Method for adjusting bias in optical transmitter with external modulator

1. A method of operating an optical transmitter for transmission of an optical signal over a dispersive fiber optic media to a remote receiver comprising:

providing an initial bias level of a first RF signal and a second RF signal respectively to an optical modulator for modulating an optical signal input to the optical modulator;

determining the amplitude of an optical signal output of the optical modulator operating at the provided initial bias levels;

adjusting the bias level of at least one of the first and second RF signals based upon a determined output level and an expected output level at a configuration set point for the respective initial bias levels;

determining the expected output level from a lookup table based upon the provided respective initial bias levels;

adjusting the bias levels using a first software program sequence for making coarse bias adjustment on start up of the optical transmitter, and using a second software program sequence for making a fine bias adjustment;

adjusting the bias level of only one of the RF signals during the first software program sequence;

incrementing the bias level of said one RF signal during the first software program sequence and averaging the output level of the modulator over a program controlled time period;

determining whether the first RF input signal should be incremented or decremented based upon the change in the output level of the optical modulator as a result of incrementing the first RF input signal;

when the lookup table indicates the first RF signal is to be incremented, then incrementing the first RF signal by a computed delta value and comparing a resulting output to a first threshold value;

when the lookup table indicates that the first RF signal is to be decremented, then decrementing the first RF signal by the delta value until a subsequently averaged output signal exceeds the first threshold value;

determining when the subsequently averaged output signal exceeds the first threshold value then activating the second program sequence for more finely adjusting the bias level of both the first RF signal and the second RF signal;

adjusting the bias level of the first RF signal during the second program sequence if a current output value T i is greater than an immediately previous value T i−1 or an immediately subsequent output value T i+1 is greater than the current output value T i or if an absolute value of a difference between a second program sequence threshold value and the current output value is greater than an absolute value of a difference between the second program sequence threshold value and the subsequent output value T i+1; ; and

adjusting the bias level of the second RF signal during the second program sequence if a current output value T i is less than an immediately previous value T i−1 or an immediately subsequent output value T i+1 is greater than the current output value T i or if an absolute value of a difference between the second program sequence threshold value and the current output value is less than an absolute value of a difference between the second program sequence threshold value and the subsequent output value T i+1 .

2. An optical transmitter for transmission of an optical signal over a dispersive fiber optic media to a remote receiver comprising:

a modulator that modulates an optical signal input to the modulator with a first RF signal provided through a first RF signal input and with a second RF signal provided through a second RF input;

a respective bias level of the first RF signal and the second RF signal that is provided to the modulator through the respective first and second RF signal inputs;

a photodiode that detects an output level of the modulator in response to the provided bias levels;

a program that adjusts a bias level of at least one of the first and second RF signals based upon the detected output level and an expected output level at a configuration set point for the provided respective bias levels; and

a first program that provides a first coarse bias level adjustment to the configuration set point and a second program that provides a final fine tuning bias level adjustment to the configuration set point.

3. The optical transmitter for transmission of said optical signal as in claim 2 , further comprising a digital signal processor associated with memory that stores data representing said expected output level and is configured to receive a digital representation of said detected output level and in response thereto execute said programs.

4. The optical transmitter for transmission of said optical signal as in claim 3 , further comprising a bias control circuit to set said respective bias levels of said first and second RF signals responsive to an output signal from said digital signal processor.

5. The optical transmitter for transmission of said optical signal as in claim 3 , further comprising a pilot processor and a pilot level control circuit configured to generate pilot tones for injection into said first and second RF signals, and further including a demodulator to demodulate said pilot tones from a modulator output, to determine said digital representation of said detected output level.

6. The optical transmitter for transmission of said optical signal as in claim 3 , further comprising a demodulator configured to demodulate an output from said photodiode and an analog-to-digital converter to generate said digital representation of said detected output level based on digitizing said output of said demodulator.

7. The optical transmitter for transmission of said optical signal as in claim 2 , further comprising a modulation controller configured to provide said first and second RF signals to said first and second RF signal inputs of said modulator and to control said respective bias levels thereof, said modulation controller including an RF input and a signal splitter to split an RF signal into said first and second RF signals.

8. The optical transmitter for transmission of said optical signal as in claim 7 , further comprising a predistortion circuit and a first bias isolator in series to couple said first RF signal to said first RF signal input of said modulator, said first bias isolator configured to apply said respective bias level to said first RF signal.

9. The optical transmitter for transmission of said optical signal as in claim 7 , further comprising an attenuator, a delay line, and a second bias isolator in series to couple said second RF signal to said second RF signal input of said modulator.

10. A method of operating an optical transmitter for transmission of an optical signal over a dispersive fiber optic media to a remote receiver comprising:

obtaining a digital signal for an output optical signal from an optical modulator that is responsive to a first input signal;

determining averages of the digital signal before and after incrementing the first input signal to the optical modulator;

using the averages in a look-up table to determine whether the first input signal should be further incremented or decremented;

if the first signal is to be further incremented, incrementing the first input signal until the average of the digital signal before a last increment is below a threshold value and above the threshold value after the last increment;

if the first input signal is to be decremented, decrementing the first input signal until the average of the digital signal before a last decrement is above the threshold value and below the threshold value after the last decrement.