Optical Connector Expanded Beam Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current optical connectors for high-speed data transmission, such as those in telecommunications and data centers, face challenges with high optical loss and sensitivity to dust and contamination due to mechanical precision requirements, which increase costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
The development of expanded beam optical connectors with non-contact mating and low-cost injection molding, featuring a light coupling unit with curved surfaces that change the divergence of light and a light redirecting member to reduce mechanical precision needs and enhance resistance to dirt and damage, allowing for low optical loss and scalability to high channel counts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If physical contact connectors are used with polished fiber tips, then mechanical precision can be achieved, but dust on fiber tips greatly increases light loss
Solution Approach 1:
An expanded beam is introduced as an intermediary between the transmitting and receiving fiber cores. The beam expands to a diameter much larger than the core diameter, allowing light to travel through air or space without direct contact between fiber tips. This intermediary beam approach eliminates the dust contamination problem while maintaining optical coupling efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical connection transitions from a one-dimensional direct core-to-core contact to a three-dimensional expanded beam path. The light diverges from the transmitting core, travels through expanded space, and is then focused into the receiving core, adding spatial dimensions to the coupling path and eliminating the need for precise tip-to-tip alignment.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If expanded beam connectors are used with non-contact mating, then resistance to dust and contamination improves, but mechanical precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connector incorporates a light coupling unit that can rotate relative to the housing when the connector mates. This dynamic adjustment allows the optical axes of the transmitting and receiving connectors to be aligned even if the mechanical mating positions vary, compensating for manufacturing tolerances and reducing the need for extremely precise mechanical fabrication.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable light coupling unit provides a form of mechanical feedback where the orientation of the optical components can adjust during mating to achieve optimal alignment. This self-adjusting mechanism compensates for variations in manufacturing precision by allowing the system to find its optimal operating configuration after mating.
3Speed
If traditional optical connectors are used for 10 Gb/sec interconnects, then current performance requirements are met, but cost and complexity increase for 25 Gb/sec line rates
Solution Approach 1:
The connector design integrates multiple functions into a single structure: the housing provides mechanical support and alignment features, the light coupling unit handles optical beam manipulation and rotation for alignment compensation, and the overall design supports both 10 Gb/sec and 25 Gb/sec transmission rates. This multi-functional integration reduces the need for separate alignment mechanisms and simplifies the overall system.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector utilizes expanded beam parameters (beam diameter much larger than core diameter) and rotatable coupling unit parameters to achieve performance suitable for higher data transmission rates. By changing the optical beam parameters and allowing rotational adjustment, the connector can maintain low loss and alignment tolerance necessary for 25 Gb/sec operation without requiring proportionally higher mechanical precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
These connectors provide low optical loss, improved resistance to contamination, and reduced mechanical precision requirements, enabling cost-effective and high-performance connections suitable for backplane, front-plane, or mid-span applications with low insertion force and blind mating capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
the curved surface being configured to change a divergence of light from the optical waveguide such that light from the optical waveguide exits the connector having a second diameter greater than the first core diameter
Implementation Method 2
the light coupling unit rotates to a different second direction causing the optical waveguide to bend
Data Source
AI summary
A connector is disclosed that includes a housing and first and second attachment areas located in the housing and spaced apart from each other along the mating direction of the connector. The second, but not the first, attachment area is designed to move relative to the housing. The connector further includes an optical waveguide that is permanently attached to, and under a first bending force between, the first and second attachment areas. The connector also includes a light coupling unit located in the housing for receiving light from the optical waveguide and transmitting the received light to a mating connector along a direction different than the mating direction of the connector. The mating of the connector to the mating connector causes the optical waveguide to be under a greater second bending force between the first and second attachment areas.