Planar optical interface and splitter

1. Apparatus, comprising:

an optical Input/Output (I/O) connector, which has a central axis that is mounted in a plane and which is configured to connect to external optical fibers for transferring input optical signals to the apparatus and output optical signals from the apparatus;

a first optical ferrule, which is mounted perpendicularly to the optical I/O connector in the plane, and is configured to transfer the input optical signals from the optical I/O connector to respective optical detectors;

a second optical ferrule, which is mounted perpendicularly to the optical I/O connector in the plane, and is configured to transfer the output optical signals from respective optical emitters to the optical connector;

a light rotation module, which is configured to bend and transfer the input and output optical signals between the optical I/O connector and the perpendicularly-mounted first and second optical ferrules; and

a U-shaped Printed Circuit Board (PCB), which is formed so as to have first and second parallel faces, such that the optical detectors are mounted on the first face opposite the first optical ferrule and the optical emitters are mounted on the second face opposite the second optical ferrule.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light rotation module comprises first and second sets of optical fibers that are bent at right angles and are configured to carry the input and output optical signals between the optical I/O connector and the first and second optical ferrules, respectively.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light rotation module comprises first and second arrays of mirrors that are configured to rotate the input and output optical signals at right angles between the optical I/O connector and the first and second optical ferrules, respectively.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first optical ferrule comprises an array of lenses for focusing the input optical signals onto the respective optical detectors.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the U-shaped PCB comprises electrical interconnections, which are mounted on a third face of the PCB that is perpendicular to the first and second faces, for outputting first electrical signals produced by the optical detectors and for inputting second electrical signals for driving the optical emitters.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , and comprising amplifiers for amplifying the first electrical signals produced by the optical detectors, and drivers for driving the optical emitters with the second electrical signals, wherein the amplifiers and the drivers are mounted on the U-shaped PCB.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the optical I/O connector comprises first and second rows of optical terminals, which are arranged one above the other parallel with the plane for transferring the input and output optical signals, respectively.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the light rotation module comprises first and second sub-modules, which are arranged one above the other in the plane opposite the respective first and second rows of the optical I/O connector, for bending and transferring the input and output optical signals, respectively.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the optical I/O connector comprises first and second columns of optical terminals, which are arranged one beside the other perpendicularly to the plane for transferring the input and output optical signals, respectively.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the optical I/O connector comprises a Multi-Termination-24 (MT-24) connector, and wherein each of the first and second optical ferrules conforms to an MT-12 specification.

11. A method for producing an optical interface module, the method comprising:

mounting an optical Input/Output (I/O) connector, such that a central axis of the I/O connector is mounted in a plane, for connecting to external optical fibers that transfer input optical signals to the optical interface module and output optical signals from the optical interface module;

mounting a first optical ferrule perpendicularly to the optical I/O connector in the plane, for transferring the input optical signals from the optical I/O connector to respective optical detectors;

mounting a second optical ferrule perpendicularly to the optical I/O connector in the plane, for transferring the output optical signals from respective optical emitters to the optical connector;

connecting the optical I/O connector to the first and second optical ferrules by a light rotation module, which bends and transfers the input and output optical signals between the optical I/O connector and the perpendicularly-mounted first and second optical ferrules; and

forming a U-shaped Printed Circuit Board (PCB) so as to have first and second parallel faces, mounting the optical detectors on the first face opposite the first optical ferrule and mounting the optical emitters on the second face opposite the second optical ferrule.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the light rotation module comprises first and second sets of optical fibers that are bent at right angles for carrying the input and output optical signals between the optical I/O connector and the first and second optical ferrules, respectively.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the light rotation module comprises first and second arrays of mirrors for rotating the input and output optical signals at right angles between the optical I/O connector and the first and second optical ferrules, respectively.

14. The method according to claim 11 , and comprising coupling an array of lenses to the first optical ferrule for focusing the input optical signals onto the respective optical detectors.

15. The method according to claim 11 , wherein forming the U-shaped PCB comprises mounting electrical interconnections on a third face of the U-shaped PCB that is perpendicular to the first and second faces, for outputting first electrical signals produced by the optical detectors and for inputting second electrical signals for driving the optical emitters.

16. The method according to claim 15 , and comprising mounting on the U-shaped PCB amplifiers for amplifying the first electrical signals produced by the optical detectors, and drivers for driving the optical emitters with the second electrical signals.

17. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the optical I/O connector comprises first and second rows of optical terminals, which are arranged one above the other parallel with the plane for transferring the input and output optical signals, respectively.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the light rotation module comprises first and second sub-modules, which are arranged one above the other in the plane opposite the respective first and second rows of the optical I/O connector, for bending and transferring the input and output optical signals, respectively.

19. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the optical I/O connector comprises first and second columns of optical terminals, which are arranged one beside the other perpendicularly to the plane for transferring the input and output optical signals, respectively.

20. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the optical I/O connector comprises a Multi-Termination-24 (MT-24) connector, and wherein each of the first and second optical ferrules conforms to an MT-12 specification.

21. A method for communication, comprising:

transferring input optical signals to an optical interface module and output optical signals from the optical interface module using an optical Input/Output (I/O) connector that has a central axis mounted in a plane;

transferring the input optical signals from the optical I/O connector to respective optical detectors using a first optical ferrule that is mounted perpendicularly to the optical I/O connector in the plane;

transferring the output optical signals from respective optical emitters to the optical connector using a second optical ferrule that is mounted perpendicularly to the optical I/O connector in the plane; and

bending and transferring the input and output optical signals between the optical I/O connector and the perpendicularly-mounted first and second optical ferrules using a light rotation module,

wherein the optical detectors and the optical detectors are mounted on a U-shaped Printed Circuit Board (PCB) having first and second parallel faces, such that the optical detectors are mounted on the first face opposite the first optical ferrule and the optical emitters are mounted on the second face opposite the second optical ferrule.