Interface arrangement for opto-electronic data transfer, and plug-in opto-electronic transceiver

1. An interface arrangement for opto-electronic data transfer, comprising:

an electrical plug connection part for holding and making contact with a corresponding electrical plug connection part on a plug-in opto-electronic transceiver, the electrical plug connection part having a plurality of electrical contacts including:

first electrical contacts for transferring data which are to be transmitted by a connected plug-in transceiver,

second electrical contacts for transferring data which are received by a connected plug-in transceiver,

at least one third electrical contact which a connected plug-in transceiver uses to provide information relating to the data transfer rate at which the connected plug-in transceiver is able to transmit optical signals,

an electrical chip for providing functions on a physical layer of the data transfer, these functions including the production and detection of electrical signals which are present on the first and second contacts of the electrical plug connection part, and the electrical chip having an internally set data transfer rate,

a plurality of data lines between the electrical chip and the first and second contacts,

an electrical control apparatus, connected to the at least one third electrical contact, for producing at least one control signal for the electrical chip in order to set the data transfer rate at which, during operation, signals are transferred from the electrical chip to a connected plug-in transceiver,

the control apparatus taking a plurality at specified data transfer rates and setting that data transfer rate on the electrical chip which is the maximum at which a connected plug-in transceiver is able to transfer, provided that this data transfer rate is lower than the data transfer rate which has been set internally on the electrical chip.

2. The interface arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus comprises an ASIC logic chip whose outputs are connected to input pins on the electrical chip.

3. The interface arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electrical plug connection part, the electrical chip and the control apparatus are arranged on an interface chard in a data processing unit.

4. The interface arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electrical contacts of the electrical plug connection part are produced in two separate plug-in areas and at least one of the two plug-in areas forms a standardized plug-in area.

5. The interface arrangement as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the two plug-in areas are arranged next to one another.

6. The interface arrangement as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the standardized plug-in area comprises an IEEE 1394b beta plug-in area.

7. The interface arrangement as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the first and second electrical contacts are located in an IEEE 1324b beta plug-in area, while the at least one third electrical contact and further additional contacts are located in a supplementary plug-in area of the plug connection part.

8. The interface arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electrical plug connection part further comprises a fourth contact for supplying a “wake-up and signal-detect” signal that provides information about whether a connected plug-in transceiver is detecting light signals.

9. The interface arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electrical plug connection part further comprises a fifth contact for supplying an “internal/external-select” signal that provides information about whether a plug-in transceiver is connected, with a signal which is present on the fourth contact likewise being supplied to the control apparatus.

10. The interface arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one third electrical contact comprises a plurality of third contacts, whose electrical signals code the data rate of a connected plug-in transceiver.

11. The interface arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus is integrated in the electrical chip.

12. A plug-in opto-electronic transceiver which can be connected to an interface arrangement in plug-in fashion, the interface arrangement comprising:

an electrical plug connection part for holding and making contact with a corresponding electrical plug connection part on a plug-in opto-electronic transceiver, the electrical plug connection part having a plurality of electrical contacts including:

first electrical contacts for transferring data which are to be transmitted by a connected plug-in transceiver,

second electrical contacts for transferring data which are received by a connected plug-in transceiver,

at least one third electrical contact which a connected plug-in transceiver uses to provide information relating to the data transfer rate at which the connected plug-in transceiver is able to transmit optical signals,

an electrical chip for providing functions on a layer of the data transfer, these functions including the production and detection of electrical signals which are present on the first and second contacts of the electrical plug connection part, and the electrical chip having an internally set data transfer rate,

a plurality of data lines between the electrical chip and the first and second contacts,

an electrical control apparatus, connected to the at least one third electrical contact, for producing at least one control signal for the electrical chip in order to set the data transfer rate at which, during operation, signals are transferred from the electrical chip to a connected plug-in transceiver,

the control apparatus taking a plurality of specified data transfer rates and setting that data transfer rate on the electrical chip which is the maximum at which a connected plug-in transceiver is able to transfer, provided that this data transfer rate is lower than the data transfer rate which has been set internally on the electrical chip,

wherein the opto-electronic transceiver comprises:

an electro-optical transmission device,

an opto-electronic reception device,

at least one optical port for coupling at least one optical fiber,

a plug-in electrical port for making electrical contact with the transceiver,

the plug-in electrical port comprising an electrical plug connection part which has:

first electrical contacts for transferring data which are to be transmitted by the transceiver,

second electrical contacts for transferring data which are receive and forwarded by the transceiver, and

at least one third electrical contact which the transceiver uses to provide information relating to the data transfer rate at which the connected plug-in transceiver is able to transmit optical signals.

13. The transceiver as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the electrical contacts of the electrical plug connection part are produced in two separate plug-in areas, and at least one of the two plug-in areas forms a standardized plug-in area.

14. The transceiver as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the two plug-in areas are arranged next to one another.

15. The transceiver as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the standardized plug-in area comprises and IEEE 1394b beta plug-in area.

16. The transceiver as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the first and second electrical contacts are located in an IEEE 1394b beta plug-in area, while the at least one third electrical contact and further additional contacts are located in a supplementary plug-in area of the plug connection part.

17. The transceiver as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the electrical plug connection part further comprises a fourth contact for supplying a “wake-up and signal-detect” signal that provides information about whether the transceiver is detecting light signals.

18. The transceiver as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the electrical plug connection part further comprises a fifth contact for supplying an “internal/external-select” signal that provides information about whether the transceiver is connected.

19. The transceiver as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the at least one third electrical contact comprises a plurality of third contacts, whose number codes the data rate of the transceiver.