Optical module, optical communication device, and optical communication system
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/CN2026/085260
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2025-04-15
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-10-22
Smart Images
Figure CN2026085260_22102026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Optical modules, optical communication equipment and optical communication systems
[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application filed on April 15, 2025, with application number 202510474082.1 and entitled "Optical Module, Optical Communication Equipment and Optical Communication System", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field
[0002] This application relates to the field of optical communication technology, and in particular to an optical module, optical communication equipment and optical communication system. Background Technology
[0003] With the development of communication technology, computing clusters are connected via optical switching equipment (such as optical cross-connect (OXC) devices) to reduce data transmission latency. However, since optical switching equipment lacks signal detection capabilities for high-speed services and lacks information transmission capabilities between the data transmitter and the optical switching equipment, its maintenance capabilities may be weak. Therefore, it is considered to load low-speed modulation signals onto high-speed service signals to transmit information, and to use optical devices on the optical switching equipment to resolve the low-speed modulation signals, which helps to improve the maintenance capabilities of the optical switching equipment.
[0004] In related technologies, a variable optical attenuator (VOA) is added to the optical module at the data transmission end to perturb the optical power, thereby achieving the function of power adjustment. However, since additional optical components are required in the optical module, this affects the module's integration level. Summary of the Invention
[0005] This application provides an optical module, optical communication equipment, and optical communication system that transmits modulation signals without adding optical components. The technical solution adopted is as follows:
[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides an optical module comprising a modulation encoding module, a first coupling module, a modulator, and a laser; the modulation encoding module is electrically connected to the first coupling module, the first coupling module is electrically connected to the modulator, and the modulator is located on the output optical path of the laser; the modulation encoding module is used to output a modulation signal; the first coupling module is used to superimpose the modulation signal, a service signal, and a driving signal of the modulator to obtain and output a coupled electrical signal, wherein the frequency of the modulation signal is lower than the frequency of the service signal; the laser is used to output an optical signal; and the modulator is used to modulate the coupled electrical signal onto the optical signal to output an optical signal modulated with the coupled electrical signal.
[0007] In the scheme shown in this application, the modulation encoding module outputs a modulation signal in the optical module. The first coupling module superimposes the modulation signal, the service signal, and the modulator's drive signal to obtain a coupled electrical signal. The modulator modulates this coupled electrical signal onto the optical signal output by the laser to output an optical signal modulated with the coupled electrical signal. This eliminates the need for additional optical components in the optical module, enabling the transmission of the modulation signal and improving the module's integration. It is easily implemented in pluggable, miniaturized optical modules. Furthermore, the use of an externally modulated modulator allows the optical module to be used in scenarios involving the transmission of high-speed service signals.
[0008] In one alternative approach, since it is easier to superimpose low-speed signals than high-speed signals, and the modulation signal is a low-speed signal, and the modulator's drive signal is a DC signal, which is also a low-speed signal, the first coupling module first superimposes the modulation signal and the drive signal to obtain a superimposed signal. Then, it superimposes this superimposed signal with the service signal to obtain and output the coupled electrical signal. In this way, the coupled electrical signal can be obtained by superimposing the high-speed signal and the low-speed signal only once, simplifying the structure of the first coupling module.
[0009] In one alternative approach, when the optical module is a multi-channel optical module, only some channels are capable of transmitting modulation signals, while others are not. Assume the optical module includes N channels. Within the module, there are M first coupling modules, N modulators, and N lasers, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and M is less than N. The M first coupling modules are electrically connected to the modulation encoding module. Each of the M first coupling modules corresponds one-to-one with one of the M modulators in the N modulators and is electrically connected. Each of the N modulators corresponds one-to-one with one of the N lasers and is located on the output optical path of the N lasers. The optical module also includes a multiplexer and NM second coupling modules. The multiplexer is located on the output optical path of each of the N modulators, and the NM second coupling modules correspond one-to-one with each of the N modulators excluding the M modulators and are electrically connected. The modulation encoding module outputs a modulation signal to each of the M first coupling modules. Each first coupling module superimposes the received service signal, the received modulation signal, and the received drive signal to obtain and output a first coupled electrical signal to the connected modulator. Similarly, each of the NM second coupling modules superimposes the received service signal and the received drive signal to obtain and output a second coupled electrical signal to the connected modulator. Each of the N lasers outputs an optical signal. Each modulator modulates the received coupled electrical signal onto the received optical signal to output an optical signal modulated with the coupled electrical signal. A multiplexer performs multiplexing on the optical signals from different modulators to output a multiplexed optical signal. Thus, in the optical module, M channels can be used to transmit modulation signals, while the remaining NM channels can be used without transmitting modulation signals. This allows the optical module to transmit modulation signals while minimizing the impact on the service signals of all channels, further reducing hardware complexity.
[0010] In one alternative approach, when the optical module is a multi-channel optical module, all channels are capable of transmitting modulation signals. Assume the optical module includes N channels. Within the optical module, there are N first coupling modules, modulators, and lasers, where N is an integer greater than 1. Each of the N first coupling modules is electrically connected to a modulation encoding module. Each of the N first coupling modules corresponds one-to-one with one of the N modulators and is electrically connected. Each of the N modulators corresponds one-to-one with one of the N lasers and is located on the output optical path of each of the N lasers. The optical module also includes a multiplexer located on the output optical path of each of the N modulators. The modulation encoding module outputs a modulation signal to at least one of the N first coupling modules. This at least one first coupling module performs superposition processing on the received service signal, the received modulation signal, and the received drive signal to obtain and output a coupled electrical signal to the connected modulator. Each of the N lasers outputs an optical signal. Each of the N modulators modulates the received coupled electrical signal onto the received optical signal to output an optical signal modulated with the coupled electrical signal. The multiplexer performs multiplexing processing on optical signals from different modulators to output a multiplexed optical signal. In this way, all N channels in the optical module can be used to transmit the modulation signal, so certain channels can be selected to transmit the modulation signal according to certain needs, so as to transmit the modulation signal more flexibly.
[0011] In one alternative approach, the microcontroller unit (MCU) in the optical module can select at least one first coupling module from N first coupling modules to transmit the modulation signal based on configuration information. Alternatively, the MCU can select at least one first coupling module from N first coupling modules to transmit the modulation signal based on the performance parameters of the channels where the N first coupling modules are located. The MCU controls the output of the modulation signal from the modulation encoding module to the at least one first coupling module. This allows for flexible selection of the coupling module for transmitting the modulation signal.
[0012] In one alternative approach, within a multi-channel optical module, to better understand the transmission performance of each channel, performance parameters indicating transmission performance can be determined for each channel. The optical module also includes N beam splitters and a detection module. The N beam splitters are all located on the input optical path of the detection module, corresponding one-to-one with the N modulators and located on the output optical paths of the N modulators. The N beam splitters are also located on the input optical path of a multiplexer. Each of the N beam splitters splits the optical signal from the modulator into a first optical signal and a second optical signal, outputting the first optical signal to the detection module and the second optical signal to the multiplexer. The detection module determines the performance parameters of the first optical signals from different beam splitters to obtain the performance parameters of the channels containing the N first coupling modules, and outputs these performance parameters to the MCU. The multiplexer performs multiplexing processing on the second optical signals from different beam splitters to output a multiplexed optical signal. Thus, by performing beam splitting detection on the optical signal sent by the modulator to obtain the performance parameters of the optical signal output by the modulator, the performance parameters of each channel can be obtained.
[0013] In one alternative approach, performance parameters include one or more of optical power, extinction ratio (ER), optical modulation amplitude (OMA), or transmitter dispersion eye closure quaternary (TDECQ). Optical power refers to the power of the optical signal; higher optical power indicates higher transmission quality. ER is the ratio of the average optical power at logic "1" levels to the average optical power at logic "0" levels in the optical signal. It reflects the ability to distinguish between high and low levels of the optical signal and directly affects receiver sensitivity and bit error rate; therefore, generally, a larger ER indicates better performance. OMA is the absolute difference in optical power between high and low levels; generally, a larger OMA indicates better performance. TDECQ quantifies the degree of eye closure of the signal under worst-case transmission channel conditions. A larger TDECQ value indicates a larger eye diagram margin under dispersion and other impairments, resulting in better channel transmission performance.
[0014] In one alternative approach, when performance parameters include optical power, the MCU selects the first coupling module in the channel with the highest optical power as the first coupling module for transmitting the tuning signal. This allows the channel with the best transmission quality to be selected for transmitting the tuning signal.
[0015] In one alternative approach, when the performance parameters include one or more of ER, OMA, or TDECQ, the transmission performance can be determined first based on one or more of ER, OMA, or TDECQ for each channel. Then, the first coupling module in the channel with the optimal transmission performance is selected as the first coupling module for transmitting the modulation signal. This allows for the selection of a channel with minimal impact on the service signal to transmit the modulation signal, thus reducing the influence of the modulation signal transmission on the service signal.
[0016] In one alternative approach, when at least one first coupling module transmitting the modulation signal comprises multiple first coupling modules, the modulation encoding module outputs the modulation signal carrying different information to be transmitted to different first coupling modules among the multiple first coupling modules. For example, one first coupling module transmits optical power, and another first coupling module transmits port information. In this way, the optical signals transmitted through different channels carry different information, enabling the transmission of more information.
[0017] In one alternative approach, the modulator is an electro-absorption modulator, a silicon photonic modulator, or a thin-film niobium lithium oxide modulator, wherein the electro-absorption modulator can be an electro-absorption modulator in an electro-absorption modulated laser (EML). This provides a variety of modulator options.
[0018] In one alternative approach, the tuning encoding module is located in the MCU within the optical module. Since the optical module typically contains an MCU for the operation and management of various functions, and the MCU has the ability to encode signals, this application can achieve the transmission of tuning signals without adding new optoelectronic devices, which simplifies the structure of the optical module and reduces its cost.
[0019] In one alternative approach, the circuit in the first coupling module that performs superposition processing on the superimposed signal and the service signal is a bias-T circuit.
[0020] Secondly, this application provides an optical communication device, which includes a device body and an optical module as described in the first aspect or an optional method of the first aspect, wherein the device body is plugged into the optical module.
[0021] Thirdly, this application provides an optical communication system, which includes an optical switching device and an optical communication device as described in the second aspect, wherein the optical switching device and the optical communication device are connected via optical fiber. Attached Figure Description
[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of communication between an optical module and an optical switching device provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;
[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an optical module provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;
[0024] Figure 3 is a waveform diagram of a superimposed signal provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;
[0025] Figure 4 is a waveform diagram of the coupled electrical signal provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;
[0026] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first coupling module provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;
[0027] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first coupling module and EML provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;
[0028] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another structure of an optical module provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;
[0029] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of another structure of an optical module provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;
[0030] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the first structure of a multi-channel optical module provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;
[0031] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a second structure of a multi-channel optical module provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;
[0032] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a third structure of a multi-channel optical module provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;
[0033] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the fourth structure of a multi-channel optical module provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;
[0034] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the fifth structure of a multi-channel optical module provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application.
[0035] The diagram illustrates the following: 1. Top-level encoding module; 2. First coupling module; 3. Modulator; 4. Laser; 5. Wave combiner; 6. Second coupling module; 7. Beam splitter; 8. Detection module; 9. MCU; 10. Control switch; 21. First coupling unit; 22. Second coupling unit. Detailed Implementation
[0036] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0037] In data centers, computing clusters are connected via optical switching equipment to reduce data transmission latency, cost, and power consumption. However, optical switching equipment lacks signal detection capabilities for high-speed services and the ability to transmit information between the data transmitter and the optical switching equipment, potentially weakening its operational capabilities. Therefore, loading low-speed modulation signals onto high-speed service signals and using optical devices on the optical switching equipment to resolve these low-speed modulation signals can help improve the operational capabilities of the optical switching equipment. A modulation signal is a low-speed signal achieved by perturbing the optical power of a signal at a specific frequency. The modulation signal differs from the perturbation signal on the modulator; the modulation signal needs to carry encoded information to achieve information transmission, while the perturbation information typically loaded on the modulator is for modulator locking and performance improvement, and does not have the ability to transmit information.
[0038] Referring to Figure 1, when the optical module at the data transmitting end sends a service signal to the optical module at the data receiving end, it sends the information to be transmitted to the optical switching equipment via a modulation signal. This information includes optical power, bit error rate (BER), and port information. The optical power includes the optical power of the optical signal received by the optical module and / or the optical power of the optical signal transmitted by the optical module. The BER is the bit error rate of the data carried on the optical signal received by the optical module. The port information refers to the port where the optical module is plugged into the data transmitting end. Using a low-speed detector on the optical switching equipment to detect this information, and then processing it, can effectively improve the operation and maintenance capabilities of the optical switching equipment. For example, the port information at the data transmitting end can be used to achieve automatic fiber discovery. In one example, this port information can be used to determine the optical module connected to the optical switching equipment. For example, by using optical power and / or bit error rate (BER), rapid fiber optic fault location can be achieved. In one example, when the optical power is the power of the optical signal transmitted by the optical module, the optical switching equipment will also detect the optical power of the optical signal it receives. If the difference between the two is too large, it is determined that the optical fiber transmitting the optical signal may be faulty. In another example, when the optical power is the power of the optical signal received by the optical module, if the optical power is too low, or if the difference between two consecutive optical power values is too large, it is determined that the optical fiber to which the optical signal transmitting that power belongs may be faulty. Furthermore, by repeatedly measuring the optical power and / or BER (where the optical power is the power of the optical signal received by the optical module, and the BER is the bit error rate of the data carried on the optical signal received by the optical module), the deflection angle of the optical signal received by the optical switching equipment can be adjusted in a closed loop to ensure a higher output optical power.
[0039] In one implementation, a VOA is added inside the optical module to transmit the modulation signal, thereby achieving the modulation function by minimizing the optical power. However, since additional optical devices need to be added inside the optical module, it will affect the integration of the optical module and is difficult to implement in pluggable miniaturized optical modules.
[0040] This application provides an optical module in which a modulation signal, a service signal, and a modulator drive signal are superimposed to obtain a coupled electrical signal. This coupled electrical signal is then modulated onto an optical signal to output an optical signal modulated with the coupled electrical signal. This eliminates the need for additional optical components in the optical module, enabling the transmission of the modulation signal, thus improving the module's integration and facilitating its implementation in a pluggable, miniaturized optical module. Furthermore, the use of an externally modulated modulator allows the optical module to be applied to scenarios involving the transmission of high-speed service signals.
[0041] The optical module in the embodiments of this application will now be described.
[0042] Referring to Figure 2, the optical module includes a tuning encoding module 1, a first coupling module 2, a modulator 3, and a laser diode (LD) 4. The tuning encoding module 1 is electrically connected to the first coupling module 2, and the first coupling module 2 is electrically connected to the modulator 3. The modulator 3 is located in the output optical path of the laser 4. In this embodiment, "electrical connection" refers to a connection via a wire.
[0043] The modulation encoding module 1 encodes the information to be transmitted into a digital signal, performs digital-to-analog conversion on the digital signal to obtain a modulation signal, and outputs the modulation signal to the first coupling module 2. The modulation signal is a low-frequency, small-amplitude modulated signal that can be superimposed on the service signal and is used to transmit auxiliary information, which is the information to be transmitted. This auxiliary information includes information assisting in the operation and maintenance of the optical switching equipment and / or information assisting in adjusting the deflection angle of the optical signal. For example, the information to be transmitted includes, but is not limited to, one or more of optical power, bit error rate, or port information. The optical power includes the optical power of the optical signal received by the optical module and / or the optical power of the optical signal transmitted by the optical module; the bit error rate is the bit error rate of the data carried on the optical signal received by the optical module; and the port information is the information of the port where the optical module is plugged into the data transmission end.
[0044] The first coupling module 2 receives a modulation signal, a service signal, and a drive signal from the modulator 3. The service signal carries service data. Both the modulation signal and the service signal are electrical signals. The service signal is a high-speed signal, while the modulation signal is a low-speed signal. The frequency of the modulation signal is lower than that of the service signal. For example, the frequency of the modulation signal is in the range of kHz to MHz, and the frequency of the service signal is in the range of GHz to THz. The drive signal, also known as a bias signal, can be a DC voltage signal. The first coupling module 2 performs superposition processing on the modulation signal, the service signal, and the drive signal to obtain a coupled electrical signal, which is then output to the modulator 3.
[0045] Laser 4 outputs a continuous optical signal to modulator 3. Modulator 3 receives the coupled electrical signal and modulates it onto the optical signal to obtain an optical signal modulated with the coupled electrical signal, thereby achieving modulation of the service signal and outputting the optical signal modulated with the coupled electrical signal.
[0046] It should be noted that the optical path between the laser 4 and the modulator 3 can be a spatial optical path or a waveguide (such as an optical fiber) optical path, and this application embodiment does not limit it.
[0047] In one alternative approach, low-speed signals are easier to superimpose. Since the tuning signal is a low-speed signal, and the drive signal is a DC signal, which is also a low-speed signal, the first coupling module 2 can first superimpose the tuning signal and the drive signal to obtain a superimposed signal, which is a low-speed signal. Then, the first coupling module 2 superimposes this superimposed signal with the service signal to obtain a coupled electrical signal. This simplifies the signal superposition process.
[0048] Figure 3 provides waveform diagrams of the superimposed signals. Figure 3(a) shows the waveform of the driving signal, which is a DC signal. Figure 3(b) shows the waveform of the tuning signal, which is a weaker signal with a lower frequency. Figure 3(c) shows the waveform of the superimposed signal. Figure 4 provides a waveform diagram of the coupled electrical signal, which is obtained by superimposing the superimposed signal shown in Figure 3(c) and the service signal shown in Figure 4(a). The waveform of this coupled electrical signal is shown in Figure 4(b). In Figures 3 and 4, the vertical axis represents amplitude, which can be either voltage amplitude (in volts) or current amplitude (in amperes). The horizontal axis represents time.
[0049] Figure 5 provides a schematic diagram of the first coupling module 2. It can be interconnected by wires to superimpose the driving signal and the tuning signal. The superimposed signal and the service signal need to be coupled together through circuits such as inductors and capacitors, for example, a bias-T circuit. The bias-T circuit includes an inductor (represented by L), a resistor (represented by R), a ferrite bead (B), and an alternating current (AC) coupling capacitor. The inductor and resistor are connected in parallel. After passing through the parallel inductor and resistor, the superimposed signal is superimposed with the service signal (after passing through the AC coupling capacitor) via the bead to obtain a coupled electrical signal. The ferrite bead is used to shield high-frequency signals. In this embodiment, the amplitudes of the two signals are directly added during superposition. Furthermore, this is only one possible implementation, and this embodiment is not limited to any particular implementation. For example, the circuit for superimposing the superimposed signal and the service signal can also be an operational amplifier circuit, etc.
[0050] Alternatively, the top-level adjustment signal and the service signal can be superimposed first, and then superimposed with the drive signal. Or, the service signal and the drive signal can be superimposed first, and then superimposed with the top-level adjustment signal.
[0051] In one alternative embodiment, the modulator 3 is an external modulator, which may be a silicon photonic modulator, a thin-film niobium lithium oxide modulator, or an electro-absorption modulator in an electro-absorption modulated laser (EML), etc., and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.
[0052] Optionally, if the modulator 3 is an electro-absorption modulator in the EML, Figure 6 also provides a schematic diagram of the connection between the first coupling module 2 and the EML. The EML includes a laser 4 (LD in Figure 6), capacitors, resistors (denoted by R), and electro-absorption (EA) devices, and their connections are shown in Figure 6.
[0053] Optionally, Figure 7 provides another structural schematic diagram of the optical module. Referring to Figure 7, the first coupling module 2 includes a first coupling unit 21 and a second coupling unit 22. The modulation encoding module 1 is electrically connected to the first coupling unit 21, the first coupling unit 21 is electrically connected to the second coupling unit 22, and the second coupling unit 22 is electrically connected to the modulator 3. The first coupling unit 21 performs superposition processing on the modulation signal and the drive signal to obtain a superimposed signal, and outputs the superimposed signal to the second coupling unit 22. The second coupling unit 22 performs superposition processing on the superimposed signal and the service signal to obtain a coupled electrical signal, and outputs the coupled electrical signal to the modulator 3. The first coupling unit 21 can be any unit that superimposes a DC signal and a low-speed signal, and the second coupling unit 22 can be any unit that superimposes a low-speed signal and a high-speed signal.
[0054] In an alternative approach, referring to Figure 8, the modulation encoding module 1 is located within the MCU9 of the optical module. Since the MCU9 itself has the capability to encode modulation signals, no additional optoelectronic devices are required, resulting in minimal structural modifications to the optical module and lower costs.
[0055] In one alternative approach, the service signal is sent to the first coupling module 2 by the optical digital signal processor (ODSP) in the optical module. For example, the ODSP encodes the service data to be transmitted into a service signal and sends the service signal to the first coupling module 2. Alternatively, the optical module may not have the capability to encode service signals, and the service signal is sent to the optical module by the data transmitter connected to the optical module.
[0056] In one alternative approach, the optical module is a multi-channel optical module, with different channels using different wavelengths. Some channels can transmit modulation signals, meaning channels that do not transmit modulation signals may not have the ability to superimpose them. Figure 9 provides a schematic diagram of the first structure of the multi-channel optical module. Referring to Figure 9, the optical module has N channels, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2. There are N modulators 3 and N lasers 4, and M first coupling modules 2, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The M first coupling modules 2 are electrically connected to the modulation encoding module 1. Each of the M first coupling modules 2 corresponds one-to-one with one of the M modulators 3 in the N modulators 3 and is electrically connected. That is, in the M first coupling modules 2, each first coupling module 2 is electrically connected to one modulator 3, and different first coupling modules 2 are electrically connected to different modulators 3. In the N modulators 3, each modulator 3 corresponds to one laser 4 and is located on the output optical path of that laser 4. Different modulators 3 correspond to different lasers 4. The optical module also includes a multiplexer 5 and NM second coupling modules 6. The multiplexer 5 is located on the output optical path of each modulator 3. The NM second coupling modules 6 correspond one-to-one with the modulators 3 except for M modulators 3, and are electrically connected. Figure 9 illustrates this with M equal to 1 and N equal to 4 as an example, meaning that one channel has the ability to transmit modulated signals, while the other three channels do not.
[0057] In Figure 9, the drive signals for different modulators 3 may be different, and are shown as drive signal a, drive signal b, drive signal c, and drive signal d in Figure 9. The service signals for different channels are generally different, but they are all high-speed service signals.
[0058] The modulation encoding module 1 outputs a modulation signal to each of the M first coupling modules 2. Each first coupling module 2 receives the modulation signal, as well as the service signal and drive signal of its channel. The drive signal is the drive signal of the modulator 3 of its channel. Each first coupling module 2 performs superposition processing on the received signals to obtain a first coupled electrical signal, and outputs the first coupled electrical signal to the modulator 3 it is connected to.
[0059] Each of the NM second coupling modules 6 does not receive the modulation signal, but it does receive the service signal and drive signal of its channel. The received service signal and drive signal are superimposed to obtain the second coupled electrical signal, which is then output to the connected modulator 3. The second coupling module 6 can be implemented using a bias-T circuit or other circuits, which will not be elaborated here.
[0060] Each of the N lasers 4 outputs an optical signal, and the wavelengths of the optical signals output by different lasers 4 are different. Each modulator 3 receives only a first or a second coupled electrical signal, modulates the received coupled electrical signal onto the received optical signal to obtain an optical signal modulated with the coupled electrical signal, and outputs the optical signal modulated with the coupled electrical signal. A multiplexer 5 performs multiplexing processing on the optical signals from different modulators 3 to obtain a multiplexed optical signal, which is output through one optical port of the optical module. The multiplexed optical signal is transmitted in optical fiber to reach the optical switching equipment. The multiple wavelengths of the optical signal transmitted through this one optical port can be understood as a wavelength group, or the multiple channels corresponding to this one optical port can be understood as a channel group.
[0061] In the optical module shown in Figure 9, the modulation signal is transmitted in M channels. In another implementation, when M is greater than or equal to 2, the modulation signal can be transmitted in at least one of the M channels. The first coupling module 2 in the other channels, although capable of transmitting the modulation signal, may not transmit it. The specific channel selected for transmitting the modulation signal can be determined based on configuration information or actual transmission performance. For example, when M equals 2, two channels constitute the primary and backup channels for transmitting the modulation signal. In the event of a failure of the primary channel, the backup channel is used to transmit the modulation signal. The method for determining the channel for transmitting the modulation signal based on actual transmission performance is described later and will not be repeated here.
[0062] Optionally, in the optical module shown in Figure 9, to better understand the transmission performance of each channel, each channel can be tested. Referring to Figure 10, which provides a second structural schematic of the multi-channel optical module, the optical module also includes N beam splitters 7 and a detection module 8. The N beam splitters 7 correspond one-to-one with the N modulators 3, and each beam splitter 7 is located on the output optical path of one modulator 3. Different beam splitters 7 are located on the output optical paths of different modulators 3. A multiplexer 5 is located on the output optical path of each beam splitter 7, and the detection module 8 is located on the output optical path of each beam splitter 7. The connection between the beam splitter 7 and the modulator 3 can be a waveguide (e.g., optical fiber) optical path or a spatial optical path. Similarly, the connection between the beam splitter 7 and the multiplexer 5 can be a waveguide (e.g., optical fiber) optical path or a spatial optical path. The connection between the beam splitter 7 and the detection module 8 can also be a waveguide (e.g., optical fiber) optical path or a spatial optical path. This embodiment does not limit the specific connection.
[0063] The optical signal output from each modulator 3 enters a beam splitter 7. Each beam splitter 7 splits the received optical signal into a first optical signal and a second optical signal. The first and second optical signals are split according to power, and the splitting ratio can be set according to actual needs, such as a splitting ratio of 5:95. Each beam splitter 7 outputs the first optical signal to the detection module 8 and the second optical signal to the multiplexer 5. The detection module 8 has photoelectric conversion function and optical power detection function, and also has the ability to calculate ER, OMA, or TDECQ. It converts the first optical signal into an electrical signal and determines the performance parameters of the first optical signal. In this way, the transmission performance of each channel can be obtained through the performance parameters of each first optical signal. The multiplexer 5 performs multiplexing processing on the second optical signals from different beam splitters 7 to obtain a multiplexed optical signal, which is then output.
[0064] Optionally, performance parameters include one or more of optical power, ER, OMA, or TDECQ. Optical power refers to the power of the first optical signal; the higher the optical power, the better the transmission quality of the channel. ER refers to the ratio of the average optical power at logic "1" levels to the average optical power at logic "0" levels in the first optical signal. OMA refers to the absolute difference in optical power between high and low levels of the first optical signal; the higher the ER and OMA, the better the transmission performance of the channel. TDECQ is used to quantify the eye diagram closure degree of the signal under the worst conditions of the transmission channel; the higher the TDECQ value, the greater the eye diagram margin of the signal under impairments such as dispersion, and the better the channel transmission performance.
[0065] Optionally, the service signal received by the second coupling module 6 is sent by the ODSP in the optical module, or by the data transmitter plugged into the optical module.
[0066] In one alternative approach, the optical module is a multi-channel optical module, where different channels use different wavelengths, but the devices in different channels have the same structure. Figure 11 provides a schematic diagram of a third structure for a multi-channel optical module, using an example where N equals 4. Referring to Figure 11, the optical module is an N-channel module, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2. There are N first coupling modules 2, modulators 3, and lasers 4. The N first coupling modules 2 are electrically connected to the modulation encoding module 1. Each of the N first coupling modules 2 corresponds one-to-one with and is electrically connected to one of the N modulators 3. That is, each of the N first coupling modules 2 is electrically connected to one modulator 3, and different first coupling modules 2 are electrically connected to different modulators 3. Each of the N modulators 3 corresponds to one laser 4 and is located on the output optical path of that laser 4. Different modulators 3 correspond to different lasers 4. The optical module also includes a multiplexer 5, which is located on the output optical path of each modulator 3.
[0067] In Figure 11, the drive signals for different modulators 3 are different, and are shown as drive signal a, drive signal b, drive signal c, and drive signal d in Figure 11. The service signals for different channels are generally different, but they are all high-speed service signals.
[0068] The modulation encoding module 1 outputs a modulation signal, which is then sent to at least one of the N first coupling modules 2. This at least one first coupling module 2 receives the modulation signal, as well as the service signal and drive signal of the channel it belongs to. The drive signal is the drive signal of the modulator 3 of the channel. The at least one first coupling module 2 performs superposition processing on the received signals to obtain a first coupled electrical signal, which is then output to the connected modulator 3. Optionally, the MCU 9 in the optical module controls the output of the modulation signal from the modulation encoding module 1 to be sent to the at least one first coupling module 2.
[0069] If there is a first coupling module 2 that does not receive the modulation signal, the first coupling module 2 will also receive the service signal and drive signal of the channel it is in, and perform superposition processing on the received service signal and drive signal to obtain the second coupling electrical signal, and output the second coupling electrical signal to the connected modulator 3.
[0070] Each of the N lasers 4 outputs an optical signal, and the wavelengths of the optical signals output by different lasers 4 are different. Each modulator 3 receives a coupled electrical signal and modulates it onto the received optical signal to obtain a modulated optical signal, which is then output. A multiplexer 5 performs multiplexing on the optical signals from different modulators 3 to obtain a combined optical signal, which is then output and transmitted in an optical fiber to an optical switching device.
[0071] Optionally, in the optical module shown in Figure 11, to better understand the transmission performance of each channel, each channel can be tested, as shown in Figure 12. Figure 12 provides a fourth structural schematic diagram of the multi-channel optical module. In Figure 12, the optical module also includes N beam splitters 7 and a detection module 8. The N beam splitters 7 correspond one-to-one with the N modulators 3, and each beam splitter 7 is located on the output optical path of one modulator 3. Different beam splitters 7 are located on the output optical paths of different modulators 3. A multiplexer 5 is located on the output optical path of each beam splitter 7, and the detection module 8 is located on the output optical path of each beam splitter 7.
[0072] The optical signal output from each modulator 3 enters a beam splitter 7. Each beam splitter 7 splits the received optical signal into a first optical signal and a second optical signal. The first and second optical signals are split according to power, and the splitting ratio can be set according to actual needs, such as a splitting ratio of 5:95. Each beam splitter 7 outputs a first optical signal to a detection module 8 and a second optical signal to a multiplexer 5. The detection module 8 converts each received first optical signal into an electrical signal, determines the performance parameters of the first optical signal, obtains the performance parameters of each channel of the first optical signal, and sends the performance parameters of each channel to the MCU 9. The MCU 9 receives the performance parameters of each channel. The multiplexer 5 performs multiplexing processing on the second optical signals from different beam splitters 7 to obtain a multiplexed optical signal, which is then output.
[0073] Optionally, the detection module 8 may include N detection units, each corresponding one-to-one with one of the N beam splitters 7, and located on the output optical paths of the N beam splitters 7. Different detection units are used to detect the first optical signal output by different beam splitters 7.
[0074] Optionally, performance parameters include one or more of optical power, ER, OMA, or TDECQ.
[0075] Optionally, when multiple channels are capable of transmitting modulation signals, the MCU9 can select at least one channel from the N channels to transmit the modulation signals based on configuration information. For example, if the optical module is connected to a network management device, the optical module receives configuration information from the network management device. This configuration information indicates the channel used to transmit the modulation signals, and the MCU9 determines that the first coupling module 2 in that channel is the first coupling module 2 for transmitting the modulation signals.
[0076] Alternatively, the MCU9 can use the performance parameters of each channel to select at least one channel from N channels to transmit the modulation signal. In this way, the MCU9 can select the channel that provides the best quality modulation signal for transmission, or the channel that causes the least service impairment. Three options are provided below:
[0077] Method 1: When performance parameters include optical power, the MCU9 sorts the optical power of multiple channels from highest to lowest, selects the top K optical power channels (K being an integer greater than or equal to 1), and determines the first coupling module 2 of the channel containing these K optical power channels as the first coupling module 2 for transmitting the tuning signal. For example, if K equals 1, the first coupling module 2 of the channel with the highest optical power is selected as the first coupling module 2 for transmitting the tuning signal. This allows for the selection of channels with better optical power to improve the transmission quality of the tuning signal.
[0078] Method Two: When the performance parameters include one of ER, OMA, and TDECQ, MCU9 determines that performance parameter as the transmission performance. When the performance parameters include multiple of ER, OMA, and TDECQ, MCU9 performs weighted processing on these multiple parameters to obtain the transmission performance. MCU9 sorts the transmission performance of multiple channels in descending order of performance, selects the top K transmission performance parameters, and determines the first coupling module 2 of the channel to which these K transmission performance parameters belong as the first coupling module 2 for transmitting the modulation signal. In this way, the channel with better transmission performance can be selected to reduce the impact of modulation processing on the service signal.
[0079] Method 3: When the performance parameters include optical power, as well as at least one of ER, OMA and TDECQ, all the contents of the performance parameters can be weighted to obtain a weighted value. The MCU9 sorts the weighted values of multiple channels in descending order of weighted value, selects the top K weighted values, and determines the first coupling module 2 in the channel to which the K weighted values belong as the first coupling module 2 for transmitting the modulation signal.
[0080] By using methods one through three, the performance parameters of each channel within the optical module can be obtained through internal detection. Based on these performance parameters, a suitable channel can be selected to transmit the modulation signal, without relying on the interaction between optical modules.
[0081] Optionally, in the optical module, it is possible to periodically determine whether to re-determine the channel for transmitting the modulation signal based on the performance parameters of each channel, that is, to determine at least one first coupling module for transmitting the modulation signal.
[0082] Alternatively, upon receiving new configuration information, at least one first coupling module for transmitting the tuning signal may be redefined.
[0083] Alternatively, if a better channel is determined based on the performance parameters of each channel, at least one first coupling module for transmitting the modulated signal can be redefined. For example, the channel with the highest optical power may change, or the channel with the best transmission performance may change.
[0084] Optionally, when at least one first coupling module 2 includes one first coupling module 2, the top adjustment encoding module 1 is electrically connected to N first coupling modules 2 through a single-pole N-throw switch. When transmitting a top adjustment signal to a certain first coupling module 2, the MCU9 controls the single-pole N-throw switch to close, so that the line between the top adjustment encoding module 1 and the first coupling module 2 is connected, thereby enabling the top adjustment signal output by the top adjustment encoding module 1 to be sent to the first coupling module 2.
[0085] Optionally, Figure 13 provides a fifth structural schematic diagram of the multi-channel optical module. Referring to Figure 13, a control switch 10 is provided between the tuning encoding module 1 and each first coupling module 2. Each control switch 10 is used to control whether its corresponding line is open or closed. The MCU9 is electrically connected to all control switches 10. When transmitting the tuning signal through the target first coupling module, the MCU9 controls all control switches 10 connected to the target first coupling module to close, so that the line between the target first coupling module and the tuning encoding module 1 is open, and the tuning signal output by the tuning encoding module 1 can be sent to the target first coupling module.
[0086] Alternatively, the tuning encoding module 1 includes N tuning encoding units, each corresponding one-to-one with one of the N first coupling modules 2, and they are electrically connected. When transmitting the tuning signal through the target first coupling module, the MCU9 controls the tuning encoding unit connected to the target first coupling module to output the tuning signal, so that the target first coupling module receives the tuning signal. Here, the tuning signal output by each tuning encoding unit carries the same transmission information.
[0087] Optionally, when at least one first coupling module 2 includes multiple first coupling modules 2, the tuning signals received by the multiple first coupling modules 2 are the same, that is, the channels to which the multiple first coupling modules 2 belong transmit the same information. The optical switching device can obtain the information to be transmitted from an optical signal of any wavelength.
[0088] Optionally, when at least one first coupling module 2 includes multiple first coupling modules 2, the modulation encoding module 1 outputs multiple modulation signals. These multiple modulation signals use different signal carrier frequencies and transmit different information. For example, one modulation signal has a signal carrier frequency of 100kHz and carries optical power information, while another modulation signal has a signal carrier frequency of 120kHz and carries port information, etc. The modulation encoding module 1 outputs different modulation signals to different first coupling modules 2 among the multiple first coupling modules 2. The optical switching equipment obtains the information to be transmitted from optical signals of different wavelengths. Here, some of the multiple modulation signals may also use the same signal carrier frequency and transmit the same information.
[0089] In this case, the top-level coding module 1 includes N top-level coding units, which correspond one-to-one with N first coupling modules 2 and are electrically connected. Each top-level coding unit can output a top-level signal, and among the N top-level coding units, there are top-level coding units that output top-level signals carrying different transmission information.
[0090] The preceding text used the case where the optical module includes one transmit optical port as an example. An optical module may include multiple transmit optical ports. For other types of optical ports, please refer to the previous description, which will not be repeated here.
[0091] In one alternative approach, when the bit error rate (BER) is carried in the modulation signal, the optical receiving component of the optical module receives an optical signal from another optical module, converts the optical signal into an electrical signal, performs transimpedance amplification and limiting amplification on the electrical signal, and then outputs it to the ODSP. The ODSP determines the BER and sends it to the MCU9. Alternatively, the ODSP processes the electrical signal and sends it to the optical communication device connected to the optical module. The optical communication device determines the BER and sends it to the MCU9 of the optical module. The MCU9 then sends the BER to the modulation encoding module 1.
[0092] In one alternative approach, when the optical power is carried in the modulation signal, the optical receiving component of the optical module receives the optical signal sent by other optical modules, converts the optical signal into an electrical signal, determines the optical power of the optical signal, and sends the optical power to the MCU9. The MCU9 then sends the optical power to the modulation encoding module 1.
[0093] In this embodiment, the modulation signal, drive signal, and service signal are superimposed, modulated onto the optical signal, and output to achieve modulation processing of the service signal. This eliminates the need for additional optical components in the optical module to transmit the modulation signal, improving the module's integration and reducing costs. Furthermore, the modulator 3 uses external modulation, enabling simultaneous transmission of high-speed service signals and modulation signals. This allows it to be adapted to high-speed optical modules with modulators, meeting the needs of high-speed interconnect scenarios such as computing clusters.
[0094] The preceding description used an optical module as an example. This application also provides an optical communication device, which includes a device body and any of the optical modules described above. The device body is plugged into the optical module, and provides service signals or data to be transmitted to the optical module.
[0095] In another implementation, the optical module is integrated into the optical communication device rather than plugged into it. In this case, the optical communication device is a co-packaged optics (CPO) optical communication device, which has the functions of the optical module mentioned above.
[0096] The optical communication system in the embodiments of this application will now be described.
[0097] This application also provides an optical communication system, which includes an optical communication device and an optical switching device. The optical module of each optical communication device is connected to the optical switching device through a single optical fiber. The single optical fiber is used for both transmitting and receiving optical signals by the optical module. Alternatively, the optical module of each optical communication device can be connected to the optical switching device through two optical fibers, one fiber for transmitting optical signals and the other fiber for receiving optical signals.
[0098] Furthermore, the preceding text used the example of an optical module sending information to an optical switching device via a tuning signal for illustration. However, an optical module can send information to any device via a tuning signal, and this application embodiment does not impose any limitations on this.
[0099] In this embodiment of the application, the modulation signal is a frequency modulation modulation signal, an amplitude modulation modulation signal, or a multi-carrier amplitude modulation signal.
[0100] All of the above-mentioned optional technical solutions can be combined in any way to form the optional embodiments of this application, and will not be described in detail here.
[0101] In this application, the terms "first" and "second," etc., are used to distinguish identical or similar items that have substantially the same function and purpose. It should be understood that there is no logical or temporal dependency between "first" and "second," nor does it limit the quantity or order of execution. It should also be understood that although the following description uses the terms "first" and "second," etc., to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by the terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of various examples, a first optical signal can be referred to as a second optical signal, and similarly, a second optical signal can be referred to as a first optical signal. Both the first and second optical signals can be optical signals, and in some cases, they can be separate and distinct optical signals.
[0102] "At least one" in the preceding text can be understood as one or more. "A and / or B" in the preceding text can be understood as including three cases: A and B, and A and B.
[0103] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and such modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. An optical module, characterized in that, The optical module includes a top-level coding module, a first coupling module, a modulator, and a laser; the top-level coding module is electrically connected to the first coupling module, the first coupling module is electrically connected to the modulator, and the modulator is located on the output optical path of the laser. The top adjustment encoding module is used to output the top adjustment signal; The first coupling module is used to superimpose the modulation signal, the service signal and the modulator drive signal to obtain and output a coupled electrical signal, wherein the frequency of the modulation signal is lower than the frequency of the service signal; The laser is used to output optical signals; The modulator is used to modulate the coupled electrical signal onto the optical signal to output an optical signal modulated with the coupled electrical signal.
2. The optical module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first coupling module is used to superimpose the adjustment signal and the driving signal to obtain a superimposed signal; The superimposed signal and the service signal are superimposed to obtain and output the coupled electrical signal.
3. The optical module according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first coupling module consists of M units, and the modulator and the laser each consist of N units, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and M is less than N. M first coupling modules are electrically connected to the top-level encoding module. Each of the M first coupling modules corresponds to one of the M modulators in the N modulators and is electrically connected. Each of the N modulators corresponds to one of the N lasers and is located on the output optical path of the N lasers. The optical module also includes a multiplexer and NM second coupling modules. The multiplexer is located on the output optical path of each of the N modulators. The NM second coupling modules correspond one-to-one with the modulators other than the M modulators among the N modulators and are electrically connected. The top-adjustment encoding module is used to output the top-adjustment signal to each of the M first coupling modules; Each of the first coupling modules is used to superimpose the received service signal, the received modulation signal, and the received drive signal to obtain and output a first coupled electrical signal to the connected modulator. Each of the NM second coupling modules is used to superimpose the received service signal and the received drive signal to obtain and output a second coupled electrical signal to the connected modulator. Each of the N lasers is used to output an optical signal; Each modulator is used to modulate the received coupled electrical signal onto the received optical signal to output an optical signal modulated with the coupled electrical signal, wherein the received coupled electrical signal is either a first coupled electrical signal or a second coupled electrical signal. The combiner is used to combine optical signals from different modulators to output a combined optical signal.
4. The optical module according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first coupling module, the modulator, and the laser are all N in number, where N is an integer greater than 1. Each of the N first coupling modules is electrically connected to the modulation encoding module. Each of the N first coupling modules corresponds one-to-one with and is electrically connected to one of the N modulators. Each of the N modulators corresponds one-to-one with one of the N lasers and is located on the output optical path of each of the N lasers. The optical module also includes a multiplexer, which is located on the output optical path of each of the N modulators. The top-adjustment encoding module is used to output a top-adjustment signal to at least one of the N first coupling modules; The at least one first coupling module is used to superimpose the received service signal, the received modulation signal, and the received drive signal to obtain and output a coupled electrical signal to the connected modulator. Each of the N lasers is used to output an optical signal; Each of the N modulators is used to modulate the received coupled electrical signal onto the received optical signal, so as to output an optical signal modulated with the coupled electrical signal. The combiner is used to combine optical signals from different modulators to output a combined optical signal.
5. The optical module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The microcontroller unit in the optical module is used to select at least one first coupling module from the N first coupling modules based on configuration information; or... The microcontroller unit is used to select at least one first coupling module from the N first coupling modules based on the performance parameters of the channels where the N first coupling modules are located; The microcontroller unit is also used to control the top-adjustment encoding module to output a top-adjustment signal to the at least one first coupling module.
6. The optical module according to claim 5, characterized in that, The optical module also includes N beam splitters and a detection module. The N beam splitters are all located on the input optical path of the detection module. The N beam splitters correspond one-to-one with the N modulators and are located on the output optical path of the N modulators. The N beam splitters are all located on the input optical path of the multiplexer. Each of the N beam splitters is used to split the optical signal from the modulator into a first optical signal and a second optical signal, output the first optical signal to the detection module, and output the second optical signal to the multiplexer. The detection module is used to determine the performance parameters of the first optical signals from different splitters, so as to obtain the performance parameters of the channels where the N first coupling modules are located, and output the performance parameters to the microcontroller. The multiplexer is used to perform multiplexing processing on second optical signals from different optical splitters to output a multiplexed optical signal.
7. The optical module according to claim 6, characterized in that, The performance parameters include one or more of the following: optical power, extinction ratio, optical modulation amplitude, or emission dispersion eye diagram closed four phases.
8. The optical module according to claim 7, characterized in that, The performance parameters include optical power, and the microcontroller unit is used to determine the first coupling module in the channel with the maximum optical power as the first coupling module for transmitting the tuning signal; or... The performance parameters include one or more of the following: extinction ratio, optical modulation amplitude, or emission dispersion eye diagram closed four phases. The microcontroller unit is used to determine the transmission performance of each channel based on one or more of the following: extinction ratio, optical modulation amplitude, or emission dispersion eye diagram closed four phases. The first coupling module in the channel with the best transmission performance is determined as the first coupling module for transmitting the modulation signal.
9. The optical module according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that, The at least one first coupling module includes a plurality of first coupling modules; The tuning encoding module is used to output tuning signals carrying different information to be transmitted to different first coupling modules among the plurality of first coupling modules.
10. The optical module according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The modulator is an electroabsorption modulator, a silicon photonic modulator, or a thin-film niobium lithium oxide modulator.
11. The optical module according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The top-level encoding module is located in the microcontroller unit of the optical module.
12. The optical module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The circuit in the first coupling module that performs superposition processing on the superimposed signal and the service signal is a bias-T circuit.
13. An optical communication device, characterized in that, The optical communication device includes a device body and an optical module as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the device body is plugged into the optical module.
14. An optical communication system, characterized in that, The optical communication system includes an optical switching device and the optical communication device as described in claim 13.