Wavelength division multiplexing serial video signals over optical interfaces using the XFP form factor
View Patent ↗Certain pins of an XFP connector are re-purposed to enable the connector to receive, for example, four 11.88 Gb/s serial data streams (for a receiver), or output four 11.88 Gb/s serial data streams (for a transmitter). The four data streams are wavelength division multiplexed inside the XFP module for transmission over a single optical fiber, providing a total interface capacity of 47.52 Gb/s. An XFP receiver module is defined to convert the WDM signal back to four 11.88 Gb/s serial data streams.
1. An optical transmitter module for transmitting high bandwidth video signals over a single optical fibre using wavelength division multiplexing, comprising:
a device housing having an XFP connector, wherein certain pins of the XFP connector are re-purposed for receiving a plurality of serial differential input (SDI) signals;
a plurality of optical transmitter circuits contained within said device housing for converting said SDI signals into serial optical signals; and
a wavelength division multiplexer contained within said device housing for combining said serial optical signals into an optically multiplexed signal for transmission over a single optical fibre.
2. The optical transmitter module of claim 1 wherein said certain pins that are repurposed for receiving the plurality of SDI signals include a pair of reference clock pins and a pair of power supply pins.
3. The optical transmitter module of claim 1 additionally comprising four optical signal paths, one signal path for each of the received SDI signals, each of said four optical signal paths providing for trace equalization and re-timing prior to inputting said signal to one of said plurality of optical transmitter circuits.
4. The optical transmitter module of claim 1 wherein said wavelength division multiplexer is configured to received four 3 to 12 Gb/s (nominal) serial optical streams and combine said streams to produce a 12 to 48 Gb/s (nominal) output signal, respectively.
5. An optical receiver module for receiving high bandwidth video signals that are transmitted over a single optical fibre, comprising:
a device housing having an XFP connector, wherein certain pins of the XFP connector are re-purposed for outputting a plurality of serial differential input (SDI) signals;
a wavelength division multiplexer contained within said device housing for receiving a high bandwidth video signal from a single optical fiber and for separating the high bandwidth video signal into a plurality of serial optical signals; and
a plurality of optical receiver circuits contained within said device housing for converting said plurality of serial optical signals into a plurality of SDI signals to be output.
6. The optical receiver module of claim 5 wherein said certain pins that are repurposed for outputting a plurality of SDI signals include a pair of reference clock pins and a pair of power supply pins.
7. The optical receiver module of claim 5 additionally comprising four optical signal paths, one signal path for each of said plurality of optical receiver circuits, each of said four optical signal paths providing for re-timing and a trace driver for outputting said signal.
8. The optical receiver module of claim 5 wherein said wavelength division demultiplexer is configured to received a 12 to 48 Gb/s (nominal) signal and to produce therefrom four 3 to 12 Gb/s (nominal) serial optical streams, respectively.
9. A method of optically transmitting high bandwidth video signals over a single optical fibre using wavelength division multiplexing, comprising:
receiving a plurality of serial differential input (SDI) signals at a device housing having an XFP connector, wherein certain pins of the XFP connector are re-purposed for receiving certain of said plurality of SDI signals;
converting said SDI signals into serial optical signals; and
combining said serial optical signals into an optically multiplexed signal for transmission over a single optical fibre using a wavelength division multiplexer.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein said receiving comprises receiving a plurality of SDI signals at XFP reference clock pins and XFP power supply pins re-purposed for the receipt of said SDI signals.
11. The method of claim 9 additionally comprising trace equalization and re-timing of each of said received SDI signals prior to said converting.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein said combining comprises combining four 3 to 12 Gb/s (nominal) serial optical streams to produce a 12 to 48 Gb/s (nominal) output signal, respectively.
13. A method of optically receiving high bandwidth video signals that are transmitted over a single optical fibre, comprising:
receiving a high bandwidth video signal from a single optical fibre;
separating the high bandwidth video signal into a plurality of serial optical signals;
converting said plurality of serial optical signals into a plurality of serial differential input (SDI) signals; and
outputting said plurality of SDI signals using an XFP connector, wherein certain pins of the XFP connector are re-purposed for outputting certain of said plurality of SDI signals.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein said outputting comprises outputting a plurality of SDI signals at XFP reference clock pins and XFP power supply pins re-purposed for the output of said SDI signals.
15. The method of claim 13 additionally comprising re-timing and driving each of said SDI signals prior to said outputting.
16. The method of claim 13 wherein said separating comprises separating a 12 to 48 Gb/s (nominal) signal to produce therefrom four 3 to 12 Gb/s (nominal) serial optical streams, respectively.