Optical Receiver Dual Power Pins Lower Consumption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional communication networks face challenges in reducing power consumption and heat dissipation, especially in portable applications, as transmitters and receivers consume significant current even when inactive, leading to reduced battery life and LED longevity.
Innovation Solution
A communication network with a dual power supply system, where a lower power supply is used for an activity detector to selectively power up the network only when activity is detected, and a higher power supply is enabled for the remaining circuitry, reducing overall power consumption and allowing for periodic calibration and diagnostic testing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the network interface is powered continuously to ensure immediate responsiveness, then the system can respond instantly to communication activity, but power consumption increases significantly reducing battery life
Solution Approach 1:
The activity detector is powered up in advance and continuously monitors for communication activity before the main network interface is activated. This preliminary detection allows the system to wake up the full network interface only when needed, achieving fast response to actual communication while avoiding continuous power consumption of the entire interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The network interface is segmented into two functional parts: an always-on activity detector that consumes minimal power, and a main network interface that is powered up only when activity is detected. This segmentation allows the system to maintain responsiveness through the detector while reducing overall power consumption by keeping the main interface dormant during idle periods.
2Reliability
If high current is supplied to the transmitter and receiver to ensure optimal performance, then communication quality is improved, but heat dissipation increases causing the optical link to darken and become opaque
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply to the network interface is made dynamic rather than static. The system adjusts power delivery based on actual communication needs: high current is supplied only when activity is detected and the interface is active, while low or zero current is supplied during idle periods. This dynamic power management maintains communication quality during operation while preventing excessive heat dissipation that would damage the optical link.
3Duration of action of moving object
If the network remains powered during inactive periods to maintain readiness, then the system can immediately handle communication requests, but battery life is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The activity detector performs preliminary monitoring of the communication channel using minimal power. When it detects activity signals, it triggers the wake-up sequence for the main network interface, ensuring the system is ready to handle communication requests while having remained in a low-power state during idle periods, thus extending battery life without sacrificing operational readiness.
Solution Approach 2:
The activity detector periodically monitors the communication channel for activity signals while consuming minimal power. This periodic monitoring approach allows the system to maintain awareness of communication status without continuous full-power operation, extending battery life while ensuring the system can quickly respond when actual communication activity occurs.
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 significantly reduces power consumption, extends battery life and LED longevity, and allows for efficient power management by selectively powering the network based on activity, while also enabling optimal transmit and receive power calibration.
Implementation Method 1
If the communication link is an optical fiber, then the receiver circuit converts light energy to an electrical signal
Implementation Method 2
An optical transmitter generally involves a light emitting diode, or LED
Data Source
AI summary
A communication network is provided for interconnecting a network of digital systems, such as multimedia devices. Each node of the communication network may include a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver and transmitter of each node can be an optical receiver and transmitter. The optical receiver is preferably powered by two power supply pins, each providing different supply amounts. An activity detector within the receiver can be powered from a first supply amount, and the signal path of the optical receiver can be supplied from a second supply amount greater than the first supply amount. The first supply amount is provided at all times, and the second supply amount is only provided if activity is detected. A voltage regulator which provides the first supply amount can be beneficially embodied on the same integrated circuit as a network interface to reduce the manufacturing cost of the network. By powering the activity detector separate from the signal path, power down and power up (normal) operating states are envisioned for reducing power consumption and increasing longevity of the optical receiver and transmitter.