ELECTRONICS FOR HIGH SPEED, BURST MODE OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS

Electronics for burst mode data communication over an optical data link will contribute to wider acceptance of photonic technology. This paper describes the concepts and difficulties inherent in burst mode optical communication systems, and proposes a new solution employing an ultra-high speed, high accuracy peak detector. Sensitivity penalties associated with this technique are reviewed. The method was implemented in an optical receiver with dc to 500 Mb/s operation, and at 200 Mb/s, demonstrates an isolated pulse sensitivity of −29.5 dBm, and pulse width distortion less than lns. An example application, the Multiple channel Optical Data LINK (MODLINK), is described: a fully dc-coupled, 12 parallel channel digital data link system designed for high speed optical fiber communication at bit rates ranging from dc to 200 Mb/s per channel, applicable at distances of centimeters to over 3 km.