Configurable Connector for Optical Buses.

Abstract

To provide a configurable connector for an optical bus.SOLUTION: The invention provides circuits, methods and apparatuses that can route signals for wireless communications throughout an electronic device in an efficient manner that can save space, reduce noise, improve coexistence and facilitate assembly. An example can route signals through an electronic device using a bus, ring or daisy-chain topology. The use of this topology can simplify routing, thereby saving space that can be used for additional functionality for the electronic device, and / or reducing the size of the electronic device. Fiber-optic segments can be used for signal routing to reduce the noise.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to configurable connectors for optical buses. [Background technology]

[0002] The number of different types of electronic devices on the market has increased enormously over the past few years, and the rate of adoption of new devices shows no signs of slowing. Devices such as tablets, laptops, desktops, all-in-one computers, smartphones, storage devices, wearable devices, portable media players, navigation systems, remote controls, and monitors have become ubiquitous.

[0003] These electronic devices often include radio circuitry. These radio circuitry may include receivers, transmitters, antennas, and other components that comply with wireless standards such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, mmWave, 3G, Long Term Evolution (LTE), 4G, and other standards. Some or all of these circuits may be repeated in one or more locations within the electronic device. For example, mmWave components may be located in two or more locations to avoid signal blockages that may occur when a user holds or otherwise manipulates the electronic device.

[0004] The increasing number of wireless standards supported by some electronic devices has led to routing bottlenecks in these electronic devices. Typically, a transceiver can include multiple interface connections, each connected in a star topology to one or more component sets of the supported wireless standards. This routing can be implemented using coaxial cable or other shielded conductors, resulting in space consumption within the electronic device. These conductors and their connections can generate noise that can couple throughout the electronic device. Reflections caused by termination mismatch can generate additional noise.

[0005] Furthermore, routing these coaxial and other conductors can be a difficult assembly process that can reduce yields and waste resources.

[0006] Therefore, what is needed are circuits, methods, and apparatus that can route signals for wireless communication throughout electronic devices in an efficient manner that saves space, reduces noise, improves coexistence, and is easy to assemble. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Thus, embodiments of the present invention may provide circuits, methods, and apparatus that can route signals for wireless communication throughout an electronic device in an efficient manner that saves space, reduces noise, improves coexistence, and is easy to assemble. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention may route signals through an electronic device using a bus, ring, or daisy-chain topology. The use of this topology may simplify routing, thereby saving space that may be used for additional functionality for the electronic device, reducing the size of the electronic device, or both. Compared to a star topology, which has conductors extending from a central location to various points within the electronic device, the ring topology used by embodiments of the present invention may be viewed as a single path that loops around the electronic device and has taps at each set of components for the wireless standard supported by the electronic device.

[0008] In these and other embodiments of the present invention, signals can travel from the electro-optical transceiver / baseband circuit (referred to herein as an electro-optical transceiver for simplicity) to components included for the air interface, and signals can travel from the components included for the air interface to other such components or to the electro-optical transceiver using fiber optic cables. For example, segments of fiber optic cable can each be used to connect two sets of components for the air interface. A first fiber optic segment can connect the first set of components to the electro-optical transceiver, a second fiber optic segment can connect the first set of components to the second set of components, and a third fiber optic segment can connect the second set of components to the third set of components. This can continue until each set of components is connected in a daisy chain, or a bus or ring topology. The fiber optic segments can be flexible to simplify assembly and routing throughout the electronic device.

[0009] In these and other embodiments of the present invention, an optical fiber segment can be connected to a set of components in a variety of ways. For example, the set of components can include or be associated with a bus connector. The bus connector can have a first optical port for connecting to a first optical fiber segment and a second optical port for connecting to a second optical fiber segment. The optical ports can include an optical fiber receptacle, a tethered connection to the optical fiber segment, or other types of optical fiber connections. As an example, a bus connector can include a first optical port having an optical fiber receptacle for receiving an optical fiber plug and a second optical port having a tethered optical fiber segment, where the optical fiber segment terminates in the optical fiber plug. The optical fiber plug can be plugged into an optical fiber receptacle of an adjacent bus connector or another bus connector to form part of a ring or daisy chain. This can result in a highly configurable topology in which bus connectors and corresponding components can be easily added, removed, or replaced. The bus connectors and corresponding components can be located around the periphery of the electronic device or elsewhere.

[0010] In these and other embodiments of the invention, each bus connector can be directly or indirectly connected to one or more components, including components for wireless circuitry such as receivers, transmitters, transceivers, antennas, and other components that comply with wireless standards such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, mmWave, 3G, Long Term Evolution (LTE), 4G, and other standards.

[0011] In these and other embodiments of the present invention, some of the processing normally performed by an electro-optical transceiver can be moved to some or all of the various bus connectors. This can help simplify the electro-optical transceiver. This can also provide a system in which different sets or configurations of wireless standards can be supported in an electronic device without having to redesign or modify the electro-optical transceiver for each configuration.

[0012] As an example, an electronic device may support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and LTE using a star topology. If millimeter-wave communication is added, two or more dual sets of components for millimeter-wave communication may need to be added to avoid interruptions caused by a user operating the electronic device. Each of these sets requires the electro-optical transceiver to include additional interface and support circuitry. In contrast, embodiments of the present invention can add two or more dual sets of components for millimeter-wave communication by adding two bus connectors and corresponding optical fiber segments. Furthermore, if the bus connector is appropriately refined, no changes to the electro-optical transceiver may be required to support millimeter-wave communication. Except for this, the bus connector may include functionality that can simplify the electro-optical transceiver and modifications that may need to be made to the electro-optical transceiver.

[0013] The optical fiber segments used can be short, on the order of one to several centimeters. As a result, simpler, lower-quality fiber optic cables can be used, thereby conserving resources. Given the wide bandwidth of fiber optic cables, embodiments of the present invention can support multiple data signals for transmission, multiple received data signals, and multiple control signals. These signals can be analog or digital signals, or a combination thereof.

[0014] The daisy chain or ring topology used by embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways. For example, the optical fiber segments can be split and connectors can be attached to each split of the segment. Other conductors, such as one or more wired conductors for carrying power, control signals, or other sources of power, bias lines, or signals, can be routed adjacent to or along with the optical fiber cable. For example, a disable signal can be included that removes power from the millimeter wave communication circuitry and corresponding bus connector when interrupted (e.g., by a user).

[0015] A bus connector can connect to one or more components for a wireless protocol in various ways. For example, the bus connector can have an electrical connector capable of providing and receiving analog and digital signals. The electrical connector can also provide power to the components. The components can be located inside the electronic device, the components can be external to the electronic device, or some can be internal and others external. An enclosure for the electronic device can include one or more holes or openings for analog signals, digital signals, and some or all of the power for and from the externally located components. The outer components can be coated or covered with a protective material. The material can be radio frequency transparent.

[0016] In these and other embodiments of the present invention, the bus connector may include various levels of complexity. For example, the bus connector may include optical add and optical drop circuits. The optical add circuit, or more simply, the optical add, may receive a signal from an associated component and provide it to a connected optical fiber segment in a direction toward the electro-optical transceiver. The added optical signal may be positioned in the frequency spectrum so as not to interfere with the electro-optical transceiver or other optical signals being provided from the electro-optical transceiver. The optical drop circuit, or more simply, the optical drop, may receive a signal from the electro-optical transceiver via an optical fiber segment connected in a direction away from the electro-optical transceiver. The drop signal may be removed, i.e., demultiplexed, and not provided to a subsequent bus connector in the daisy chain. The drop signal may be provided to a component associated with the bus connector.

[0017] In these and other embodiments of the present invention, it may be desirable to provide a drop signal to one or more subsequent bus connectors in the daisy chain. For example, data may be transmitted using two or more bus connectors and corresponding components. To provide this, a signal may be dropped by a first bus connector and added back by the first bus connector to be provided to a second bus connector. When two or more bus connectors and transmitters are used, it may be desirable to phase-shift the two transmit signals relative to each other. Therefore, the bus connectors may include one or more delay elements. Delay elements may also be included in the optical path between the bus connectors, for example, between the first bus connector and the second bus connector. This may be particularly useful for beamforming. The delay provided by the delay element may be set by an electro-optical transceiver, by the bus connector, by multiple bus connectors, by other circuitry, or by a combination of some or all of these circuits.

[0018] In these and other embodiments of the invention, it may be desirable to combine two or more received signals. For example, a first bus connector can be used to receive a first signal. A second bus connector can remove the first signal. The second bus connector can receive a second signal and add it to the first signal. The combined signal can be provided as an optical signal via a fiber optic signal to an electro-optical transceiver. Instead of combining the first and second signals at the second bus connector, the first and second signals can be provided to the electro-optical transceiver for combination and further processing.

[0019] These add, drop, and combine functions can be further expanded. For example, optical signal components of multiple frequencies can be dropped from a fiber optic cable by a bus connector. Two or more of these multiple frequencies can be combined and forwarded to an electro-optical transceiver or to another bus connector. One or more of these various frequencies can be delayed. These delays can be calculated by circuitry within one or more bus connectors to further reduce the workload on the electro-optical transceiver.

[0020] These and other embodiments of the present invention can use frequency maps to ensure that the frequencies of the optical signals do not interfere with each other. These maps can be configurable, and the assigned frequencies can change based on which radio circuits are active at a given time. Add and drop functions can be used to provide isolation between the frequencies carried on the fiber optic cable. The frequencies of the optical signals can be set by electro-optical transceivers, by bus connectors, by multiple bus connectors, by other circuits, or by a combination of some or all of these circuits.

[0021] Control signals can be handled in various ways in these and other embodiments of the present invention. For example, control signals can be added to or dropped from the fiber optic cable segment by the bus connector. Control signals can be carried on one or more separate wired connections routed along or near the fiber optic cable segment. Both optical signals and wired control signals can be used. These control signals can be processed within the bus connector to reduce the workload of the electro-optical transceiver. These control signals can be used to configure or reconfigure the bus connector and associated components, disable blocked receivers or transmitters, enter low-power states, and for other purposes. These control signals can be used to allocate various processing tasks between the electro-optical transceiver and circuitry within the bus connector. The control signals can control various processing tasks, such as protocol conversion and pre- and post-processing of control and measurement data received by the bus connector. The control signals can be used to set initial or updated states. The control signals can be used to set delays in delay elements and determine the frequencies of various optical signals.

[0022] Some control signals for startup and other times can be provided using wired conductors, allowing the bus connector to be configured without using optical paths. When optical paths are used for configuration, the initial configuration can be set using non-volatile memory, fuses, or other mechanisms.

[0023] A transmitter or receiver may be interrupted, for example, by a user's hand while holding the electronic device. A corresponding component can be used to detect such an interruption. The corresponding component can send a signal to the electro-optical transceiver to disable the corresponding connector to conserve power. A control module in the bus connector can also or instead detect the interruption. The control module can then turn off the bus connector and notify the electro-optical transceiver. In response to the detected interruption, the electro-optical transceiver can turn off some radio circuits and turn on other radio circuits. For example, a non-interrupted component can be turned on to replace the interrupted component.

[0024] In these and other embodiments of the invention, bus connectors and their associated components can be arranged in a variety of ways within the daisy chain. For example, bus connectors and components that handle very high frequency signaling can be placed closer to the electro-optical transceivers. This allows for the use of slower speed bus connectors later in the daisy chain, helping to conserve resources.

[0025] In these and other embodiments of the invention, unused bus connectors may be included to provide potential upgrades. Unused bus connectors that are not connected to associated components may be optically transparent, allowing optical signals to be repeated in each direction without processing.

[0026] These and other embodiments of the present invention may use different numbers of daisy chains and electro-optical transceivers, for example, one electro-optical transceiver may be connected to two, three, four or more daisy chains.

[0027] Embodiments of the present invention can provide routing and bus connectors for wireless interfaces that can be located in various types of devices, such as portable computing devices, tablet computers, desktop computers, laptops, all-in-one computers, wearable computing devices, smartphones or mobile phones, storage devices, portable media players, navigation systems, monitors, power supplies, adapters, remote control devices, chargers, and other devices.

[0028] Various embodiments of the present invention may incorporate one or more of these and other features described herein. A better understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention can be obtained by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 illustrates a bus, ring, or daisy chain topology for routing signals to a radio circuit, according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates a frequency map according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 illustrates a portion of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a bus connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a bus connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates two bus connectors that operate to transmit signals using two sets of wireless components at different locations within an electronic device. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates two bus connectors that operate to combine two signals received at different locations within an electronic device. [Figure 8]FIG. 2 illustrates control signal routing and processing for a bus connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a bus connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 illustrates a transmission path that may be used to transmit a signal by a bus connector, according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 illustrates a receive path that may be used to receive a signal by a bus connector, according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] Embodiments of the present invention may provide circuits, methods, and apparatus that can route signals for wireless communication throughout an electronic device in an efficient manner that saves space, reduces noise, improves coexistence, and is easy to assemble. One example is using a bus, ring, or daisy-chain topology to route signals through an electronic device. The use of this topology can simplify routing, thereby saving space that can be used for additional functionality for the electronic device, reducing the size of the electronic device, or both. Compared to a star topology, which has conductors extending from a central location to various points within the electronic device, the daisy-chain topology used by embodiments of the present invention can be viewed as a single path that loops around the electronic device and has taps for each set of components for the wireless standard supported by the electronic device.

[0031] 1 illustrates a bus, ring, or daisy chain topology for routing signals to radio circuitry according to one embodiment of the present invention. This diagram, as well as the other figures included therein, is shown for illustrative purposes and does not limit any of the possible embodiments of the invention or the scope of the claims.

[0032] Network 10 may include an electro-optical transceiver 140. The electro-optical transceiver 140 may include baseband circuitry, upconverters, downconverters, and other circuitry (not shown). Network 10 may further include several bus connectors 100 joined by optical fiber segments 120, each of which may be coupled to a corresponding set of components 190. That is, each connector may be directly or indirectly connected to one or more sets of components 190. Each set of components may include components for wireless circuitry, such as receivers, transmitters, transceivers, antennas, and other components that comply with wireless standards such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, mmWave, 3G, Long Term Evolution (LTE), 4G, and other standards.

[0033] In this example, a first optical fiber segment 120a can connect a first bus connector 100a to an electro-optical transceiver 140, a second optical fiber segment 120b can connect the first bus connector 100a to a second bus connector 100b, and a third optical fiber segment 120c can connect the second bus connector 100b to a third bus connector 100c. This can continue until each set of components is connected in a daisy chain, or bus or ring topology. The fiber optic cable can be flexible to simplify assembly and routing throughout the electronic device.

[0034] Signals can be provided by electro-optical transceivers 140 to one or more of the various bus connectors 100 via optical fiber segments 120. Each receiving bus connector 100 can provide an electrical signal to a corresponding set of components 190 using an electrical connector 110. Some or all of the bus connectors 100 can receive electrical signals from a corresponding set of components 190 using the electrical connector 110. These signals can be transmitted by the bus connectors 100 back through the network to the electro-optical transceivers 140 via optical fiber segments 120 and other bus connectors 100. The ends of the series of optical fiber segments 120 can be terminated with terminators 105 to prevent optical reflections. Alternatively, the last one of the bus connectors 100 can be self-terminating, i.e., can provide termination when no optical fiber segment is attached to an optical port.

[0035] As an example, a first optical signal carrying data to be transmitted by component 190b may be provided by the electro-optical transceiver 140 to the first bus connector 100a through the first optical fiber segment 120a. The first bus connector 100a may provide the first optical signal to the second bus connector 100b via the second optical fiber segment 120b. The second bus connector 100b may convert the first optical signal to an electrical signal and provide it to component 190b using the electrical connector 110b. The component 190b may then transmit data. Similarly, data may be received by component 190b. This data may be provided to the second bus connector 100b via the electrical connector 110b. The second bus connector 100b may modulate the received data onto a second optical signal and provide the second optical signal to the first bus connector 100a via the second optical fiber segment 120b. The second bus connector 100b can provide a second optical signal to the electro-optical transceiver 140 via the first optical fiber segment 120a.

[0036] The electro-optical transceiver 140 may include an electro-optical transceiver capable of providing optical signals to and receiving optical signals from the network of bus connectors 100. The electro-optical transceiver 140 may further include or be connected to signal processing circuitry 142. In these and other embodiments of the invention, some of the processing typically performed by the electro-optical transceiver 140 may be moved to some or all of the various bus connectors 100. This may help to simplify the electro-optical transceiver 140. This may also provide a system in which different sets or configurations of wireless standards may be supported in an electronic device without having to redesign or modify the electro-optical transceiver 140 for each configuration.

[0037] As an example, the electronic device 300 (shown in FIG. 3 ) can support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and LTE using a star topology. If mmWave communication is added, it may be necessary to add two or more dual sets of components 190 for mmWave communication to avoid interruptions caused by a user operating the electronic device 300. Each of these sets requires the electro-optical transceiver 140 to include additional interface and support circuitry. In contrast, embodiments of the present invention can add two or more dual sets of components for mmWave communication by adding two bus connectors 100 and corresponding optical fiber segments 120. Furthermore, if the bus connector 100 is appropriately refined, no changes to the electro-optical transceiver 140 may be required to support mmWave communication. Apart from this, the bus connector 100 includes functionality that can simplify any modifications that may need to be made to the electro-optical transceiver 140.

[0038] The electro-optical transceiver 140 may also provide control signals to one or more bus connectors 100 on lines 130. These control signals may provide configuration information, enable or disable the bus connectors 100, adjust the optical frequency ranges used by the add and drop circuits within the bus connectors, and other configuration, control, and measurement functions. Lines 130 may also be used to distribute power to one or more bus connectors 100.

[0039] In this example, each bus connector 100 is coupled between two other bus connectors 100, between another bus connector 100 and an electro-optical transceiver 140, or between another bus connector 100 and a terminator 105. In these and other embodiments of the invention, each bus connector can be connected in a cascade bus, ring, or daisy chain.

[0040] The optical fiber segment 120 can be short, on the scale of less than one to a few centimeters. As a result, a simpler, lower-quality optical fiber cable can be used, thereby conserving resources. Alternatively, a higher-quality optical fiber cable can be used, for example, if the optical fiber segment 120 is lower or reduced loss is desired. Given the wide bandwidth of optical fiber cable, embodiments of the present invention can support multiple data signals for transmission, multiple received data signals, and multiple control signals. These signals can be analog or digital signals, or a combination thereof. An example is shown in the following figure.

[0041] 2 illustrates a frequency map according to one embodiment of the present invention. This frequency map 200 can ensure that the frequencies of the optical signals do not interfere with each other. This frequency map 200 can be configurable, and the assigned frequencies can change based on which bus connectors 100 and corresponding radio components 190 are active at a given time. As will be shown below, add and drop functionality can be used to provide isolation between frequencies transmitted through the network of bus connectors 100.

[0042] Frequency map 200 is shown as a function of frequency 210. Control signals may be carried on digital or analog sub-channel 220, and transmit and receive data may be carried on digital or analog sub-channel 230. For example, signals transmitted using first bus connector 100a (shown in FIG. 1) may be conveyed as optical signals within the range shown as TX Signal 1, and signals received using first bus connector 100a may be conveyed as optical signals within the range shown as RX Signal 1 in digital or analog sub-channel 230. Control signals for first bus connector 100a and component 190a (shown in FIG. 1) may be conveyed as Panel 1 Control in digital or analog sub-channel 220. The relative placement and size of the frequency ranges are shown for illustrative purposes.

[0043] The bus connector 100 can connect to one or more components 190 (both shown in FIG. 1) for wireless protocols in a variety of ways. For example, the bus connector 100 can have an electrical connector 110 capable of providing and receiving analog and digital signals. The electrical connector 110 can also provide power to the components 190. The components 190 can be located inside the electronic device 300 (shown in FIG. 3), the components 190 can be external to the electronic device 300, or some can be internal and others external. An enclosure 310 (shown in FIG. 3) for the electronic device 300 can include one or more holes or openings 320 (shown in FIG. 3) for some or all of the analog signals, digital signals, and power for the externally located components 190. The outer components 190 can be coated or covered with a protective material 330. The protective material 330 can be radio frequency transparent. One example is shown in the following figure.

[0044] FIG. 3 illustrates a portion of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. A bus connector 100 can be located within an electronic device 300 inside a housing or enclosure 310. The bus connector 100 can receive optical signals from an electro-optical transceiver 140 and other bus connectors 100 using optical fiber segments 120. The bus connector 100 can receive control, configuration, power, and other signals from the electro-optical transceiver 140 (shown in FIG. 1) and other circuits and power sources (not shown) using wired conductors such as lines 130. The bus connector 100 can communicate with a component 190 using a digital signal line 112, an analog signal line 114, and a power line 116. Other lines, such as optical fiber lines (not shown), can also be used. The bus connector 100 can provide signals to the component 190, and the component 190 can provide signals to the bus connector 100 using some or all of the digital signal line 112, the analog signal line 114, the power line 116, and other included lines. Components 190 can be external to housing or enclosure 310 as shown, components 190 can be internal to housing or enclosure 310, or some of components 190 can be internal and others external. For example, mmWave and other elements can be internal and positioned to radiate through openings 320 or other cutouts in enclosure 310. Digital signal lines 112, analog signal lines 114, and power lines 116 can be routed through openings 320 in housing or enclosure 310. External components 190 can be coated or covered with a protective material 330. Protective material 330 can be radio frequency transparent.

[0045] In these and other embodiments of the present invention, the bus connector 100 can include various levels of complexity. For example, the bus connector 100 can include optical add circuitry 420 and optical drop circuitry 430 (shown in FIG. 4). The optical add circuitry 420 can receive signals from associated components and provide the signals to the connected optical fiber segment 120 in a direction toward the electro-optical transceiver 140. The added frequencies can be positioned within the frequency spectrum so as not to interfere with other optical signals being provided to or from the electro-optical transceiver 140. The optical drop circuitry 430 can receive signals from the electro-optical transceiver 140 via the connected optical fiber segment 120 in a direction away from the electro-optical transceiver. The dropped frequencies can be removed, i.e., not provided to subsequent bus connectors 100 in the daisy chain. The dropped frequencies can be provided to components associated with the bus connector 100. Examples are shown in the following two figures.

[0046] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a bus connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. The bus connector 100 can receive a first plurality of optical signals from the electro-optical transceiver 140 (shown in FIG. 1) on the optical fiber segment 120a. The bus connector 100 can include an optical component 400. The optical component 400 can include a multiplexer / demultiplexer 440 that can receive the first plurality of optical signals. The optical drop circuit 430 can extract or demultiplex a first optical signal within a first frequency range from the first plurality of optical signals and provide the extracted first optical signal to an optical-to-electrical converter 460. The optical-to-analog converter 462 and an optical-to-digital converter 464 can be included. The optical-to-electrical converter 460 can convert the first optical signal into a first electronic signal. That is, the optical-to-electrical converter 460 can receive the first optical signal, which can be a data signal modulated at a first frequency, and can demodulate the signal to a baseband frequency for transmission over a wired conductor. The first electronic signal may be provided to component 190 via electrical connector 110 (shown in FIG. 1 ). The first plurality of optical signals, from which the first optical signal has been removed, may be provided to multiplexer / demultiplexer 410, which may provide the remaining optical signals to optical fiber segment 120b.

[0047] In these and other embodiments of the invention, optical component 400 can be implemented as an optical phase shifter and other components. Other technologies, such as plasmonic components, can also or instead be used. Such technologies can be used to reduce the volume within a device consumed by optical component 400.

[0048] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a bus connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. The bus connector 100 can receive a second plurality of optical signals from one or more bus connectors 100 over the optical fiber segment 120b. The bus connector 100 can include an optical component 400. The optical component 400 can include a multiplexer / demultiplexer 410 that can receive the second plurality of optical signals. A second electronic signal can be received from the component 190 via the electrical connector 110 (shown in FIG. 1). The second electronic signal can be provided to an electrical-to-optical converter 450. The electrical-to-optical converter 450 can include an analog-to-optical converter 452 and a digital-to-optical converter 454. The electrical-to-optical converter 450 can convert the second electronic signal into a second optical signal. That is, the electrical-to-optical converter 450 can receive a first electrical signal and convert the first electrical signal into a modulated second optical signal for transmission over the optical fiber segment 120. The optical add circuit 420 may add or multiplex a second optical signal, which may be located within a second frequency range, to the second plurality of optical signals. The second plurality of optical signals, along with the second optical signal, may be provided to the multiplexer / demultiplexer 440, which may provide these optical signals to the optical fiber segment 120a.

[0049] In these and other embodiments of the invention, the optical fiber segment 120 can be connected to a set of components in a variety of ways. For example, the bus connector 100 can have a first optical port 117 for connecting to a first optical fiber segment 120a and a second optical port 118 for connecting to a second optical fiber segment 120b. The ports can include optical fiber receptacles, tethered connections to segments of fiber optic cable, or other types of optical fiber connections (not shown). As an example, the bus connector 100 can include the first optical port 117 with an optical fiber receptacle for receiving an optical fiber plug and the second optical port 118 with a tethered optical fiber segment 120b, which terminates in an optical fiber plug (not shown). The optical fiber plug can be plugged into the optical fiber receptacle of an adjacent or other bus connector 100 to form part of a ring or daisy chain. In another example, the bus connector 100 can include a second optical port 118 having a fiber optic receptacle for receiving a fiber optic plug, and a first optical port 117 having a tethered optical fiber segment 120a, which terminates in the fiber optic plug. The fiber optic plug can be plugged into the fiber optic receptacle of an adjacent or other bus connector 100 to form part of a ring or daisy chain. This can result in a highly configurable topology in which connectors and corresponding components can be easily added, removed, or replaced. The connectors and corresponding components can be located around the electronic device or elsewhere.

[0050] In these and other embodiments of the present invention, it may be desirable to provide a drop signal to one or more subsequent connectors in the daisy chain. For example, data may be transmitted using two or more bus connectors 100 and corresponding components 190. To provide this, a signal may be dropped by a first bus connector 100 and added back by the first bus connector 100 to be provided to a second bus connector 100. When two or more bus connectors 100 and transmitter components 190 are used, it may be desirable to phase shift the two transmit signals relative to each other. Accordingly, the bus connectors 100 may include one or more optical delay elements 620 (shown in FIG. 6). Optical delay elements 620 may also be included in the optical path between the connectors, for example, between the first bus connector 100 and the second bus connector 100. These delays may be set by control circuitry in the bus connectors 100, the electro-optical transceiver 140, or elsewhere. This may be particularly useful for beamforming. An example is shown in the following figure.

[0051] FIG. 6 illustrates two bus connectors operative to transmit signals using two sets of wireless components at different locations within an electronic device. Bus connector 100a can receive a first plurality of optical signals from electro-optical transceiver 140 on optical fiber segment 120a. Bus connector 100a can include optical components 400. Optical components 400 can include multiplexer / demultiplexer 440 that can receive the first plurality of optical signals. Optical drop circuit 430 can extract or demultiplex a first optical signal within a first frequency range from the first plurality of optical signals and provide the extracted first optical signal to optical splitter and amplifier 610. Optical splitter and amplifier 610 can provide the optical signal to optical delay element 620, which can provide the optical signal to optical-to-electrical converter 460. Optical-to-electrical converter 460 can include an optical-to-analog converter 462 and an optical-to-digital converter 464 (shown in FIG. 4). The optical-to-electrical converter 460 can convert the first optical signal into a first electronic signal. That is, the optical-to-electrical converter 460 can receive the first optical signal, which may be a data signal modulated at a first frequency, and can demodulate the signal to a baseband frequency for transmission over a wired conductor. The first electronic signal can be provided to the component 190 via the electrical connector 110 (shown in FIG. 1). A first plurality of optical signals, which are less than the first optical signal, can be provided to the optical add circuit 420. The optical add circuit 420 can receive the first optical signal from the optical splitter and amplifier 610 and provide the first plurality of optical signals to the multiplexer / demultiplexer 410, which can provide the first plurality of optical signals to the optical fiber segment 120b.

[0052] The first plurality of optical signals in optical fiber segment 120b may be delayed by time delay 650 and provided to optical fiber segment 120c. One or more bus connectors 100 may be connected between optical fiber segment 120b and optical fiber segment 120c. The first plurality of optical signals may be received by multiplexer / demultiplexer 440 in optical component 400 in bus connector 100b. Optical drop circuit 430 may extract or demultiplex a first optical signal within a first frequency range from the first plurality of optical signals and provide the extracted first optical signal to optical delay element 620, which may provide the extracted first optical signal to optical-to-electrical converter 460. Optical-to-electrical converter 460 may include optical-to-analog converter 462 and optical-to-digital converter 464 (shown in FIG. 4). Optical-to-electrical converter 460 may convert the first optical signal into a first electronic signal. That is, optical-to-electrical converter 460 can receive a first optical signal, which may be a data signal modulated at a first frequency, and can demodulate the signal to a baseband frequency for transmission over a wired conductor. The first electronic signal can be provided to component 190b via electrical connector 110 (shown in FIG. 1). The first plurality of optical signals, from which the first optical signal has been removed, can be provided to multiplexer / demultiplexer 410, which can provide the first plurality of optical signals, from which the first optical signal has been removed, to optical fiber segment 120d. In this manner, the first signal can be transmitted using both component 190a and component 190b. Component 190a and component 190b can be located in different locations.

[0053] In these and other embodiments of the present invention, it may be desirable to combine two or more received signals. For example, a first bus connector can be used to receive a first signal. A second bus connector can drop the first signal. The second bus connector can receive a second signal and add it to the first signal. The combined signal can be provided as an optical signal via a fiber optic signal to an electro-optical transceiver. Instead of combining the first and second signals at the second bus connector, the first and second signals can be provided to the electro-optical transceiver for combination and further processing.

[0054] FIG. 7 illustrates two bus connectors that operate to combine two signals received at different locations within an electronic device. Bus connector 100a can receive a second plurality of optical signals from one or more bus connectors 100 on optical fiber segment 120a. Bus connector 100a can include optical components 400. Optical components 400 can include a multiplexer / demultiplexer 440 that can receive the second plurality of optical signals. A first electronic signal can be received from component 190a via electrical connector 110 (shown in FIG. 1). The first electronic signal can be provided to an electrical-to-optical converter 450. The electrical-to-optical converter 450 can include an analog-to-optical converter 452 and a digital-to-optical converter 454 (shown in FIG. 5). The electrical-to-optical converter 450 can convert the first electronic signal into a first optical signal. That is, the electrical-to-optical converter 450 can receive the first electrical signal and modulate and convert it into a first optical signal for transmission over optical fiber segment 120b. The optical add circuit 420 may add or multiplex a first optical signal, which may be located within a first frequency range, to a second plurality of optical signals. The second plurality of optical signals, along with the second optical signal, may be provided to the multiplexer / demultiplexer 410, which may provide the remaining optical signals to the optical fiber segment 120b.

[0055] The second plurality of optical signals in optical fiber segment 120b may be delayed by time delay 730 and provided to optical fiber segment 120c. One or more bus connectors 100 may be connected between optical fiber segment 120b and optical fiber segment 120c. The first plurality of optical signals may be received by multiplexer / demultiplexer 440 in optical component 400 in bus connector 100b. Optical drop circuit 430 may drop or demultiplex the first optical signal and provide it to delay element 710. A second electronic signal may be received from component 190b via electrical connector 110 (shown in FIG. 1 ). The second electronic signal may be provided to electrical-to-optical converter 450. Electrical-to-optical converter 450 may convert the second electronic signal to a second optical signal and provide the second optical signal to delay element 710. Delay element 710 may provide the first optical signal and the second optical signal to optical combiner 720, which may add the first optical signal and the second optical signal. The sum may be provided to optical add circuit 420, which may provide it to electro-optical transceiver 140 via optical fiber segment 120d.

[0056] These add, drop, split, and combine functions can be further expanded. For example, optical signal components of multiple frequencies can be dropped from a fiber optic cable by a bus connector. Two or more of these multiple frequencies can be combined and forwarded to an electro-optical transceiver or another bus connector. One or more of these various frequencies can be delayed. These delays can be calculated by circuitry within one or more connectors to further reduce the workload on the electro-optical transceiver.

[0057] Control signals can be handled in various ways in these and other embodiments of the present invention. For example, control signals can be added to or dropped from the fiber optic cable segment by the bus connector. Control signals can be carried on one or more separate wired connections routed along or near the fiber optic cable segment. Both optical signals and wired control signals can be used. These control signals can be processed within the bus connector to reduce the workload of the electro-optical transceiver. These control signals can be used to configure or reconfigure the connector and associated components, disable blocked receivers or transmitters, enter low-power states, and for other purposes. These control signals can be used to allocate various processing tasks between the electro-optical transceiver and circuitry within the bus connector. The control signals can control various processing tasks, such as protocol conversion and pre- and post-processing of control and measurement data received by the bus connector. The control signals can be used to set initial or updated states.

[0058] Some control signals for startup and other times can be provided using wired conductors, allowing the bus connector to be configured without using an optical bus. When an optical bus is used for configuration, the initial configuration can be set using non-volatile memory, fuses, or other mechanisms.

[0059] FIG. 8 illustrates control signal routing and processing for a bus connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this example, control data, configuration data, measurement data, and other signals, or more simply, control data, can be provided to the bus connector 100 via optical fiber segment 120a, optical fiber segment 120b, or wired conductor line 130. The control data can be received by the bus connector 100 via optical fiber segment 120a from an electro-optical transceiver 140 (shown in FIG. 1), another bus connector 100, or another source. The control data can also be received from another bus connector 100 or another source via optical fiber segment 120b. The control data can be modulated onto the frequency of one of the digital or analog subchannels 220 (shown in FIG. 2) by the electro-optical transceiver 140 or other circuitry. The control data can be extracted or demodulated and converted to an electrical signal by optical drop circuit 430 and provided to optical-to-digital converter 820. The demodulated control data can then be provided to digital processing circuit 840. The output from the digital processing circuit 840 may be provided to the component 190 .

[0060] Control data, such as a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or other measurement data, may be generated by component 190. This data may be provided to digital processing circuitry 830. The output of digital processing circuitry 830 may be converted to an optical signal and modulated by digital-to-optical converter 810 onto the frequency of one of the digital or analog sub-channels 220. The optical control data may then be added by optical add circuitry 420 and provided to electro-optical transceiver 140, another bus connector 100, or other circuitry.

[0061] These control signals can be used to allocate various processing tasks between the electro-optical transceiver 140 and the circuitry within the bus connector 100. The control signals can control various processing tasks, such as protocol conversion and pre- and post-processing of control and measurement data received by the bus connector 100. The control signals can be used to set initial or updated states. The control signals can be used to set delays in delay elements and determine the frequencies of various optical signals. The frequencies of the optical signals can be set by the electro-optical transceiver 140, by the bus connector 100, by multiple bus connectors 100, by other circuitry, or by a combination of some or all of these circuits.

[0062] Control signals may also be received and provided on line 130 by connector control processing circuit 850. Connector control processing circuit 850 may configure the frequency of optical data transmitted and received by bus connector 100 by adjusting parameters of digital-to-optical converter 810 and optical-to-digital converter 820. Connector control processing circuit 850 may further program and configure digital processing circuit 830 and digital processing circuit 840.

[0063] The transmitter or receiver may be interrupted, for example, by a user's hand while holding the electronic device. A corresponding component can be used to detect such an interruption. The corresponding component can send a signal to the baseband to disable the corresponding connector and save power. A control module in the bus connector can also or instead detect the interruption. The control module can then turn off the bus connector and notify the electro-optical transceiver. The electro-optical transceiver can turn off some radio circuits and turn on other radio circuits in response to the detected interruption. For example, a non-interrupted component can be turned on to replace the interrupted component.

[0064] 9 illustrates a bus connector according to one embodiment of the present invention. Data may be transmitted wirelessly by bus connector 900 using a data-modulated optical transmit carrier and an unmodulated optical transmit carrier, which may be used to generate an antenna array response. The data-modulated optical transmit carrier may be received by optical drop circuit 430 and provided to component 990, while the unmodulated optical transmit carrier may be received by optical drop circuit 431 and provided to component 990. The unmodulated optical transmit carrier may be subtracted from the modulated optical transmit carrier by component 990 to generate an RF signal for transmission, as shown below in FIG. 10.

[0065] The unmodulated optical receive carrier may be received by optical drop circuit 432 and provided to component 990. The received RF signal may modulate the unmodulated optical receive carrier to generate a data-modulated optical receive carrier. The data-modulated optical receive carrier may be provided to optical add circuit 420, as shown in FIG. 11 below. In this manner, optical data received by bus connector 900 from component 990 may be added to an optical signal transmitted by bus connector 900 and provided to electro-optical transceiver 140 or other bus connector in network 10 (shown in FIG. 1) via first optical port 117 or second optical port 118.

[0066] Component 990 can be located inside housing or enclosure 310 (shown in FIG. 3 ) or on the exterior of enclosure 310. Component 990 can be inside enclosure 310 and positioned near opening 320 (shown in FIG. 3 ) or other opening or slot in enclosure 310 so that wireless signals can be transmitted and received. Component 990 can be located on the exterior of enclosure 310, and optical signals can be provided through opening 320. Bus connector 900 can be the same as or similar to bus connector 100, or bus connector 900 can differ from bus connector 100. For example, bus connector 900 can be simplified compared to bus connector 100. Bus connector 900 can be similar to bus connector 100 without electrical-to-optical converter 450 and optical-to-electrical converter 460.

[0067] FIG. 10 illustrates a transmit path that may be used to transmit a signal over a bus connector, according to one embodiment of the present invention. Transmit path 1000 may be implemented as part of component 990 (shown in FIG. 9). A data-modulated optical transmit carrier, OPTICAL TX DATA, may be combined with a phase-shifted, unmodulated optical transmit carrier (local oscillator signal), OPTICAL TX LO. The combined signal may illuminate a high-efficiency photodiode, such as a uni-traveling-carrier photodiode (UTC-PD), in a process called heterodyning. The nonlinear response of the UTC-PD may be used to generate a signal at a desired RF frequency f RF =f データ -f LO where f データ is the frequency of the data modulated optical transmission carrier, optical TX data, and f LO is the frequency of the unmodulated optical transmit carrier, optical TX LO.

[0068] The photodiodes 1014 and 1024, the phase shifters 1030 and 1032, and part of the optical distribution network can be co-located with the antenna array elements 1018 and 1028. The phase shifters 1030 and 1032 can be implemented with optical or plasmonic technology. Two optical drops for two optical carriers (one modulated and one unmodulated) can be used to generate data for transmission. Additional control circuitry, such as that shown in FIG. 8, is not shown here for simplicity.

[0069] While this example is described as having two photodiode paths, it may include three or more such paths. A data-modulated optical transmit carrier, optical TX data, may be received by optical drop circuit 430 (shown in FIG. 9) and provided to splitter 1010. Splitter 1010 may provide outputs to splitter 1012 and splitter 1022. An unmodulated optical transmit carrier, optical TX LO, may be received by optical drop circuit 431 (shown in FIG. 9) and provided to splitter 1020. Splitter 1020 may provide outputs to phase shifter 1030 and phase shifter 1032. The output of phase shifter 1030 may be provided to splitter 1012, which may provide an output to UTC-PD 1014. UTC-PD 1014 may drive antenna array elements 1018. The output of the phase shifter 1032 may be provided to a splitter 1022, which may provide an output to a PD 1024. The PD 1024 may drive an antenna array element 1028.

[0070] FIG. 11 illustrates a receive path that may be used to receive signals by a bus connector, according to one embodiment of the present invention. Receive path 1100 may be implemented as part of component 990 (shown in FIG. 9). This receiver may use one unmodulated optical receive carrier (or local oscillator signal) optical RX LO for upconversion. The unmodulated optical receive carrier may be split to many antenna elements to apply individual optical phase shifts to generate an antenna array response. The individually phase-shifted unmodulated optical receive carriers are modulated with the received and amplified RF signal to produce an optical frequency f 光 =f RF +f LO can be upconverted to, where f RF is the frequency of the received radio frequency (RF) signal, and f LO is the frequency of the unmodulated optical receive carrier. Signal upconversion can be performed via a Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM), which can be implemented with optical or plasmonic technology. The amplifiers, phase shifters, MZM, and part of the optical distribution network can be co-located with the antenna elements.

[0071] While this example is described as having two MZM paths, it may include three or more such paths. An unmodulated optical receive carrier, optical RX LO, may be received by optical drop circuit 432 (shown in FIG. 9) and provided to splitter 1110. Splitter 1110 may provide outputs to phase shifter 1112 and phase shifter 1122. Phase shifter 1112 may provide outputs to optical modulator 1114, which may be an MZM. Phase shifter 1122 may provide outputs to optical modulator 1124, which may also be an MZM. An RF signal may be received by antenna array 1116 and may drive the RF input of optical modulator 1114 via low-noise amplifier 1118. An RF signal may be received by antenna array 1126 and may drive the RF input of optical modulator 1124 via low-noise amplifier 1128. The outputs of optical modulator 1114 and optical modulator 1124 may be combined by splitter 1130, filtered by filter 1132, and provided as a data-modulated optical receive carrier, optical RX data, which may be provided to optical add circuit 420 (shown in FIG. 9).

[0072] In these and other embodiments of the invention, bus connectors and their associated components can be arranged in a variety of ways within the daisy chain. For example, bus connectors and components that handle very high frequency signaling can be placed closer to the electro-optical transceivers. This allows for the use of slower speed bus connectors later in the daisy chain, helping to conserve resources.

[0073] In these and other embodiments of the present invention, unused bus connectors 100 may be included to provide potential upgrades. Unused bus connectors 100 that are not connected to associated components may be optically transparent, allowing optical signals to be repeated in each direction without processing.

[0074] These and other embodiments of the present invention may use different numbers of daisy chain bus connectors 100 and electro-optical transceivers 140. For example, one electro-optical transceiver 140 may be connected to two, three, four or more daisy chains.

[0075] The daisy chain or ring topology used by embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways. For example, segments of the fiber optic cable can be split and bus connectors can be attached to each split of the segment. Other conductors, such as one or more wired conductors for carrying power, control signals, or other sources of power, bias lines, or signals, can be routed adjacent to or along with the fiber optic cable. For example, a disable signal can be included that removes power from the millimeter wave communication circuitry and corresponding bus connector when interrupted (e.g., by a user).

[0076] Embodiments of the present invention can provide routing and bus connectors for wireless interfaces that can be located in various types of devices, such as portable computing devices, tablet computers, desktop computers, laptops, all-in-one computers, wearable computing devices, smartphones or mobile phones, storage devices, portable media players, navigation systems, monitors, power supplies, adapters, remote control devices, chargers, and other devices.

[0077] It is understood that use of personally identifiable information should comply with generally recognized privacy policies and practices that meet or exceed industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. In particular, personally identifiable information data should be managed and handled in a manner that minimizes the risk of unintended or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of permitted uses should be clearly indicated to users.

[0078] The foregoing description of embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form described, as many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments have been chosen and described to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments, and with various modifications as may be suitable for the particular use contemplated. It is therefore to be understood that the invention is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. 1. A bus connector, comprising: a first optical port for receiving a first plurality of optical signals; a second optical port; and an optical multiplexer / demultiplexer coupled between the first optical port and the second optical port; a first optical drop circuit that drops a first optical signal from the first plurality of optical signals and provides the first optical signal; an optical-to-electrical converter that converts the first optical signal provided by the first optical drop circuit into a first electrical signal, the optical-to-electrical converter comprising an analog optical-to-electrical converter and a digital optical-to-electrical converter; an electrical connector that provides the first electrical signal.

2. The first optical port is further configured to transmit an optical signal, the electrical connector is further configured to receive a second electrical signal, and the bus connector is further configured to: an electrical-to-optical converter that converts the second electrical signal into a second optical signal; 2. The bus connector of claim 1, further comprising: a first optical add circuit that receives the second optical signal and adds the second optical signal to the first plurality of optical signals.

3. 3. The bus connector of claim 2, further comprising a tethered optical fiber segment connected at a first end to one of the first optical port and the second optical port.

4. 4. The bus connector of claim 3, further comprising an optical plug at a second end of said tethered optical fiber segment, said second end being opposite said first end.

5. 5. The bus connector of claim 4, further comprising a receptacle at the other of the first optical port and the second optical port.

6. 3. The bus connector of claim 2, wherein the first optical signal is removed from the first plurality of optical signals by optically demultiplexing a first frequency range and the second optical signal is added to the first plurality of optical signals by multiplexing a second frequency range, the first frequency range and the second frequency range being configurable.

7. The bus connector of claim 6, wherein the electrical-to-optical converter comprises an analog electrical-to-optical converter and a digital electrical-to-optical converter.

8. 10. The bus connector of claim 1, wherein components used in the first optical drop circuit include plasmonic components.

9. A network of radio circuits, a plurality of bus connectors, at least one of the bus connectors comprising the bus connector of claim 1; a plurality of optical fiber segments each coupled between a first optical port and a second optical port of two corresponding bus connectors of the plurality of bus connectors to form a daisy chain; a plurality of sets of wireless components, each set of wireless components connected to the electrical connector of a corresponding bus connector;

10. 10. The network of claim 9, wherein each said bus connector further comprises a multiplexer / demultiplexer circuit coupled between said first optical port and said second optical port.

11. 11. The network of claim 10, wherein each said bus connector further comprises a fiber optic receptacle coupled to one of said first optical port and said second optical port.

12. 12. The network of claim 11, wherein the other of the first optical port and the second optical port is coupled to one of the plurality of optical fiber segments.

13. 10. The network of claim 9, wherein each of the sets of wireless components is formed as a corresponding module in a set of modules.

14. 11. The network of claim 10, wherein each said bus connector further comprises an optical drop circuit and an optical add circuit coupled to said multiplexer / demultiplexer circuit.

15. The network of claim 9 , further comprising a cascade bus, ring, or daisy chain coupled to a first bus connector of the plurality of bus connectors.

16. 1. An electronic device comprising: an enclosure that at least partially houses the electronic device; a plurality of bus connectors each disposed within the enclosure; a plurality of optical fiber segments each coupled between a first optical port and a second optical port of two corresponding bus connectors of the plurality of bus connectors; a plurality of sets of wireless components, each set of wireless components connected to an electrical connector of a corresponding bus connector; an electro-optical transceiver coupled to a first bus connector of the plurality of bus connectors via a first optical fiber segment of the plurality of optical fiber segments; the plurality of sets of radio components comprises a first set of radio components for a first wireless standard and a second set of radio components for a second wireless standard, the first wireless standard being different from the second wireless standard; Electronic devices.

17. 17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein each said bus connector further comprises a multiplexer / demultiplexer circuit coupled between said first optical port and said second optical port.

18. 17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein each said bus connector further comprises: a first multiplexer / demultiplexer circuit coupled to said first optical port; a second multiplexer / demultiplexer circuit coupled to said second optical port; and an optical add-drop circuit coupled between said first multiplexer / demultiplexer circuit and said second multiplexer / demultiplexer circuit.

19. Each of the bus connectors is an optical-to-electrical converter that converts a first optical signal received by the bus connector into a first electrical signal; 17. The electronic device of claim 16, further comprising: an electrical-to-optical converter for converting a second electrical signal into a second optical signal to be transmitted by the bus connector.

20. 20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein each said bus connector further comprises an electrical connector for providing said first electrical signal and receiving said second electrical signal.

21. 17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the electro-optical transceiver is further coupled to a second bus connector of the plurality of bus connectors via a second optical fiber segment of the plurality of optical fiber segments.

22. 1. A bus connector, comprising: a first optical port for receiving a first plurality of optical signals; a second optical port; and an optical multiplexer / demultiplexer coupled between the first optical port and the second optical port; a first optical drop circuit that removes an unmodulated optical transmit carrier from the first plurality of optical signals and provides the unmodulated optical transmit carrier to a first plurality of components; a second optical drop circuit that removes a data-modulated optical transmit carrier from the first plurality of optical signals and provides the data-modulated optical transmit carrier to the first plurality of components; a third optical drop circuit that removes an unmodulated optical receive carrier from the first plurality of optical signals and provides the unmodulated optical receive carrier to the first plurality of components; an optical add circuit that receives a data-modulated optical receive carrier from the first plurality of components and adds the data-modulated optical receive carrier to the first plurality of optical signals.

23. 23. The bus connector of claim 22, wherein the first plurality of components comprises a transmit path and a receive path, the transmit path comprising a heterodyne circuit and the receive path comprising an optical modulator.

24. An electronic device comprising: an enclosure that at least partially houses the electronic device; a plurality of bus connectors disposed in the enclosure, each bus connector being configurable by a plurality of control signals; an electro-optical transceiver; a plurality of optical fiber segments coupling the plurality of bus connectors to form a daisy chain; and a first optical fiber segment coupling the electro-optical transceiver to a first bus connector of the plurality of bus connectors. a plurality of sets of wireless components, each set of wireless components connected to an electrical connector of a corresponding bus connector; Equipped with The electro-optical transceiver provides the plurality of control signals to the bus connector.

25. The electro-optical transceiver provides the plurality of control signals to the bus connector via the first optical fiber segment, the control signals providing configuration information.

25. The electronic device of claim 24.

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