Hot-pluggable connection for data communications

1. A method of extending a SFP-type connection on a computing device from a first location to a second, different location, the method comprising:

receiving data, via a first interface having a first SFP-type transceiver;

transmitting the data via an optical fiber to a second interface having a second SFP-type transceiver, wherein transmitting the data includes transmitting the data from a first location to a second, different location, wherein the first SFP-type transceiver transmits the data to the second SFP-type transceiver as an optical signal via the optical fiber, after converting an electrical signal received from computing equipment to the optical signal;

transmitting the data from the second SFP-type transceiver to another interface having a third SFP-type transceiver connected to the second interface;

sensing, with the first SFP-type transceiver, analog data indicative of operation of the first SFP-type transceiver;

converting, with the first SFP-type transceiver, analog data indicative of operation of the first SFP-type transceiver to digital data; and

storing the digital data in a memory register associated with the first SFP-type transceiver, wherein the memory register is part of a set of memory registers that store at least one of the following: an alarm threshold, warning thresholds, calibration constants, diagnostic values, password values, control function codes, an optical output power, optical input power, temperature, laser bias current, or supply voltage associated with the first SFP-type transceiver.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first SFP-type transceiver is a SFP, SFP+, or QSFP+ transceiver.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical fiber is a fiber optic cable, and wherein conveying the data via the cable includes conveying the data between the first SFP-type transceiver and the second SFP-type transceiver using a plurality of channels of the fiber optic cable.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first SFP-type transceiver further includes:

a digital diagnostics monitoring interface to monitor at least three of the following: an optical output power, optical input power, temperature, laser bias current, or supply voltage associated with the first SFP-type transceiver.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the first SFP-type transceiver using a microcontroller associated with, and mechanically coupled to, the first SFP-type transceiver, wherein the configuring includes configuring the first SFP-type transceiver in response to receiving a remote command over a network.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

reading, using a microcontroller collocated on a circuit board with the first SFP-type transceiver, a plurality of operating parameters of the first SFP-type transceiver;

determining, using the microcontroller, a first operating parameter of the plurality of operating parameters is outside of a threshold range; and

sending, using the microcontroller, in response to the determination, an alert to a rack controller.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

reducing an impedance mismatch with the second SFP-type transceiver with termination circuitry.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the data includes:

transparently extending a SFP-type connector on computing equipment from a first location to a second location more than 20 centimeters away from the first location.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein of transparently extending the SFP-type connector on the computing equipment includes transparently extending the SFP-type connection with a passive extension.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein transparently extending the SFP-type connector on the computing equipment includes transparently extending the SFP-type connector with active circuitry.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a patch panel, the patch panel including a first SFP-type connector, wherein the patch panel is configured to electrically couple with a computing device by coupling the first SFP-type connector to a first SFP-type socket of the computing device, the first SFP-type connector being a QSFP-or-faster connector; and

a second SFP-type socket coupled to the patch panel via radio frequency coaxial (RF coaxial) connections on the patch panel, wherein the second SFP-type socket is configured to extend functionality of the first SFP-type socket of the computing device from a rear of the computing device to a front of the computing device, wherein the patch panel relays signals from the computing device to a second SFP-type connector connected to the second SFP-type socket, wherein the patch panel further comprises:

a microcontroller configured to:

obtain configuration settings for the first SFP-type connector; and

configure connections of the first SFP-type connector based on the configuration settings; and

a transceiver connected to the first SFP-type connector, wherein the microcontroller is configured to perform operations including:

reading identifiers of a transceiver from a memory of the transceiver and sending data indicating connection status that is on a cable head of the first SFP-type connector based on the identifiers,

detecting a fault indicating a failure of a component and, in response, sending a message to a rack controller indicating a location of the failed component;

reading a plurality of operating parameters of the transceiver from memory of the transceiver after sensing and digitizing analog values upon which the plurality of operating parameters are based,

determining a first operating parameter of the plurality of operating parameters is outside of a threshold range, and

sending an alert to the rack controller indicative of the first operating parameter being outside of the threshold range.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first SFP-type connector is a QSFP+ connector.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the patch panel further comprises:

a circuit board,

wherein the circuit board relays signals from the first SFP-type connector to the radio frequency (RF) coaxial connections via conductive traces, and is configured to be powered by power provided from the first SFP-type connector,

wherein the patch panel has a first end and a second end opposite the first end,

wherein the first SFP-type connector is located towards the first end, and

wherein the RF coaxial connections are located towards the second end.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first end is narrower than the second end.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second SFP-type socket is coupled to the patch panel using a plurality of cables that provides passive impedance balancing to carry signals from one side of the computing device to an opposite side of the computing device.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the patch panel further comprises:

means for monitoring of one or more parameters, the one or more parameters including input power, output power, temperature, laser bias current, or supply voltage, and

means for converting analog data indicative of operational parameters to digital data, and storing the digital data in a memory associated with a transceiver.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

a computing-equipment rack having:

a front support structure facing forward;

a rear support structure disposed behind the front support structure; and

a patch panel module including:

a first plurality of sockets facing forward, and

a second plurality of sockets facing backward, wherein the patch panel module is supported by the front support structure,

wherein:

the patch panel module is configured to extend a functionality of a SFP-type socket of a computing equipment from a rear end of the computing equipment to a first socket of the first plurality of sockets facing forward via a first cable connecting from the SFP-type socket on the rear of the computing equipment to one of the second plurality of sockets that corresponds to the first socket facing forward, and

the patch panel module is configured to transmit data from the computing equipment to a computer network via a second cable connecting the first socket with SFP-type sockets in the first plurality of sockets in one or more patch panel modules coupled to the front support structure, and wherein the computing-equipment is disposed in the computing-equipment rack.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

the computing device, wherein the computing device has memory storing software thereon.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

means for producing a digital signal in an electrical domain from an incoming optical signal; and

means for clock recovery from data.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein:

the patch panel is configured to be powered via a direct current (DC) power bus that also places the patch panel in communication with a rack controller.

21. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

means for providing data indicative of configuration, alarms, and sensor states to other computing devices.

22. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

means for providing data indicative of configuration, alarms, sensor states to other computing devices via an embedded network interface.

23. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

means for connection, installation, and cable management.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first interface, the optical fiber, and the second interface have a bandwidth of at least 100 Gigabits per second.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adapting the first interface to a plurality of breakout cables, including the cable, each breakout cable conveying a subset of a bandwidth of the first interface, each breakout cable connecting to a different interface among a plurality of interfaces including the second interface.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of memory registers store at least four of the following: an alarm threshold, warning thresholds, calibration constants, diagnostic values, password values, control function codes, an optical output power, optical input power, temperature, laser bias current, or supply voltage associated with the first SFP-type transceiver.

27. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

hosting software on a computing device coupled to the first interface or the second interface.

28. A method of extending a SFP-type connection on a computing device from a first location to a second, different location, the method comprising:

receiving data, via a first interface having a first SFP-type transceiver;

transmitting the data via an optical fiber to a second interface having a second SFP-type transceiver, wherein transmitting the data includes transmitting the data from a first location to a second, different location, wherein the first SFP-type transceiver transmits the data to the second SFP-type transceiver as an optical signal via the optical fiber after converting an electrical signal received from computing equipment to the optical signal;

transmitting the data from the second SFP-type transceiver to another interface having a third SFP-type transceiver connected to the second interface;

reading, using a microcontroller associated with the first SFP-type transceiver, a plurality of operating parameters of the first SFP-type transceiver after sensing and digitizing analog values upon which the plurality of operating parameters are based;

determining, using the microcontroller, a first operating parameter of the plurality of operating parameters is outside of a threshold range; and

sending, using the microcontroller, in response to the determination, an alert to a rack controller.