Optical Transmitter Sub-Carrier Allocation Eliminates Gearbox
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical transmission systems require a gearbox to convert transmission speed and number of lanes, which consumes large power and has a large circuit size, and also necessitate serial data conversion for OFDM modulation, failing to address power and size efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An optical transmitter that converts multiple transmission signals into a multi-carrier signal by allocating sub-carriers based on bit rate and transmission capacity, eliminating the need for a gearbox and optimizing sub-carrier allocation across lanes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a gearbox is used to convert transmission speed and number of lanes, then transmission speed conversion is achieved, but power consumption increases and circuit size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the gearbox component from the optical transmission system. By directly converting multiple transmission signals into a multi-carrier signal without using a gearbox, the system achieves speed conversion while removing the source of high power consumption and large circuit size associated with traditional gearbox-based approaches.
2Speed
If a gearbox is used to convert transmission speed and number of lanes, then transmission speed conversion is achieved, but circuit size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the gearbox from the system architecture and replaces it with a direct multi-carrier signal generation approach. This extraction eliminates the large circuit size required for gearbox implementation while maintaining the necessary speed conversion functionality through signal processing.
3Extent of automation
If serial data conversion is performed for OFDM modulation, then OFDM modulation is achieved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of converting serial data to parallel data for OFDM modulation (the conventional approach), the patent inverts the process by directly generating multi-carrier signals from multiple transmission signals. This inversion eliminates the power-consuming serial-to-parallel conversion step while achieving the same OFDM modulation objective.
4Productivity
If multiple transmission signals are converted into multi-carrier signal by allocating sub-carriers, then transmission efficiency is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal sub-carrier allocation mechanism that can handle multiple transmission signals simultaneously. By allocating different sub-carriers to different input signals and combining them into a single multi-carrier output, the system achieves multi-functionality that enhances transmission efficiency without requiring separate processing paths for each signal, thereby controlling device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An optical transmitter converts a plurality of transmission signals transmitted via a plurality of lanes into a multi-carrier signal and transmits the multi-carrier signal. The optical transmitter includes: a controller configured to generate allocation information that indicates an allocation of sub-carriers to the plurality of lanes according to a bit rate of the transmission signal of each of the lanes and a possible transmission capacity of each of the sub-carriers; and a signal processor configured to convert the plurality of transmission signals into the multi-carrier signal in accordance with the allocation information generated by the controller.