Optimal equalization partitioning

1. A direct detect transceiver having a transmit path and receive path, the transceiver comprising:

a host having one or more equalizers configured to perform equalization on an outgoing signal, an incoming signal, or both;

a host to optic module channel electrically connecting the host to an optic module;

the optic module electrically connected to the host via the host to optic module channel, the optic module comprising:

a transmitter comprising:

a linear equalizer configured to perform linear equalization on the outgoing signal to create an equalized signal;

a driver configured to receive and output the equalized signal;

an electrical to optical module configured to convert the equalized signal from the driver to an optical signal, and transmit the optical signal over a fiber optic cable

a receiver comprising:

a photodetector configured to receive a received optic signal and convert the received optic signal to a received electrical signal;

a linear amplifier configured to perform linear amplification on the received electrical signal to create amplified received signal;

a driver configured to send the amplified received signal over an optic module to host channel, such that the receive does not perform non-linear processing.

2. The transceiver of claim 1 wherein the optic module includes a gain module configured to amplify the outgoing signal.

3. The transceiver of claim 2 wherein the gain module is part of the linear equalizer in the transmitter and the gain module performs linear amplification.

4. The transceiver of claim 3 where the linear amplification automatically adjusts to maintain target optical operating point while maintaining the host transmitter settings used for far end (station-to-station) training/optimization.

5. The transceiver of claim 1 wherein the optic module does not include a CDR configured to perform non-linear clock and data recovery and the transceiver operates at 25 Gb/s or more.

6. The transceiver of claim 1 wherein the optic module and host is configured to also process received electrical signals and transmit electrical signal over an electrically conductive channel.

7. The transceiver of claim 1 wherein the host is configured to perform station to station training for link optimization due to the linear processing of the optic module.

8. The transceiver of claim 1 wherein the transceiver is part of an on-board optics configuration.

9. An optic module configured to receive and transmit optic signals comprising:

a signal receive path configured to perform linear signal processing comprising:

a photodetector configured to receive a received optic signal and convert the received optic signal to a received electrical signal;

a linear variable gain amplifier configured to amplify the received electrical signal to create an amplified signal;

an output port configured to provide the amplified signal to a host;

a signal transmit path configured to perform linear processing on an outgoing signal comprising:

a linear equalizer configured to perform linear equalization on the outgoing signal received from the host to create an equalized signal;

a driver configured to provide and drive an electrical to optical interface;

an electrical to optical interface configured to convert the equalized signal from the driver to an outgoing optic signal and transmit the outgoing optic signal on a fiber optic cable.

10. The optic module of claim 9 wherein the signal transmit path further includes an amplifier.

11. The optic module of claim 9 further comprising a host with non-linear equalization is configured to perform on the amplified signal and the outgoing signal.

12. The optic module of claim 9 wherein the optic module does not include non-linear clock and data recovery.

13. The optic module of claim 9 wherein the optic module is configured in a on-board optic configuration.

14. The optic module of claim 9 wherein the optic module is configured in a co-packaged optic configuration.