Optical disk pickup using current mode signal exchanges and systems and methods using the same

1. An optical disk pickup system comprising:

a photodiode for converting a plurality of photons reflected from an optical disk to a current;

a current multiplier for increasing the current from the photodiode to drive a conductor; and

low impedance load disposed in receiving circuitry coupled to the conductor for reconverting the current driven on the conductor into a voltage.

2. An optical disk pickup system comprising:

a photodiode for converting a plurality of photons reflected from an optical disk to a current;

a current multiplier for increasing the current from the photodiode to drive a conductor; and

a summer for summing the current from the transconductance amplifier with two or more currents generated from the output of two or more photodiodes.

3. The optical disk pickup system of claim 1 wherein the conductor comprises one of a plurality of conductors of a flexible cable.

4. An optical disk pickup system comprising:

a photodiode for converting a plurality of photons reflected from an optical disk to a current; and

a current multiplier for increasing the current from the photodiode to drive a conductor, wherein the current multiplier comprises a transimpedance amplifier for converting the current from the photodiode to a voltage and a transconductance amplifier for driving the conductor with a current generated from the voltage output of the transimpedance amplifier.

5. An optical disk system comprising:

n array of a plurality of photodiodes for converting photons reflected from an optical disk into a plurality of electrical signals each representing a channel;

circuitry for driving at least one of said electrical signals as a current across a conductor of a flexible cable; and

a low impedance load for converting the electrical signal driven across the conductor as a current into a voltage.

6. The optical disk system of claim 5 wherein said circuitry for driving comprises a current multiplier.

7. The optical disk system of claim 5 wherein said circuitry for driving comprises a transimpedance amplifier for converting a current produced by a corresponding photodiode into a voltage and a transconductance amplifier for driving the conductor with a current from the voltage output from the transimpedance amplifier.

8. The optical disk system of claim 5 wherein said circuitry for driving and said photodiodes are disposed on a movable sled and said low impedance load is disposed on a fixed circuit board.

9. The optical disk system of claim 5 wherein said channels comprise servo control channels.

10. The optical disk system of claim 5 wherein said channels comprise data channels.

11. The optical disk system of claim 5 and further comprising circuitry for summing a plurality of said electrical signals as currents for transmission as a single current signal across said conductor.

12. A method of transmitting signals from an optical pickup to processing circuitry via a flexible cable comprising the steps of:

converting photons reflected from an optical disk into an electrical signal;

driving the electrical signal as a current across a conductor of the flexible cable; and

converting the electrical signal driven across the conductor as a current into a voltage using a low impedance load.

13. The method of transmitting of claim 12 comprises the step of multiplying a current output from said photodiode.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of driving comprises the substeps of:

converting a current produced by a corresponding photodiode into a voltage using a transimpedance amplifier; and

driving the conductor with a current generated by a transconductance amplifier from the voltage produced by the transimpedance amplifier.