62 results about "Optical backplane" patented technology

An optical backplane includes an optical connector which receives juxtaposed optical signals transmitted in nonparallel to the main surface of a circuit substrate from the circuit substrate or transmits juxtaposed optical signals in nonparallel to the main surface of the circuit substrate to the circuit substrate. The optical connector disposes and accommodates edge portions of a plurality of optical fibers and the disposing direction of the optical fibers in the optical connector is in nonparallel to the main surface of the circuit substrate.

A high-speed, high-power modular router is disclosed. As opposed to conventional designs using optical backplane signaling and/or bus bars for power distribution, the disclosed embodiments combine high-power, low-noise power distribution with high-speed signal routing in a common backplane. Disclosed backplane features allow backplane signaling at 2.5 Gbps or greater on electrical differential pairs distributed on multiple high-speed signaling layers. Relatively thick power distribution layers are embedded within the backplane, shielded from the high-speed signaling layers by digital ground layers and other shielding features. A router using such a backplane provides a level of performance and economy that is believed to be unattainable by the prior art.

An optical interconnect system includes a plurality of optical circuit boards coupled to an optical backplane. An optical transmitter may be implemented with some or all of the plurality of optical circuit boards. Each optical transmitter is configured to transmit a multi-wavelength light signal. Each of a plurality of optical receivers are separately associated with the plurality of optical circuit boards. In accordance with one embodiment, one or more demultiplexing devices may be used to demultiplex multi-wavelength light signals to discrete wavelengths.

A system and method are disclosed for an optical backplane in an electronic processor that comprises of a plurality of processing units. The backplane is comprising of a network of optical waveguides which can guide polarized light. Furthermore, the backplane has magneto optic routers for steering light at the vertexes of the network, and the backplane also has optical devices for operationally connecting the processing units to the network. The backplane network affords an optical interconnection amongst all of the processing units.

The present invention is directed to a reconfigurable data communications system. The system includes a removable optical backplane connector with a first end and a second end, a first data communications card, and a switch fabric card. The first data communications card includes an optical port configured to receive the first end of the removable optical backplane connector. The switch fabric card has a plurality of optical ports adapted to receive the second end of the removable optical backplane connector.

A coupler assembly for an optical backplane system having a backplane and two or more circuit packs connected to that backplane. Each circuit pack has an optical transceiver and the backplane has an optical pipe (e.g., an array of waveguides) adapted to guide optical signals between the transceivers of different circuit packs. A coupler assembly is provided for each transceiver to couple light between that transceiver and the optical pipe. Advantageously, the coupler assembly has a movable optical element that can accommodate possible misalignment between the backplane and the circuit pack. In one embodiment, the movable optical element is an array of MEMS mirrors, each mirror adapted to direct light between an optical transmitter or receiver and the corresponding waveguide of the optical pipe. In another embodiment, the movable optical element is an array of flexible optical fibers, each coupled between an optical transmitter or receiver and the corresponding waveguide of the optical pipe and having an angled surface adapted to couple light between said fiber and waveguide.

A byte-wide optical switch and switching method are provided. The optical switch includes a first set of ports for receiving in parallel an optical byte of data, and multiple second sets of ports each capable of outputting in parallel the optical byte of data. An array of optical switching elements is disposed between the first set of ports and the multiple second sets of ports. The array of optical switching elements direct the optical byte of data in parallel from the first set of ports to at least one second set of ports of the multiple second sets of ports. The switching elements may comprise micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS) devices, each having a position controllable reflective surface. Thin film optical filters can be provided on the reflective surfaces for wavelength selective switching.

Information processing equipment includes a photoelectric conversion module disposed on a circuit substrate, a first optical connector connected to the photoelectric conversion module through a plurality of first optical fibers and disposed to an edge portion of the circuit substrate, and a second optical connector disposed on an optical backplane and optically connected to the first optical connector. The disposing direction of the optical fibers in the photoelectric conversion module is in nonparallel with the main surface of the circuit substrate and the disposing direction of the optical fibers in the first optical connector and the disposing direction of the optical fibers in the second optical connector are in nonparallel with the main surface of the circuit substrate.

Embodiments of the present invention provide an optical backplane interconnection system and a communication device. The optical backplane interconnection system includes a backplane, a front board, a rear board and a connector. The front board and the rear board locate on two sides of the backplane and are orthogonal to each other. The front board and the rear board are both disposed with an optical waveguide path which is interconnected through a connector connected to the backplane to form an optical path, so that optical signals can be transmitted through the optical path.

An optical backplane system is described herein. In one embodiment, an exemplary system includes a backplane to interconnect multiple optical modules, multiple fiber interface modules (FIMs) having a back end inserted into multiple slots of the backplane respectively, each FIM having a front end to receive an incoming fiber carrying incoming optical signals and an outgoing fiber carrying outgoing optical signals from and to an optical network. The back end of the FIM extends the incoming and outgoing fibers to at least one of the multiple optical modules mounted via the backplane without significantly processing of the incoming and outgoing optical signals. Each of the fibers is capable of carrying multiple wavelengths of optical signals. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

A ferrule-less optical backplane connector assembly includes a substrate having at least a pair of optical guide receiving structures formed therein, the pair of optical guide receiving structures further being formed at substantially a right angle with respect to one another so as to guide a corresponding first and second optical guide into optical alignment with one another.

An optical backplane connector with a board removable (being possible to insert and remove) therein in the direction perpendicular to the backplane plate surface is arranged on a backplane having optical transmission paths. The optical backplane connector accommodates a photoelectric conversion module in such a manner the incident and exit light are perpendicular to the backplane and a transparent board with a photoelectric conversion element mounted thereon is perpendicular to the board and parallel to the backplane. The conduction between the electric contacts of the photoelectric conversion module and the inner electric contacts of the optical backplane connector is held by mechanical contact. At the end portion of the optical transmission path on the backplane, an optical connector having a 45′ mirror and guide pins is mounted. The positioning operation is achieved by fitting the guide pins of the optical connector with the guide holes of the photoelectric conversion module.

A functional optical device for use in an optical backplane system is provided that includes one or more input fibers, one or more output fibers, and a functional portion configured to operate on an optical input received via the one or more input fibers to provide an optical output via the one or more output fibers. The one or more input fibers and the one or more output fibers of the functional optical device are terminated in a fixed configuration based on a fixed termination layout of at least one group of multiple fibers of an optical backplane interconnect.

There is described a line card rack assembly for line cards, and an optical backplane and optical fiber guide for installation to a frame adapted to receive line cards of which at least one has an optical connector at a front portion thereof. The rack assembly comprises a frame having a front opening, for receiving the line cards and providing access to a front end of the line cards, and a back opening opposite the front opening; an optical backplane at least partially covering the back opening, the optical backplane comprising connections for connecting the line cards upon insertion in the frame; and optical fiber cable having two ends, a first one of the two ends being for coupling to the optical backplane, and a second one of the two ends for coupling to the optical connector of the at least one of the line cards.

The invention discloses an optical backplane interconnection system, and relates to the technical field of communication equipment. The system includes: a sub frame, wherein at least one electrical backplane is fixed on the sub frame; an optical backplane, wherein the optical backplane is fixed on the sub frame and fixed on one side of the electrical backplane. The optical backplane is internallyprovided with an optical fiber; a fiber clamp, wherein the fiber clamp is fixed on the sub frame and is arranged on one side of the electrical backplane, far away from the optical backplane. The fiberclamp is butted with the optical backplane through the electrical backplane; an optical exchange clamp, wherein the optical exchange clamp is fixed on the sub frame and arranged on one side of the electrical backplane, far from the optical backplane. The optical exchange clamp is butted with the optical backplane through the electrical backplane. The optical exchange clamp, the fiber clamp and the optical backplane form an optical path through the electrical backplane. The optical backplane interconnection system is low in cost and low in loss and is not easily to be disturbed.

The invention discloses an optical backboard system, a switching system and an upgrading method of the switching system. The optical backboard system comprises a first pre-stage optical interconnection module, a first post-stage optical interconnection module and a second post-stage optical interconnection module. Wherein the first pre-stage optical interconnection module comprises M1 first interfaces and N1 second interfaces which have a connection relationship; The first post-stage optical interconnection module comprises L1 third interfaces and K1 fourth interfaces which have a connection relationship; The second post-stage optical interconnection module comprises L2 third interfaces and K2 fourth interfaces which have a connection relationship; The first pre-stage optical interconnection module is connected with one of L1 third interfaces of the first post-stage optical interconnection module through one of N1 second interfaces; The first pre-stage optical interconnection module isconnected with one of the L2 third interfaces of the second post-stage optical interconnection module through the other second interface of the N1 second interfaces; The first interface and the fourth interface are used for being connected with a processing module, and M1, N1, K1, K2, L1 and L2 are all larger than 1.