. The coupling base 30 is fastened to the optical engine 10, and the coupling base 30 is pluggably connected to the fiber array unit 50, and the coupling base 30 is located between the optical engine 10 and the fiber array unit 50. The optical signal input from the fiber array unit 50 (e.g., the input optical signal) passes through the coupling base 30 to reach the optical engine 10, and / or the optical signal output from the optical engine 10 (e.g., the output optical signal) passes through the coupling base 30 to reach the fiber array unit 50. FIG. 2 only shows an example in which the fiber array unit 50 is arranged on one optical engine 10.

[0040] The fiber array unit 50 is pluggably connected to the coupling base 30, so that a passive coupling between the fiber array unit 50 and the coupling base 30 is implemented, thereby increasing the assembly efficiency of the light engine assembly 100. In addition, if an optical fiber cut occurs in the fiber array unit 50, the failed fiber array unit 50 can be removed and replaced with a new fiber array unit 50. Passive coupling is an assembly method in which light does not need to pass or the insertion loss of the optical path needs to be monitored during assembly of the optical elements, but precise localization is performed using mechanical parts.

[0041] In this implementation, the electrical switching chip 102 (shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) and the light engine 10 are fastened onto the substrate 300 through soldering or bonding, and the electrical switching chip 102 and the light engine 10 are electrically connected using the substrate 300. The direction in which the light engine 10 and the fiber array unit 50 are stacked is a third direction (e.g., Z direction shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4). The third direction is different from the first direction, and the third direction is different from the second direction. It can be understood that the manner of arranging the electrical switching chip 102 and the light engine 10 on the substrate 300 is not limited in the present application.

[0042] Specifically, the light engine 10 includes a core 11 and a first light conducting portion 13. The core 11 is electrically connected to the electrical switching chip 102. The core 11 includes a first mounting surface 111, a second mounting surface 113, and a side surface 115. One end of the side surface 115 is connected to the first mounting surface 111, a second end of the side surface 115 is fixedly connected to the second mounting surface 113, and the first mounting surface 111 is fixedly connected to the substrate 300. The light guide surface of the first light conducting portion 13 is located on the second mounting surface 113 and configured to transmit and receive light (including input optical signals and output optical signals). The first mounting surface 111 and the second mounting surface 113 are arranged parallel to each other opposite to each other. It can be understood that the first mounting surface 111 and the second mounting surface 113 do not have to be arranged parallel to each other.

[0043] In this implementation, optical coupling is performed between the coupling base 30 and the optical engine 10 through grating coupling. As shown in FIG. 5, there are a plurality of first optically conductive portions 13, and each first optically conductive portion 13 includes an optical waveguide 131 and a refractive member 135. The optical waveguide 131 is built into the core 11 (shown in FIG. 4) and configured to transmit an optical signal (an input optical signal or an output optical signal). The refractive member 135 is disposed in the core 11 (shown in FIG. 4) and optically coupled to the optical waveguide 131, and the refractive member 135 is optically coupled to the coupling base 30. The refractive member 135 is configured to change the transmission direction of light, for example, to change the transmission direction of an output optical signal so that an output optical signal output from the optical waveguide 131 enters the fiber array unit 50, or to change the transmission direction of an input optical signal so that an input optical signal input from the fiber array unit 50 enters the optical waveguide 131. The optical waveguide 131 extends along a first direction (e.g., the X direction shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5). In this implementation, the refractive member 135 is a grating, and the refractive member 135 changes the transmission direction of the output optical signal from the first direction to a third direction, or the refractive member 135 changes the transmission direction of the input optical signal from the third direction to the first direction, i.e., the refractive member 135 bends the optical path by about 90 degrees. It can be understood that the structure of the first light-conducting portion 13 is not limited in this application, and the refractive member 135 may further be another optical device, such as a reflector, that can change the transmission direction of light.

[0044] The core 11 of the transmitting optical engine assembly may include a driver and a modulator. The driver is configured to convert the output electrical signal into a current or voltage signal suitable for the modulator. The modulator is configured to load the current or voltage signal converted from the output electrical signal into the optical signal of the optical waveguide 131 and modulate the optical signal into an output optical signal. It can be seen that the transmitting optical engine assembly in this implementation has the function of converting the output electrical signal into an output optical signal. It can be understood that the core 11 of the transmitting optical engine assembly may further include another necessary or unnecessary device. Details will not be described in this specification.

[0045] The core 11 of the receiving optical engine assembly may include a photoelectron detector and a trans-impedance amplifier (TIA). The photoelectron detector is configured to detect an input optical signal and generate an input electrical signal. The trans-impedance amplifier is configured to receive the input electrical signal generated by the photoelectron detector, amplify the input electrical signal, and output the amplified input electrical signal. Generally, in an optical communication system, the photoelectron detector and the trans-impedance amplifier are used in cooperation. The photoelectron detector is configured to convert a weak optical signal received by the optical interface into an electrical signal, and the generated electrical signal is a current signal. The trans-impedance amplifier amplifies the current signal to a degree that forms a stable voltage signal. It can be known that the receiving optical engine assembly in this implementation has the function of detecting an input optical signal and converting the input optical signal into an input electrical signal. It can be understood that the core 11 of the receiving optical engine assembly may further include another necessary or unnecessary device. Details will not be described in this specification.

[0046] In the transmitting optical engine assembly, as shown in FIG. 6a, the output optical signal emitted from the optical waveguide 131 (solid line I shown in FIG. 6a) is incident on the refractive element 135, which changes the transmission direction of the output optical signal from a first direction (X direction shown in FIG. 6a) to a third direction (Z direction shown in FIG. 6a), so that the output optical signal is transmitted from the optical engine 10 to the fiber array unit 50.

[0047] Similarly, in the receiving optical engine assembly, as shown in FIG. 6b, an input optical signal (solid line II shown in FIG. 6b) input from the fiber array unit 50 is incident on the refractive element 135, and the refractive element 135 changes the transmission direction of the input optical signal from the third direction (Z direction shown in FIG. 6b) to the first direction (X direction shown in FIG. 6b), so that the input optical signal is incident on the optical waveguide 131.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 7, the coupling base 30 includes a base 31, a second light conducting portion 32, and a first guide portion 33. The base 31 is fastened to a surface of the core 11 that is remote from the substrate 300. In other words, the base 31 is fastened to a second mounting surface 113 of the core 11. The base 31 and the core 11 are arranged in a stacked manner. In this implementation, the base 31 is a transparent structure, for example a transparent structure made of glass. The base 31 includes a first surface 311 and a second surface 313 that are arranged opposite each other. The first surface 311 is fixedly connected to the second mounting surface 113 using an adhesive, and the second surface 313 is located on a surface of the base 31 that is remote from the light engine 10.

[0049] The base 31 has a second light conducting portion 32 (a dot-like object shown in FIG. 7 ) built in it. In other words, the second light conducting portion 32 is wrapped in the base 31. The second light conducting portion 32 extends along a third direction (the Z direction shown in FIG. 7 ), the second light conducting portion 32 extends from the first surface 311 to the second surface 313, one end surface of the second light conducting portion 32 is located on the first surface 311, and the other end surface of the second light conducting portion 32 is located on the second surface 313. There are a plurality of second light conducting portions 32, so that a plurality of optical channels are formed in the coupling base 30. The plurality of second light conducting portions 32 are arranged along a second direction (the Y direction shown in FIG. 7 ). An optical path interconnection is performed between each of the second light conducting portions 32 and one of the first light conducting portions 13, and optical coupling is realized. An input optical signal can be made incident on the first optical conductive portion 13 using the second optical conductive portion 32 built into the base 31, and an output optical signal output from the first optical conductive portion 13 can be output to the fiber array unit 50 using the second optical conductive portion 32 built into the base 31.

[0050] The coupling base 30 performs optical conduction by forming the second optically conductive portion 32 in the base 31 instead of providing an air gap. When the coupling base 30 is bonded to the light engine 10 using an adhesive, the possibility that the adhesive will contaminate the optical path is reduced. The second optically conductive portion 32 includes an optical waveguide or an optical fiber. The optical waveguide can be formed in the base 31 through laser direct writing or ion implantation. The base 31 may be provided with a through hole, and the through hole is formed through the first surface 311 and the second surface 313. A bare optical fiber can be fastened to the through hole of the base 31 using an adhesive, and the optical side is processed using a grinding and polishing process. It can be understood that the structure of the second optically conductive portion 32 is not limited in the present application as long as the second optically conductive portion 32 can transmit light.

[0051] The first guide portion 33 is disposed on the second surface 313 of the base 31, i.e., the first guide portion 33 is disposed on a surface of the base 31 remote from the light engine 10. The first guide portion 33 and the fiber array unit 50 are pluggably connected, so that the fiber array unit 50 is attached to the second surface 313 of the base 31. The first light conducting portion 13 (the optical waveguide 131 and the refractive member 135), the second light conducting portion 32 and the fiber array unit 50 form an optical path capable of transmitting light (an input optical signal and an output optical signal).

[0052] In some implementations, it can be understood that the base 31 includes a transparent region and an opaque region connected to each other. In other words, a local region of the base 31 may be a transparent region, the second light conducting portion 32 may be disposed in the transparent region, and the first guide portion 33 may be disposed in the opaque region or the transparent region.

[0053] 3, 4, and 8, the light engine assembly 103 further includes a limiting portion 40. The limiting portion 40 is configured to limit the relative position between the coupling base 30 and the fiber array unit 50 to reduce the possibility of movement of the coupling base 30 relative to the fiber array unit 50, thereby preventing the fiber array unit 50 from being dislodged from the coupling base 30.

[0054] The limiting part 40 includes a body 41 and an elastic arm 43 arranged in a manner connected to the body 41. The body 41 is fixedly connected to the coupling base 30, the body 41 is attached to the fiber array unit 50, and the elastic arm 43 abuts against the fiber array unit 50, so that the fiber array unit 50 is limited on the coupling base 30. The elastic force of the elastic arm 43 is used to limit the position of the fiber array unit 50 on the coupling base 30, so that the connection stability between the coupling base 30 and the fiber array unit 50 is enhanced, and the assembly difficulty of the optical engine assembly 103 is further reduced.

[0055] The body 41 has a hollow cavity 410. The coupling base 30 is fixedly accommodated in the hollow cavity 410, the fiber array unit 50 penetrates the hollow cavity 410, and the sidewalls of the hollow cavity 410 are attached to the base 31 of the coupling base 30 and the fiber array unit 50. Since the coupling base 30 is enclosed within the body 41, one end of the fiber array unit 50 connected to the coupling base 30 is enclosed in the body 41, thereby reducing the possibility that the coupling base 30 and the fiber array unit 50 will be contaminated during assembly and use.

[0056] In this implementation, the body 41 is bonded to the peripheral wall of the base 31 of the coupling base 30 using an adhesive, so that the body 41 is sealed to the coupling base 30, thereby reducing the possibility that impurities such as dust may enter the body 41 and contaminate the optical path. It may be understood that the connection manner of the body 41 and the coupling base 30 is not limited. For example, the side wall of the body 41 may be clamped to the base 31 of the coupling base 30.

[0057] The body 41 is further provided with a groove 411, the groove 411 being formed through the sidewall of the hollow cavity 410 of the body 41, and the groove 411 extending in a third direction (the Z direction shown in FIG. 8). Since the body 41 is provided with the groove 411, the deformation ability of the body 41 is enhanced, thereby facilitating plugging and removal of the fiber array unit 50. The groove 411 includes a first end 4111 and a second end 4113 arranged opposite to each other along the direction in which the base 31 and the core 11 are stacked. Compared with the second end 4113, the first end 4111 is arranged closer to the light engine 10 (shown in FIG. 3). The elastic arm 43 is fastened to the sidewall of the first end 4111 of the groove 411 and extends along the groove 411.

[0058] The number of elastic arms 43 is two, and the two elastic arms 43 are arranged on the main body 41 at an interval along the second direction (Y direction shown in FIG. 8 ). The fiber array unit 50 is clamped between the two elastic arms 43 to enhance the connection stability between the fiber array unit 50 and the coupling base 30. The elastic arms 43 can move from the main body 41 under force to increase the diameter of the opening between the two elastic arms 43, which makes it easier for the fiber array unit 50 to enter the hollow cavity 410 and improves the convenience of assembly of the optical interconnection system 1000.

[0059] It can be understood that the number of the elastic arms 43 is not limited in the present application, and there may be one, three, or more elastic arms 43.

[0060] The elastic arm 43 includes a connecting portion 431 and an abutting portion 433 connected to each other, and one end of the connecting portion 431 remote from the abutting portion 433 is fixedly connected to the main body 41. The abutting portion 43 elastically abuts against the fiber array unit 50, so that the limiting portion 40 limits the fiber array unit 50 on the coupling base 30, thereby reducing the possibility that the fiber array unit 50 moves relative to the coupling base 30 and preventing the fiber array unit 50 from being removed from the coupling base 30. The connecting portion 431 is fastened to a side wall of the first end 4111 of the groove 411 and extends along the groove 411. The abutting portion 433 is exposed from the second end 4113 of the groove 411 and extends toward the direction in which the fiber array unit 50 is positioned, in order to increase the force for clamping the fiber array unit 50 by the elastic arm 43.

[0061] In this implementation, the abutting portion 433 is a substantially S-shaped bent structure to enhance the elastic deformation ability of the elastic arm 43. The structure of the elastic arm 43 is not limited in the present application, and it can be understood to be, for example, a square structure. The position where the elastic arm 43 is disposed on the main body 41 is not limited in the present application. For example, the groove 411 may be omitted, and the elastic arm 43 may be directly disposed on the end of the main body 41 away from the light engine 10.

[0062] In this implementation, the limiting portion 40 is made of a metal material that is easy to form, the elastic arm 43 and the body 41 are integrated, the body 41 is bonded to the light engine 10 using adhesive, and the elastic arms 43 on both sides can be opened and closed using customized fasteners. When the fiber array unit 50 is plugged and removed, the elastic arm 43 moves from the body 41 under the force, and closes after the fiber array unit 50 is inserted into the body 41 and pluggably connected to the coupling base 30, fastening and pressing the fiber array unit 50. It can be understood that the materials of the elastic arm 43 and the body 41 may alternatively be different.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 6a and FIG. 9, the fiber array unit 50 includes a light guide base 51 and an optical fiber 53 fastened on the light guide base 51. The light guide base 51 is accommodated in the hollow cavity 410 of the limiting portion 40. The light guide base 51, the base 31, and the core 11 are sequentially arranged in a stacked manner. A second guide portion 515 (shown in FIG. 10) is arranged on the surface of the light guide base 51 facing the light engine 10. The second guide portion 515 and the first guide portion 33 are pluggably connected together and configured to guide the movement of the light guide base 51 relative to the coupling base 30 to perform guiding and locating when the fiber array unit 50 is pluggably connected to the coupling base 30 or the fiber array unit 50 is removed from the coupling base 30.

[0064] In this implementation, the first guide portion 33 (shown in FIG. 7) is a guide rod, the base 31 is provided with a through hole (not shown) formed through the first surface 311 and the second surface 313, into which a guide rod (e.g., a precision guide rod) is fastened, and the second guide portion 515 is a guide hole into which the guide rod is received, so that precise alignment and pluggable location between the fiber array unit 50 and the coupling base 30 is performed. The guide rod may be made of materials including, but not limited to, metal, glass, or ceramic, and the top side of the guide rod away from the base 31 has a chamfer to facilitate alignment and guiding of the plugging and removal assembly.

[0065] It may be understood that one of the first guide portion 33 and the second guide portion 515 is a guide rod, and the other of the first guide portion 33 and the second guide portion 515 is a guide hole, and the guide rod is pluggably connected to the guide hole. For example, in another implementation, the first guide portion 33 is a guide hole, and the second guide portion 515 is a guide rod.

[0066] It can be understood that the manner of pluggably connecting the fiber array unit 50 and the coupling base 30 is not limited in the present application. For example, the coupling base is provided with a chute, a sliding block is disposed on a side wall of the fiber array unit 50, and the sliding block is slidably disposed on the chute to implement a pluggable connection between the fiber array unit 50 and the coupling base 30.

[0067] A V-shaped groove or fastening hole may be provided in the light guide base 51, and the optical fiber 53 may be fastened to the V-shaped groove or fastening hole using adhesive. The optical channel formed by the first light conducting portion 13 of the light engine 10, the optical channel formed by the second light conducting portion 32, and the optical fiber 53 are aligned to form an optical path that can transmit light. The surface of the light guide base 51 facing the base 31 is treated using a grinding and polishing process. There are a plurality of optical fibers 53. The end face of the optical fiber 53 is optically grounded, and the end face of the optical fiber 53 is optically coupled to the second light conducting portion 32 on the base 31 of the coupling base 30, to receive an input optical signal and transmit an output optical signal.

[0068] The second guide portion 515 is disposed on the surface of the light guide base 51 facing the light engine 10, and the second guide portion 515 and the first guide portion 33 of the coupling base 30 can perform accurate alignment and restriction to ensure light path alignment and coupling during plugging and removal of the fiber array unit 50. An optical fiber connector (MT, LC, DLC, SC, etc.) can be disposed on the other end of the optical fiber 53 away from the base 31 to fasten an external optical fiber. The optical fiber 53 may also be connected to an external optical fiber by a splicing manner. In this implementation, the optical fiber of the optical fiber 53 of the fiber array unit 50 is a bent structure, and the bend angle of the optical fiber 53 is about 90°. It can be understood that in some implementations, the optical fiber 53 may be a linear structure.

[0069] In the process of assembling the fiber array unit 50 to the coupling base 30, no light needs to be passed through, and the insertion loss of the optical path does not need to be monitored, but a quick location is performed through the pluggable connection between the second guide part 515 and the first guide part 33, so that the preset mounting area of ​​the fiber array unit 50 is mounted to the preset mounting area of ​​the coupling base 30, that is, optical coupling is performed between the fiber array unit 50 and the optical engine 10 in a passive coupling manner. Therefore, the assembly efficiency of the fiber array unit 50 to the optical engine 10 is increased.

[0070] An abutment step 513 is arranged in a convex shape on the outer wall of the light guide base 51. When the fiber array unit 50 is inserted into the limiting portion 40 and pluggably connected to the coupling base 30, the abutment portion 433 of the elastic arm 43 abuts against the abutment step 513. The abutment step 513 is configured to limit the movement of the light guide base 51 relative to the body 41 so as to reduce optical loss during the transmission of the optical signal and further improve the reliability of the light engine assembly 103. In this implementation, the abutment step 513 extends along a third direction and is configured to limit the movement of the light guide base 51 relative to the body 41 along the third direction.

[0071] The assembly procedure for optical interconnect system 1000 is briefly described below.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 11 , the light engine 10 is disposed on the substrate 300. The light engine 10 is fastened to the substrate 300 using solder or adhesive. The electrical connection between the light engine 10 and the substrate 300 may be made through bonding with gold wires, for example, by using a high temperature reflow soldering process. It may be understood that pads may be disposed on the second mounting surface 113 on the light engine 10, and alternatively the electrical connection between the light engine 10 and the substrate 300 may be implemented by soldering between the pads on the light engine 10 and the substrate 300. In some implementations, the light engine 10 and the substrate 300 may be further fastened and connected by using a pluggable electrical connector.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 12, the coupling base 30 (shown in FIG. 6a), the limiting portion 40, and the fiber array unit 50 are assembled together, and active coupling is performed between the coupling base 30 and the light engine 10. For example, the light engine 10 generally includes one or more pairs of straight waveguides coupled to the fiber array unit 50, and one or more pairs of corresponding channels are disposed in the fiber array unit 50 corresponding to the straight waveguides. One of the channels of each pair is connected to an external light source, and the other is connected to an external optical power meter. During coupling, the link insertion loss is monitored online, and when the insertion loss is minimum, dispensing and curing of adhesive is performed between the coupling base 30 and the light engine 10, so that the alignment of the channels of the first light conducting portion 13 of the light engine 10, the channels of the second light conducting portion 32, and the channels of the fiber array unit 50 is performed. After the coupling base 30 and the light engine 10 are cured, the fiber array unit 50 is removed from the coupling base 30. The light engine 10, coupling base 30, and limiting portion 40 of another light engine assembly 103 (shown in FIG. 2) are disposed on the substrate 300 in a similar manner.

[0074] After the fiber array unit 50 is removed (as shown in FIG. 13), the optical engine 10, the coupling base 30, the limiting portion 40, and the substrate 300 form a pre-fabricated body, which is electrically connected to the system circuit board 2000 of the network device 3000 through reflow soldering.

[0075] After the other parts are assembled, the fiber array unit 50 is passively inserted into the limiting part 40. After the fiber array unit 50 is passively aligned with the coupling base 30, the assembly is complete (as shown in FIG. 1). If an optical fiber cut occurs again after the fiber array unit 50 is inserted, the fiber array unit 50 is removed and replaced.

[0076] During the electrical connection between the board and the optical engine and between the board and the system circuit board, the radio frequency performance and loss may need to be ensured by reflow soldering (soldering temperature is up to 260° C.). However, optical fibers and optical fiber connectors are not resistant to high temperatures and are prone to damage.

[0077] However, in the present application, the pre-interconnections between the optical array unit 50, the coupling base 30, and the optical engine 10 (i.e., the optical path alignment of the first optical conductive portion 13, the second optical conductive portion 32, and the fiber array unit 50 of the optical engine 10) are completed before the pre-fabricated body is soldered onto the system circuit board 2000 of the network device 3000. Similarly, the pre-interconnections between the optical engine 10, the coupling base 30, and the fiber array unit 50 are completed at the chip level. After the pre-interconnections between the optical array unit 50, the coupling base 30, and the optical engine 10 are completed, the fiber array unit 50 is removed, and then the substrate 300 of the pre-fabricated body is soldered onto the system circuit board 2000 of the network device 3000. After the pre-fabricated body is soldered onto the system circuit board 2000 of the network device 3000, the optical array unit 50 and the coupling base 30 are pluggably connected together. In this way, the possibility of damage to the fiber array unit 50 due to high temperatures generated when the optical interconnection system 100 is soldered to the system circuit board 2000 of the network device 3000 is reduced, thereby helping to reduce incompatibility issues between the electrical and optical bonding processes and reducing bonding difficulties.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, the structure of the optical interconnection system 1000 provided in the second implementation of the present application is almost the same as that of the optical interconnection system 1000 provided in the first implementation. The difference is that the substrate 300 includes a first substrate 301 and a second substrate 303 arranged in a stacked manner, an electrical switching chip 102 is arranged on a surface of the second substrate 303 remote from the first substrate 301, and an optical engine 10 is arranged on a surface of the second substrate 303 remote from the first substrate 301. The optical engine 10 is configured to convert an output electrical signal into an output optical signal, detect an input optical signal, and convert an input optical signal into an input electrical signal. In this implementation, the electrical switching chip 102 is electrically connected to the second substrate 303, and the optical engine 10 is electrically connected to the second substrate 303. The first substrate 301 is a substrate of a network device, and the second substrate 303 is an optical / electrical carrier substrate. It may be understood that, provided that the first substrate 301 is capable of carrying the second substrate 303 and the second substrate 301 is capable of carrying the optical engine assembly 103 and the electrical switching chip 102, the first substrate 303 is not limited to being a substrate for a network device and the second substrate 303 is not limited to being an optical / electrical carrier substrate.

[0079] Specifically, the optical fiber interface 400 and the external light source pool 109 are disposed on the first substrate 301, the optical fiber interface 400 is connected to the light engine assembly 103 using an optical fiber 201, the optical fiber interface 400 is connected to the external optical fiber 203, and the external light source pool 109 is connected to the fiber array unit 50 using the light source pool fiber 204.

[0080] The unmodulated laser emitted from the external light source pool 109 is transmitted through the light source pool fiber 204 to the fiber array unit 50 and coupled to the first light conducting portion (not shown) of the light engine 10. The output optical signal obtained through modulation by the light engine 10 is coupled to the optical fiber array 50, connected to the optical fiber interface 400 through the optical fiber 201, and further transmitted to the external optical fiber 203 to complete the transmission of the output optical signal.

[0081] An input optical signal transmitted from an external optical fiber 203 is coupled to the optical engine 10 using a fiber array unit 50 after being transmitted to the optical fiber 201 through an optical fiber interface 400. To complete the reception of the input optical signal, optical detection and optical-to-electrical conversion are implemented in the optical engine 10.

[0082] In the second implementation, the electrical switching chip 102 and the optical engine assembly 103 are disposed on the second substrate 303 to form a whole, thereby facilitating the assembly and disassembly of the optical interconnection system 1000. In addition, the optical engine 10 integrates the functions of converting an output electrical signal into an output optical signal, detecting an input optical signal, and converting an input optical signal into an input electrical signal. This helps to simplify the structure of the optical communication component 100, and further reduces the assembly difficulty and the cabling difficulty of the optical interconnection system 1000.

[0083] As shown in Figures 16 and 17, the difference between the optical engine assembly 103 provided in the third implementation form of the present application and the optical engine assembly 103 provided in the first implementation form is that optical coupling is performed in an edge coupling manner between the fiber array unit 50 and the optical engine 10.

[0084] More specifically, the light engine 10 includes a core 11 and a first light conducting portion 13 embedded in the core 11. The core 11 includes a first mounting surface 111, a second mounting surface 113, and a side surface 115. The first mounting surface 111 and the second mounting surface 113 are disposed opposite to each other, and the side surface 115 is connected between the first mounting surface 111 and the second mounting surface 113. The first mounting surface 111 is fastened to the substrate 300. The first light conducting portion 13 includes a light guide (not shown in the figure). A light guide surface of the light guide of the first light conducting portion 13 is located on the side surface 115 of the core 11 and configured to transmit light.

[0085] The step 1151 (shown in FIG. 18) is formed on the side surface 115 because the end surface treatment process of the light guide and the division process of the first light conducting portion 13 are inconsistent. As shown in FIG. 19, the coupling base 30 includes a base 31, a second light conducting portion 32, and a second guide portion 33. The base 31 includes a first surface 311 and a second surface 313 arranged opposite to each other. The mating step 3111 is arranged on the first surface 311, and the mating step 3111 is connected to the step 1151 (shown in FIG. 18) of the light engine 10 in a mating manner, thereby reducing the coupling difficulty and improving the joint reliability. The second light conducting portion 32 is built into the base 31, and the second light conducting portion 32 is optically coupled with the light guide surface of the first light conducting portion 13. The second guide portion 33 is arranged convexly on the second surface 313 , i.e. the second guide portion 33 is arranged convexly on the surface of the base 31 facing away from the light engine 10 .

[0086] In this implementation, the coupling base 30 and the fiber array unit 50 are arranged in a first direction (the X direction shown in FIG. 17), and the light engine 10 and the substrate 300 are arranged in a stacked manner in a third direction (the Z direction shown in FIG. 17).

[0087] The transmission of an output optical signal (solid line III shown in FIG. 18) is used as an example. The output optical signal is output from the fiber array unit 50 after passing through the first optical conducting part 13 and the coupling base 30. The transmission direction of the output optical signal is along the first direction. The transmission direction of light in the first optical conducting part 13 and the second optical conducting part 32 is parallel to the arrangement direction of the coupling base 31 and the fiber array unit 50, and the optical path formed by the second optical conducting part 32, the coupling base 30, and the fiber array unit 50 is not bent, and the optical loss in the optical path can be reduced.

[0088] 16, 17, 18, and 20, the light engine assembly 103 further includes a reinforcing pad 60. The reinforcing pad 60 is fastened to the core 11 of the light engine 10, and the reinforcing pad 60 is fastened to the first surface 311 of the base 31, i.e., the reinforcing pad 60 is fastened to the face of the base 31 away from the first guide portion 33. The light engine 10 is located between the reinforcing pad 60 and the substrate 300.

[0089] In this implementation, as shown in Figures 17 and 21, the limiting portion 40 is a metal spring. The limiting portion 40 includes a body 41 and an elastic arm 43 arranged in a manner connected to the body 41. The elastic arm 43 abuts against the fiber array unit 50, so that the limiting portion 40 limits the fiber array unit 50 on the coupling base 30, thereby preventing the fiber array unit 50 from being removed from the coupling base 30.

[0090] The main body 41 has a sheet structure. The main body 41 includes a first end 411 and a second end 413 that are arranged opposite to each other in the direction in which the base 31 and the core 11 are stacked (the X direction shown in FIG. 17). The first end 411 of the main body 41 is arranged close to the core 11. The elastic arm 43 includes a first elastic arm 435 and a second elastic arm 437. The first elastic arm 435 and the second elastic arm 437 both include a connecting portion 431 and an abutting portion 433, and the connecting portion 431 of the first elastic arm 435 is fixedly connected to the first end 411 of the main body 41. The connecting portion 431 of the second elastic arm 437 is fixedly connected to the second end 413 of the main body 41. The main body 41, the first elastic arm 435, and the second elastic arm 437 together surround a clamping space. The reinforcing pad 60, the coupling base 30, and the fiber array unit 50 are sequentially arranged in the clamping space. The abutting portion 433 of the first elastic arm 435 abuts against the base 31 of the coupling base 30 using the reinforcing pad 60, and the abutting portion 433 of the second elastic arm 437 abuts against the fiber array unit 50, so that the limiting portion 40 limits the fiber array unit 50 to the coupling base 30.

[0091] In this embodiment, the first elastic arms 435 and the second elastic arms 437 are arranged on the body 41 at intervals along the first direction. The number of the first elastic arms 435 is two, and the number of the second elastic arms 437 is two. The two first elastic arms 435 are arranged at the first end 411 of the body 41 at intervals along the second direction, and the two second elastic arms 437 are arranged at the second end 413 of the body 41 at intervals along the second direction. The light engine 10 is clamped by the two first elastic arms 435, and the light engine 10 is positioned between the two first elastic arms 435. The fiber array unit 50 is clamped by the two second elastic arms 437, and the fiber array unit 50 is positioned between the two second elastic arms 437.

[0092] Since the light engine 10, the coupling base 30, and the fiber array unit 50 are assembled together using the first elastic arm 435 and the second elastic arm 437 of the limiting portion 40, the connection stability between the coupling base 30 and the light engine 10 is further improved, thereby improving the stability of the optical path.

[0093] In this implementation, the optical fiber of the optical fiber 53 of the fiber array unit 50 has a linear structure. Since the optical fiber 53 does not need to be bent by 90 degrees, the optical path formed by the second light conducting portion 13, the coupling base 30, and the optical fiber 53 in the fiber array unit 50 extends along the first direction, thereby reducing optical loss.

[0094] The fiber array unit 50 may further include optical fiber tail sleeves (not shown) configured to fasten the pigtails of the optical fibers 53 to reduce stress on the optical fibers and reduce the risk of optical fiber cuts.

[0095] In this implementation, the reinforcing pad 60 is bonded to the core 11 (second mounting surface 113 and / or side surface 115) of the light engine 10 using an adhesive, and the reinforcing pad 60 is fastened to the first surface 311 of the base 31 using an adhesive. A receiving groove 62 is arranged on the surface of the reinforcing pad 60 facing the substrate 300, and the light engine 10 penetrates the receiving groove 62. By using the reinforcing pad 60, the contact area (e.g., bonding area) between the light engine 10 and the coupling base 30 is increased, so that the connection stability of the light engine 10 and the coupling base 30 is enhanced (e.g., the bonding force is increased), and the risk of the coupling base 30 falling off due to plugging and removing the fiber array unit 50 is reduced. In this implementation, in order to perform matching between the thermal expansion coefficients of the reinforcing pad 60 and the light engine 10, the material of the reinforcing pad 60 may be glass, or another material such as silicon or ceramic. During assembly, the coupling base 30 is first coupled to the light guide surface of the first light conducting portion 13 of the light engine 10 in an active coupling manner and fastened onto the stiffening pad 60 using an adhesive.

[0096] The assembly procedure for optical interconnect system 1000 is briefly described below.

[0097] 22, the light engine 10 is disposed on a substrate 300. The light engine 10 is fastened to the substrate 300 using solder or adhesive. The electrical connection between the light engine 10 and the substrate 300 can be made through bonding with gold wire, for example, by using a high temperature reflow soldering process.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 23, the stiffening pad 60 is fixedly sleeved on the light engine 10, the fiber array unit 50 and the coupling base 30 are pluggably connected together, and the coupling base 30 is attached to the light engine 10 in an active coupling manner. The light engine 10 generally includes one or more pairs of straight waveguides coupled to the fiber array unit 50, and one or more pairs of corresponding channels are disposed in the fiber array unit 50 corresponding to the straight waveguides. One of the channels of each pair is connected to an external light source, and the other is connected to an external optical power meter. During coupling, the link insertion loss is monitored online, and when the insertion loss is minimum, adhesive dispensing and curing is performed between the coupling base 30 and the light engine 10, so as to achieve alignment of the channels of the first light conducting portion 13 of the light engine 10, the channels of the second light conducting portion 32, and the channels of the fiber array unit 50. The light engine 10, bonding base 30, and stiffening pad 60 of another light engine assembly 103 (shown in FIG. 16) are disposed on the substrate 300 in a similar manner.

[0099] 24, the fiber array unit 50 is removed. After the fiber array unit 50 is removed, the entire component with the light engine 10 and the coupling base 30 may be connected to the substrate 300 through soldering or other methods.

[0100] 25, after the assembly of other parts is completed, the fiber array unit 50 is passively coupled to the coupling base 30, and the limiting part 40 uses a fastener to cover the reinforcing pad 60, the coupling base 30, and the fiber array unit 50, so that the reinforcing pad 60, the coupling base 30, and the fiber array unit 50 are fastened in the clamp space of the limiting part 40. This completes the final operation. If the optical fiber cut occurs again after the fiber array unit 50 is inserted, the fiber array unit 50 is removed and replaced.

[0101] It can be understood that the reinforcing pad 60 may be omitted, the elastic arm 43 includes a first elastic arm 435 and a second elastic arm 437, the connecting portion 431 of the first elastic arm 435 is connected to a first end of the main body 41 in a fastening manner, the connecting portion 431 of the second elastic arm 437 is connected to a second end of the main body 41 in a fastening manner, the main body 41, the first elastic arm 435, and the second elastic arm 437 cooperate to enclose a clamping space, the coupling base 30 and the fiber array unit 50 are accommodated in the clamping space, the abutting portion 433 of the first elastic arm 435 abuts against the coupling base 30, and the abutting portion 433 of the second elastic arm 437 abuts against the fiber array unit 50.

[0102] It should be understood that phrases such as "comprise" and "may include" as used in this application indicate the presence of a disclosed feature, operation, or component element, and not limit one or more additional features, operations, and component elements. In this application, terms such as "comprise" and / or "have" may be interpreted as representing a particular feature, quantity, operation, component, component, or combination thereof, but should not be interpreted as excluding the possible presence or addition of one or more other features, quantities, operations, components, components, or combinations thereof.

[0103] In addition, in this application, the term "and / or" includes any or all combinations of the words listed in the association. For example, the term "A and / or B" may include A, may include B, or may include both A and B.

[0104] In the present application, expressions including ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" may modify elements. However, such elements are not limited by the formula. For example, the above description does not limit the order and / or importance of the elements. The expressions are used only to distinguish one element from another element. For example, a first user equipment and a second user equipment indicate different user equipment, but the first user equipment and the second user equipment are both user equipment. Similarly, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and a second element may be referred to as a first element, without departing from the scope of the present application.

[0105] It should be understood that when a component "connects" or is "connected" to another component, the component may be directly connected or directly connected to the other component, or alternatively, there may be additional components between the component and the other component. In addition, it should be understood that when a component "connects" or is "directly connected" to another component, there are no components between them.

[0106] The above description is merely a specific implementation form of the present application, and the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any variations or replacements that are easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application shall fall within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 10 Light Engine 11 cores 13 First light conducting portion 30 Bond Base 31 Base 32 Second light conducting portion 33 First guide part 40 Restricted Part 41 Main unit 43 Elastic Arm 50 Fiber Array Unit 51 Light guide base 53 Optical Fiber 60 Reinforcement Pad 62 Storage Groove 100 Optical communication components 102 Electrical Switching Chip 103 Light Engine Assembly 109 External Light Pool 111 First mounting surface 113 Second mounting surface 115 Side 131 Optical waveguide 135 Refraction Members 201 Transmission end optical fiber 203 External transmission end optical fiber 204 Light source pool fiber 205 Receiving end optical fiber 207 External receiving end optical fiber 300 Substrates 301 First Substrate 303 Second Board 311 First Surface 313 Second Surface 400 Transmission end optical fiber interface 410 Hollow Cavity 411 Groove 413 Second End 431 Connection 433 Contact part 435 First Elastic Arm 437 Second Elastic Arm 513 Contact Step 515 Second guide part 600 Receiving end optical fiber interface 1000 Optical Interconnect Systems 1151 Steps 2000 System Circuit Board 3000 Network Devices 3111 Mating Step 4111 First end 4113 Second end

Claims

1. A light engine assembly comprising a light engine, a coupling base, and a fiber array unit, wherein the coupling base is fastened to the light engine, a first guide portion is disposed on the coupling base, a second guide portion is disposed on the fiber array unit, one of the first guide portion and the second guide portion is a guide rod, the other of the first guide portion and the second guide portion is a guide hole, the guide rod is pluggably connected to the guide hole, and the light engine is configured to perform conversion between optical signals and electrical signals; The optical signal input from the fiber array unit passes through the coupling base and reaches the optical engine, and / or the optical signal output by the optical engine passes through the coupling base and reaches and is output to the fiber array unit; the light engine comprises a core and a first light conducting portion disposed on the core, the coupling base further comprises a base and a second light conducting portion, the base is fastened to a surface of the core, the base and the core are arranged in a stacked manner, the second light conducting portion is embedded in the base, the first light conducting portion is optically coupled to the second light conducting portion, and the first guide portion is disposed on a surface of the base remote from the core; the light engine assembly further comprises a limiting portion, the limiting portion configured to limit a relative position between the fiber array unit and the coupling base; the limiting portion comprises a main body and an elastic arm arranged in a manner connected to the main body, the elastic arm comprises a first elastic arm and a second elastic arm, each of the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm comprises a connecting portion and an abutting portion connected to each other, the main body has a first end and a second end arranged opposite to each other in a direction in which the base and the core are stacked, the first end of the main body is arranged close to the core, the connecting portion of the first elastic arm is fixedly connected to the first end of the main body, and the connecting portion of the second elastic arm is fixedly connected to the second end of the main body, the main body, the first elastic arm, and the second elastic arm together surround a clamping space, The light engine assembly further includes a reinforcing pad, the reinforcing pad is provided with a receiving groove, the light engine is fastened together with the reinforcing pad through the receiving groove, and the base is fastened to the reinforcing pad; an optical engine assembly, wherein the coupling base, the fiber array unit and the reinforcement pad are accommodated in the clamp space, the abutment portion of the first elastic arm abuts against the reinforcement pad, the abutment portion of the second elastic arm abuts against the fiber array unit, and the reinforcement pad is positioned between the first elastic arm and the base.

2. 2. The light engine assembly of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a first mounting surface, a second mounting surface, and a side surface, the side surface being fixedly connected between the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface, the base is fastened to the first mounting surface, the first light conducting portion comprises an optical waveguide and a refractive member through which an optical path interconnection is made, the optical path interconnection being made through the refractive member and the second light conducting portion.

3. 2. The light engine assembly of claim 1, wherein the first light conducting portion includes a light guide, the light guide is embedded in the core, the core includes a first mounting surface, a second mounting surface, and a side surface, the side surface is fixedly connected between the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface, the first mounting surface is fixedly connected to a substrate, a light guide surface of the light guide is located on the side surface, the base is fastened to the side surface, and the second light conducting portion is optically coupled to the light guide surface of the light guide.

4. 2. The light engine assembly of claim 1, wherein the fiber array unit comprises a light guide base and an optical fiber fastened to the light guide base, the light guide base, the base, and the core are arranged sequentially in a stacked manner, an abutment step is arranged convexly on an outer wall of the light guide base, the second guide portion is arranged on a surface of the light guide base facing the base, and the elastic arm abuts against the abutment step.

5. 13. An optical interconnect system comprising a substrate, an electrical switching chip, and an optical engine assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the electrical switching chip is disposed on the substrate, the optical engine assembly is disposed on the substrate, and the electrical switching chip is electrically connected to an optical engine of the optical engine assembly.

6. 6. The optical interconnect system of claim 5, wherein the substrate comprises a first substrate and a second substrate arranged in a stacked manner, the electrical switching chip being disposed on a surface of the second substrate remote from the first substrate, and the optical engine being disposed on the surface of the second substrate remote from the first substrate.

7. A network device comprising a system circuit board and the optical interconnect system of claim 5, said optical interconnect system disposed on said system circuit board.

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