PLUGGABLE OPTICAL AMPLIFIER FOR DATACENTER INTERCONNECTS
A pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module may include preamp and booster optical amplifiers and a housing. The preamp optical amplifier may be configured to amplify optical signals traveling in a first direction. The booster optical amplifier may be configured to amplify optical signals traveling in a second direction. The housing may at least partially enclose the preamp optical amplifier and the booster optical amplifier. The pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module may have a mechanical form factor that is compliant with a pluggable communication module form factor MSA. A colorless mux/demux cable assembly may be operated with the pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier. The colorless mux/demux cable assembly may include a 1:N optical splitter a N:1 optical combiner coupled side-by-side to the 1:N optical splitter, a first fiber optic cable optic cable, and a second fiber optic cable.
1 . A pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module, comprising:
a preamp optical amplifier that amplifies optical signals output to a remote amplifier module along a bidirectional link;
a booster optical amplifier that amplifies received optical signals from the remote amplifier via the bidirectional link;
a housing, having a mechanical form factor that is compliant with a pluggable communication module form factor of a multisource agreement (MSA), that at least partially encloses the preamp optical amplifier and the booster optical amplifier; and
a controller, in communication with the remote amplifier, that adjusts a gain of the preamp optical amplifier and/or the booster optical amplifier to compensate for span loss along the bidirectional link.
2 . The pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module of claim 1 , wherein the controller adjusts the gain of the preamp optical amplifier and/or the booster optical amplifier to compensate for both the span loss and multiplexing and demultiplexing losses.
3 . The pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the gain of the preamp optical amplifier and/or the booster optical amplifier to compensate for predetermined multiplexing and demultiplexing losses and a variable span loss along the bidirectional link.
4 . The pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
operate a first amplifier of the preamp optical amplifier and the booster optical amplifier at a constant gain; and
adjust a gain of a second amplifier of the preamp optical amplifier and the booster optical amplifier to adjust the gain of the second amplifier to compensate for the span loss.
5 . The pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the gain of the preamp optical amplifier to compensate for the span loss.
6 . The pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the preamp optical amplifier at a constant gain.
7 . The pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module of claim 1 , wherein each of the preamp optical amplifier and the booster optical amplifier comprise a doped-fiber amplifier.
8 . The pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to operate each of the preamp optical amplifier and the booster optical amplifier at an inversion.
9 . The pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to:
operate a first amplifier of the preamp optical amplifier and the booster optical amplifier at a constant inversion; and
adjust an inversion of a second amplifier of the preamp optical amplifier and the booster optical amplifier to adjust the gain of the second amplifier to compensate for the span loss.
10 . The pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the first amplifier at a constant inversion of at least 0.7.
11 . The pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the inversion of the second amplifier between a minimum inversion and a maximum inversion of at least 0.7.
12 . The pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module of claim 8 , wherein:
the controller is configured to adjust the gain of the preamp optical amplifier and/or the booster optical amplifier between a minimum gain and a maximum gain; and
the preamp optical amplifier and the booster optical amplifier are negatively pre-biased such that a total gain tilt of the preamp optical amplifier and the booster optical amplifier at the maximum gain is negative.
13 . The pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module of claim 12 , wherein the preamp optical amplifier and the booster optical amplifier are pre-biased such that the total gain tilt at the minimum gain is positive.
14 . The pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module of claim 13 , wherein the magnitude of the negative tilt at the maximum gain is substantially equal to the magnitude of the positive tilt at the minimum gain.
15 . The pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module of claim 7 , wherein the preamp optical amplifier and the booster optical amplifier are negatively pre-biased such that a difference between a maximum wavelength-dependent gain at a given target gain within an operational wavelength range and a minimum wavelength-dependent gain at the given target gain within the operational wavelength range is 0.5 decibels or less.
16 . The pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module of claim 7 , wherein:
the pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module is devoid of a coil heater; and
a maximum temperature-induced gain deviation within an operational wavelength range across a temperature range of 35 degrees Celsius is 0.2 decibels or less.
17 . A method of making a pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module, the method comprising:
providing a preamp optical amplifier for amplifying optical signals output to a remote amplifier module along a bidirectional link;
providing a booster optical amplifier for amplifying received optical signals from the remote amplifier via the bidirectional link;
configuring a controller to communicate with the remote amplifier and adjust a gain of the preamp optical amplifier and/or the booster optical amplifier to compensate for span loss along the bidirectional link; and
enclosing the preamp optical amplifier, the booster optical amplifier, and the controller in a housing having a mechanical form factor that is compliant with a pluggable communication module form factor of a multisource agreement (MSA).
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein each of the preamp optical amplifier and the booster optical amplifier comprise a doped-fiber amplifier, the method further comprising configuring the controller to:
operate a first amplifier of the preamp optical amplifier and the booster optical amplifier at a constant inversion of at least 0.7; and
adjust the gain of a second amplifier of the preamp optical amplifier and the booster optical amplifier by adjusting an inversion of the second amplifier between a minimum inversion and a maximum inversion of at least 0.7.
19 . A method of amplifying optical signals output to and received from a remote amplifier module by a pluggable bidirectional optical amplifier module having a housing with a mechanical form factor that is compliant with a pluggable communication module form factor of a multisource agreement (MSA), the method comprising:
receiving optical signals from the remote amplifier via a bidirectional link;
amplifying, by a preamp optical amplifier enclosed within the housing, the received optical signals;
amplifying, by a booster optical amplifier enclosed within the housing, output optical signals;
outputting the output optical signals for transmittal to the remove amplifier via a bidirectional link; and
adjust a gain of the preamp optical amplifier and/or the booster optical amplifier, by a controller enclosed within the housing that is configured to communicate with the remote amplifier, to compensate for span loss along the bidirectional link.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein each of the preamp optical amplifier and the booster optical amplifier comprise a doped-fiber amplifier, the method comprising:
operating a first amplifier of the preamp optical amplifier and the booster optical amplifier at a constant inversion of at least 0.7; and
adjusting the gain of a second amplifier of the preamp optical amplifier and the booster optical amplifier by adjusting an inversion of the second amplifier between a minimum inversion and a maximum inversion of at least 0.7.