Optical Link Redundancy Lanes for LED-Based Error Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optical communication systems using lasers lack the additional lanes needed for error correction and redundancy, leading to reduced resilience and reliability, especially under burst error conditions, as they consume significantly more power compared to low-power semiconductor devices like LEDs.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a larger number of lanes in optical communication links driven by LEDs, utilizing these additional lanes for error correction code bits and redundancy, allowing for hitless recovery from faulty lanes without re-initializing the link, by using multiplexers, re-mappers, encoders, and redundancy controllers to manage data transmission and error correction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If lasers are used as optical source devices, then transmission speed and bandwidth are improved, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the optical source device parameter from laser to LED, accepting lower transmission speed in exchange for dramatically reduced power consumption. This parameter change enables the system to operate in power-constrained environments while maintaining functional data transmission capabilities.
2Reliability
If additional lanes are added for error correction and redundancy, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the optical communication link into multiple independent lanes, where some lanes are dedicated to data transmission and others to error correction and redundancy. This segmentation allows the system to achieve improved reliability through error correction codes and fault tolerance mechanisms while managing complexity through modular lane allocation and independent operation of each lane.
3Productivity
If more lanes are used for data transmission, then productivity is improved, but the ability to implement error correction and redundancy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements multi-functionality by designing the optical communication system to dynamically allocate lanes between data transmission and error correction/redundancy functions. The same physical infrastructure (optical cables and LEDs) serves dual purposes: maintaining high data transmission capacity while simultaneously providing robust error correction and fault tolerance capabilities through configurable lane assignment.
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
This approach enhances the resilience and reliability of optical communication systems by enabling effective error correction and redundancy management, maintaining link integrity under fault conditions without increasing power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
respective lanes among the plurality of lanes comprising respective fibers driven by respective light emitting diodes (LEDs)
Data Source
AI summary
A first communication device receives a set of bits for transmission over a plurality of lanes of an optical communication link. The optical communication link includes a larger number of lanes than a number of lanes needed to support transmission at a particular clock rate to provide a maximum speed supported by the optical communication link. The first communication device multiplexes the set of data bits for transmission over respective lanes and transmits the multiplexed set of bits over the lanes to a second communication device. The first communication device uses the larger number of lanes for transmission of error correction code bits in addition to the set of bits at the particular clock rate over the plurality of lanes at the maximum speed supported by the optical communication link and/or uses the larger number of lanes to provide one or more redundancy lanes in the optical communication link.