Extinction ratio determination using duty cycle modulation

1. A method for an optical transmitter to automatically determine an extinction ratio of an optical signal by modulating the duty cycle of the optical signal, the method comprising the following:

an act of measuring an average normal optical power, the normal optical power being the optical power emitted by the electro-optic transducer under conditions in which the duty cycle of the optical signal is between a bias high and bias low modulation condition;

an act of modulating the duty cycle of the optical signal emitted by the electro-optic transducer to the bias high condition in that the length of time that the optical signal is at the optical high power level in the eye diagram is greater than the length of time that the optical signal is at the optical low power level in the eye diagram;

an act of measuring an average bias high optical power, the bias high optical power being the optical power emitted by the electro-optic transducer during the act of modulating the duty cycle of the optical signal emitted by the electro-optic transducer to the bias high condition;

an act of modulating the duty cycle of the optical signal emitted by the electro-optic transducer to the bias low condition such that the length of time that the optical signal is at the optical low power level is the eye diagram is greater than the length of time that the optical signal is at the optical high power level in the eye diagram;

an act of measuring an average bias low optical power, the bias low optical power being the optical power emitted by the electro-optic transducer during the act of modulating the duty cycle of the optical signal emitted by the electro-optic transducer to the bias low condition; and

an act of deriving an extinction ratio for the optical signal based on the measured average normal optical power, the measured average bias high optical power, and the measured average bias low optical power.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the optical transmitter is an optical transceiver.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the act of measuring the average normal optical power, the act of measuring the average bias high optical power, and the act of measuring the average bias low optical power are all performed by a monitor photo-diode.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the electro-optic transducer is one of a Light Emitting Diode (LED), a laser, and a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL).

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the act of measuring the average bias high optical power occurs over at least one hundred data cycles.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the act of measuring the average bias low optical power occurs over at least one hundred data cycles.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the act of deriving an extinction ratio for the optical signal comprises the following:

an act of obtaining a difference signal representing a difference in magnitude between the measured average bias high optical power and the average bias low optical power; and

an act of deriving the extinction ratio for the optical signal based on the measured normal optical power and the difference in magnitude between the measured average bias high optical power and the average bias low optical power.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the act of deriving the extinction ratio for the optical signal based on the measured normal optical power and the difference in magnitude between the measured average bias high optical power and the average bias low optical power comprises the following:

an act of generating a signal that represents the high optical level by adding half of the difference in magnitude to the measured normal optical power;

an act of generating a signal that represents the low optical level by subtracting half of the difference in magnitude from the measured normal optical power; and

an act of obtaining the extinction ratio by dividing the high optical level by the low optical level.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising the following:

an act of adjusting the extinction ratio based on the derived extinction ratio.

10. An optical transmitter comprising the following:

an electro-optic transducer driver;

an electro-optic transducer configured to convert electrical signals received from the electro-optic transducer driver to optical signals;

a monitor circuit configured to detect average optical power levels of the optical signals;

an extinction ratio determination module configured to determine the extinction ratio of the optical signal by performing the following:

an act of obtaining a signal from the monitor circuit that represents optical power emitted by the electro-optic transducer during normal conditions in which the duty cycle of the optical signal is between a bias high and bias low modulation condition;

an act of obtaining a signal from the monitor circuit that represents optical power emitted by the electro-optic transducer during the bias high modulation condition in which the length of time that the optical signal is at the optical high power level in the eye diagram is greater than the length of time that the optical signal is at the optical low power level in the eye diagram;

an act of obtaining a signal from the monitor circuit that represents optical power emitted by the electro-optic transducer during the bias low modulation condition in which the length of time that the optical signal is at the optical low power level in the eye diagram is greater than the length of time that the optical signal is at the optical high power level in the eye diagram; and

an act of deriving an extinction ratio for the optical signal based on the measured average normal optical power, the measured average bias high optical power, and the measured average bias low optical power.

11. An optical transmitter in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the extinction ratio determination module is further configured to perform the following:

an act of causing the electro-optic transducer to enter the bias high modulation condition by signaling the electro-optic transducer driver to send appropriate electrical signals for the bias high modulation condition; and

an act of causing the electro-optic transducer to enter the bias low modulation condition by signaling the electro-optic transducer driver to send appropriate electrical signals for the bias low modulation condition.

12. An optical transmitter in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the optical transmitter is an optical transceiver.

13. An optical transmitter in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the electro-optic transducer is one of a Light Emitting Diode (LED), a laser and a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL).

14. An optical transmitter in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the extinction ratio determination module is configured to perform the act of deriving an extinction ratio for the optical signal by performing the following:

an act of obtaining a difference signal representing a difference in magnitude between the measured average bias high optical power and the average bias low optical power; and

an act of deriving the extinction ratio for the optical signal based on the measured normal optical power and the difference in magnitude between the measured average bias high optical power and the average bias low optical power.

15. An optical transmitter in accordance with claim 14 , wherein extinction ratio determination module is configured to perform the act of deriving the extinction ratio for the optical signal based on the measured normal optical power and the difference in magnitude between the measured average bias high optical power and the average bias low optical power by performing the following:

an act of generating a signal that represents the high optical level by adding half of the difference in magnitude to the measured normal optical power;

an act of generating a signal that represents the low optical level by subtracting half of the difference in magnitude from the measured normal optical power; and

an act of obtaining the extinction ratio by dividing the high optical level by the low optical level.

16. An optical transmitter in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the optical transmitter is further configured to perform the following:

an act of adjusting the extinction ratio based on the derived extinction ratio.

17. An optical transmitter in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the optical transceiver is one of a 1G laser transceiver, a 2G laser transceiver, a 4G laser transceiver, a 8G laser transceiver, or a 10G laser transceiver.

18. An optical transmitter in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the optical transceiver is a laser transceiver suitable for fiber channels greater than 10G.

19. An optical transmitter in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the optical transceiver is one of a XFP laser transceiver, a SFP laser transceiver, or a SFF laser transceiver.

20. A method for an optical transmitter to automatically control an extinction ratio of an optical signal by modulating the duty cycle of the optical signal, the method comprising the following:

an act of measuring an average normal optical power, the normal optical power being the optical power emitted by the electro-optic transducer under conditions in which the duty cycle of the optical signal is between a bias high and bias low modulation condition;

an act of modulating the duty cycle of the optical signal emitted by the electro-optic transducer to the bias high condition in that the length of time that the optical signal is at the optical high power level in the eye diagram is greater than the length of time that the optical signal is at the optical low power level in the eye diagram;

an act of measuring an average bias high optical power, the bias high optical power being the optical power emitted by the electro-optic transducer during the act of modulating the duty cycle of the optical signal emitted by the electro-optic transducer to the bias high condition;

an act of modulating the duty cycle of the optical signal emitted by the electro-optic transducer to the bias low condition such that the length of time that the optical signal is at the optical low power level is the eye diagram is greater than the length of time that the optical signal is at the optical high power level in the eye diagram;

an act of measuring an average bias low optical power, the bias low optical power being the optical power emitted by the electro-optic transducer during the act of modulating the duty cycle of the optical signal emitted by the electro-optic transducer to the bias low condition; and

an act of controlling an extinction ratio for the optical signal based on the measured average normal optical power, the measured average bias high optical power, and the measured average bias low optical power.

21. An optical transmitter comprising the following:

an electro-optic transducer driver;

an electro-optic transducer configured to convert electrical signals received from the electro-optic transducer driver to optical signals;

a monitor circuit configured to detect average optical power levels of the optical signals;

an extinction ratio control module configured to control the extinction ratio of the optical signal by performing the following:

an act of obtaining a signal from the monitor circuit that represents optical power emitted by the electro-optic transducer during normal conditions in which the duty cycle of the optical signal is between a bias high and bias low modulation condition;

an act of obtaining a signal from the monitor circuit that represents optical power emitted by the electro-optic transducer during the bias high modulation condition in which the length of time that the optical signal is at the optical high power level in the eye diagram is greater than the length of time that the optical signal is at the optical low power level in the eye diagram;

an act of obtaining a signal from the monitor circuit that represents optical power emitted by the electro-optic transducer during the bias low modulation condition in which the length of time that the optical signal is at the optical low power level in the eye diagram is greater than the length of time that the optical signal is at the optical high power level in the eye diagram; and

an act of controlling an extinction ratio for the optical signal based on the measured average normal optical power, the measured average bias high optical power, and the measured average bias low optical power.