Method and apparatus for controlling the optical output power from a burst mode laser

1. A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which, when performed by one or more processors disposed in an electronic device, performs a method comprising:

causing measurement of a power level of signals transmitted from a burst mode laser employed in a network node for each of the following:

at initialization of the burst mode laser, following both (i) an increase in a gain of a monitoring photodiode that measures an average transmit power from the burst mode laser, and (ii) transmission from the burst mode laser of successive logic zero bits,

during at least one idle time slot on an upstream time division multiple access (TDMA) channel when each of a plurality of network nodes in a passive optical network (PON) including the network node are not transmitting upstream optical signals, following both (i) an increase in the gain of a monitoring photodiode that measures an average transmit power from the burst mode laser, and (ii) transmission from the burst mode laser of successive logic zero bits,

during operation of the burst mode laser over an assigned time slot on the upstream TDMA channel, following both (i) a decrease in the gain of a monitoring photodiode and (ii) a transmission of optical signals, said burst mode laser being biased to transmit logic zero and logic one optical signals only when an incoming data signal is received;

comparing each of the measured power levels from the burst mode laser to a respective target power level; and

causing adjustment of a bias current applied to the burst mode laser to achieve the respective target power level.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising:

causing measurement of an average transmit power level of a burst from the burst mode laser during normal in-service operation of the passive optical network;

comparing the measured average transmit power level from the burst mode laser to a second target power level; and

causing adjustment of a modulation current applied to the burst mode laser to achieve the second target power level.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein at least one of the network nodes is an Optical Network Terminal (ONT).

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 2 wherein each of the network nodes is configured to transmit the upstream optical signals during a different TDMA (time division, multiple access) timeslot and the at least one idle time slot corresponds to at least one remaining available TDMA time slot.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 4 wherein the average transmit power level is measured during the TDMA time slot in which the network node including the burst is last configured to transmit the upstream optical signals.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein causing the measurement of the power level of signals from the burst mode laser includes receiving an electric signal from the monitoring photodiode which is generated in response to optical power received from a back facet of the burst mode laser.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 further comprising causing an increase in gain response of the photodiode while receiving the logic zero output power level from the back facet of the burst mode laser.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 wherein comparing the measured power level of the burst mode laser to a first target power level includes examining the monitoring photodiode responsivity curve to identify a measured logic zero output power level based on a value of electric signal received from the photodiode.

9. An optical network terminal for use in a passive optical network (PON), comprising:

a data port for receiving data packets from an external device;

a processor for converting the data packets to data link frames;

a memory configured to store a time division multiplexing scheme identifying a time slot assigned to each of a plurality of network nodes in the PON for transmission of upstream optical signals;

an optical transceiver for converting the data link frames to upstream optical signals and transmitting the optical signals on an upstream TDMA (time division, multiple access) channel to an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) during the optical network terminal's assigned time slot, wherein the optical transceiver includes:

a burst mode laser diode for generating the optical signals; and

a burst mode laser driver for biasing the laser diode with a bias signal and modulation signal, the laser driver including a dual closed loop feedback control circuit, the dual closed loop feedback control circuit being configured to adjust the burst mode laser diode in accordance with the following:

at initialization of the optical transceiver, increasing a gain of a monitoring photodiode that measures an average transmit power from the burst mode laser diode, transmitting from the burst mode laser diode successive logic zero bits, and adjusting a bias current applied to the burst mode laser diode until a desired optical zero power achieved,

during an idle time slot on the upstream TDMA channel when each of the plurality of network nodes in the PON including said optical network terminal are not transmitting upstream optical signals, increasing the gain of a monitoring photodiode that measures an average transmit power from the burst mode laser diode, transmitting from the burst mode laser diode successive logic zero bits, and adjusting a bias current applied to the burst mode laser diode until a target power level is achieved,

during operation of the burst mode laser diode over the optical network terminal's assigned time slot on the upstream TDMA channel, decreasing the gain of a monitoring photodiode and transmitting optical signals, adjusting a modulation current applied to the burst mode laser diode to maintain a desired average transmit power,

wherein a power level of signals transmitted from the laser diode is measurable during an appropriate time slot identified from the time division multiplexing scheme stored in the memory, and the output power level is adjustable based on the measurement.

10. The optical network terminal of claim 9 wherein the dual closed loop feedback control circuit is further configured to measure and adjust an average transmit power level of a burst from the burst mode laser diode during TDMA (time division, multiple access) timeslot in which the burst mode laser diode is generating upstream optical signals.

11. The optical network terminal of claim 9 wherein the dual closed loop feedback control circuit is further configured to adjust the logic zero output power level by adjusting the bias signal.

12. The optical network terminal of claim 9 wherein the closed loop feedback control circuit further includes:

a photodiode for measuring a first optical output power level from a back facet of the laser diode that is proportional to a second optical output power level coupled into a fiber from a front facet of the laser diode; and

a second memory configured to store laser characterization data that expresses the proportionality between the first optical output power level from the back facet of the laser diode and the second optical output power level coupled into the fiber from the front facet of the laser diode.

13. A method of calibrating at least one optical power level generated by a burst mode laser, comprising:

measuring a power level of signals transmitted from a burst mode laser employed in a network node for each of the following:

at initialization of the burst mode laser, following both an increase in a gain of a monitoring photodiode that measures an average transmit power from the burst mode laser, and transmission from the burst mode laser of successive logic zero bits,

during at least one idle time slot on an upstream time division multiple access (TDMA) channel when each of the plurality of network nodes in the PON including said optical network terminal are not transmitting upstream optical signals, following both (i) an increase in the gain of a monitoring photodiode that measures an average transmit power from the burst mode laser, and (ii) a transmission from the burst mode laser of successive logic zero bits,

during operation of the burst mode laser over an assigned time slot on the upstream TDMA channel, following both a decrease in the gain of a monitoring photodiode and the transmission of optical signals, said burst mode laser being biased to transmit logic zero and logic one optical signals only when an incoming data signal is received;

comparing each of the measured output power levels from the burst mode laser to a respective target power level; and

adjusting a bias current applied to the burst mode laser to achieve the respective target power level.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

measuring an average transmit power level of a burst from the burst mode laser during normal in-service operation of the passive optical network;

comparing the measured average transmit power level from the burst mode laser to a second target power level; and

adjusting a modulation current applied to the burst mode laser to achieve the second target power level.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein each of the network nodes is configured to transmit the upstream optical signals during a different TDMA (time division, multiple access) timeslot and a power level of signal transmitted at a logic zero output power level is measured during a remaining available TDMA time slot.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the average transmit power level is measured during the TDMA timeslot in which the network node including the burst mode laser is configured to transmit the upstream optical signals.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein measuring the power level of signals transmitted from the burst mode laser includes receiving an electric signal from the monitoring photodiode which is generated in response to optical power received from a back facet of the burst mode laser and further comprising increasing a gain response of the photodiode while receiving a measured power level from the back facet of the burst mode laser.