Optical Transceiver Address Management via Host Interface

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Optical transceivers sharing a single host communication interface protocol face challenges in distinguishing between multiple transceivers due to shared interface addresses, leading to inefficiencies and the need for costly dedicated hardware to route data correctly.

Innovation Solution

The host system changes the communication interface address for each optical transceiver using a mechanism independent of the host communication interface, allowing each transceiver to have a unique address, thereby eliminating the need for separate dedicated hardware.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If multiple optical transceivers share a single host communication interface protocol, then device complexity is reduced, but addressing becomes ambiguous causing data routing failures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehost communication interfaceVSAvoiddata routing

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs address changes in advance before normal communication begins. The host sends address change commands to transceivers during initialization, ensuring each transceiver has a unique address before data transmission starts, thus preventing routing conflicts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary addressing mechanism that operates alongside the host communication interface. This intermediary system uses additional address bits or fields in the communication protocol to distinguish between multiple transceivers sharing the same interface, enabling reliable routing without requiring separate physical interfaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If dedicated hardware is used to route data to multiple transceivers, then data routing reliability is improved, but host resources and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata routingVSAvoidhost resources

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The host communication interface is designed to perform multiple functions: it handles both data transmission and address management. The interface can dynamically reconfigure address assignments and routing without requiring separate dedicated hardware components, making a single interface serve multiple transceivers efficiently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces physical hardware routing mechanisms with software-based address management. Instead of using dedicated hardware routers or switches, the system uses programmable address assignment and software-controlled data routing, reducing hardware complexity while maintaining routing reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of manufacture

If a single host communication interface is used for multiple transceivers, then cost is reduced, but address uniqueness cannot be guaranteed

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecostVSAvoidaddress identification

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system adds an additional addressing dimension to the communication protocol. Beyond the standard interface address, the protocol incorporates extended address fields or hierarchical addressing schemes that provide unique identification for each transceiver, enabling cost-effective multi-transceiver support without address conflicts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS7526208B2Changing transceiver module device addresses using a single host interface

Publication Date: 2009.04.28 II VI DELAWARE INC

AI summary

A method for changing the host communication interface address for a number of individual optical transceivers sharing a single host communication interface. An optical transceiver host computing system is communicatively coupled to the transceivers using the single host communication interface. The host computing system implements the host interface address change by indicating to a first transceiver that an address change is pending. The host then informs the first transceiver that it is to have its address changed using a mechanism independent of the addressing mechanism used by the signal host communication interface. In response, the first transceiver makes the address change. The other optical transceivers may have their address changed using the same method, although this is not required.