Modular electro-optic bus coupler system

Abstract

Abstract The electrical/optical modular coupler enables terminal units coupled to it to be interconnected over the optical and/or electrical bus by which they are physically intercoupled. The modular coupler unit will have a plurality of modular active fiber optic coupler units; each modular active fiber optic coupler unit having an optical input port; an optical output port; an optical transmitter coupled to said optical output port; an optical receiver coupled to said optical input port, an electrical input port; an electrical output port; and logic control elements coupling the said optical transmitter, said optical receiver, said electrical output port and said electrical input port coupled for preventing any electrical input signal on said electrical input port from appearing at the electrical output port; but allowing an electrical input signal to be transmitted as an optical output signal and an electrical input signal to be transmitted as an optical output signal and allowing an optical input signal to become an electrical output; and the system has the electrical output ports of a modular coupler unit of the system coupled to the electrical input ports of a plurality of other couplers, and it the system may be coupled to an unlimited maximum of couplers with an optical signal appearing at any coupler input becoming an electrical signal output at that coupler and consequently becomes an electrical input at all of the other interconnected plurality of modular active fiber optic coupler units.

Inventors

• 👤 Robert Betts

Bibliographic Details