Bi-directional parallel optical link

Abstract

An optical communications device has light transmitters of a first wavelength that are coupled to a number of first waveguides of an optical data link, respectively. A second set of light transmitters of a second, different wavelength are coupled to another set of waveguides of the link, respectively. The light transmitters are to transmit data from the same data processing element that is to use the link to communicate with another data processing element. The device also has a set of light detectors of the first wavelength that are coupled to the second set of waveguides, respectively. Another set of light detectors of the second wavelength are coupled to the set of first waveguides, respectively. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment of the invention in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and they mean at least one.

FIG. 1 shows a proposed WDM optical link.

FIG. 2 shows a proposed parallel, bi-directional optical link.

FIG. 3 shows a parallel, bi-directional optical link arranged in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 depicts a parallel bidirectional optical link arranged in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 shows a computer system with an optical link.

Claims

1. An optical communications device comprising: a first plurality of light transmitters of a first wavelength, coupled to a first plurality of waveguides of an optical data link, respectively;a second plurality of light transmitters of a second wavelength different than the first wavelength, coupled to a second plurality of waveguides of the link, respectively, wherein the first and second plurality of light transmitters are to transmit data from the same data processing element that is to use the link to communicate with another data processing element;a first plurality of light detectors of the first wavelength, coupled to the second plurality of waveguides, respectively; anda second plurality of light detectors of the second wavelength, coupled to the first plurality of waveguides, respectively.

2. The optical communications device of claim 1 wherein the first and second plurality of light transmitters are arranged in a column, and the first and second plurality of light detectors are arranged in a different column.

3. The optical communications device of claim 1 wherein the first and second plurality of light detectors are to receive data for the same data processing element that is to use the link to communicate with another data processing element.

4. An optical transceiver comprising: a first light transmitter of a first wavelength, coupled to a first waveguide;a second light transmitter of a second wavelength different than the first wavelength, coupled to a second waveguide different than the first waveguide;a first light detector of the first wavelength, coupled to the second waveguide; anda second light detector of the second wavelength, coupled to the first waveguide, wherein the first and second light transmitters and the first and second light detectors are part of the same optical transceiver.

5. The optical transceiver of claim 4 wherein the transmitters are in one column and the receivers are in another column.

6. The optical transceiver of claim 5 further comprising: a third light transmitter of a third wavelength, coupled to a third waveguide different than the first and second waveguides; anda third light detector of the third wavelength, coupled to the first waveguide, wherein the third light transmitter and the third light detector is part of the same optical transceiver.

7. A method for optical communications, comprising: operating a first waveguide to transfer payload data bi-directionally therein, wherein payload data of a first channel is carried by a first wavelength in a downstream direction and payload data of a second channel is carried by a second wavelength in an upstream direction; andoperating a second waveguide to transfer payload data bi-directionally therein, wherein payload data of the first channel is carried by the first wavelength in the upstream direction and payload data of the second channel is carried by the second wavelength in the downstream direction.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising: operating a third waveguide to transfer payload data bi-directionally therein, wherein payload data of a third channel is carried by the first wavelength in the downstream direction and payload data of a fourth channel is carried by the second wavelength in the upstream direction; andoperating a fourth waveguide to transfer payload data bi-directionally therein, wherein payload data of the third channel is carried by the first wavelength in the upstream direction and payload data of the fourth channel is carried by the second wavelength in the downstream direction.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising: operating a fifth waveguide to transfer payload data bi-directionally therein, wherein payload data of a fifth channel is carried by the first wavelength in the downstream direction and payload data of a sixth channel is carried by the second wavelength in the upstream direction; andoperating a sixth waveguide to transfer payload data bi-directionally therein, wherein payload data of the fifth channel is carried by the first wavelength in the upstream direction and payload data of the sixth channel is carried by the second wavelength in the downstream direction.

10. A data processing system with an optical data link, comprising: a first data processing element;a second data processing element that shares power supply circuitry of the system with the first data processing element; andan optical data link that couples the first and second data processing elements, wherein the link comprises a first optical interface,a second optical interface, anda plurality of optical waveguides an even number of which are coupled to the first interface at one point and to the second interface at another point,the first and second interfaces are to transfer data between each other over a plurality of channels, and to operate each one of the even number of waveguides bi-directionally to transfer the data, and whereineach channel has a first transmitter-receiver pair to communicate in a downstream direction, and a second transmitter-receiver pair to communicate in an upstream direction, in the first and second interfaces, the first and second pairs to operate on the same wavelength but in different waveguides.

11. The data processing system of claim 10 wherein the optical path lengths of the first transmitter-receiver pairs of the plurality of channels are the same, and the optical path lengths of the second transmitter-receiver pairs of the plurality of channels are the same.

12. The data processing system of claim 10 wherein the first interface comprises a plurality of light transmitters and a plurality of light detectors coupled to the even number of waveguides, to operate at a plurality of different wavelengths, the plurality of light transmitters and the plurality of light detectors in the first interface being arranged in a plane and in such a way that rotating the first interface 180 degrees in said plane will give the same layout of transmitters, detectors and wavelengths that are used in the second interface, to communicate with the first interface over the even number of waveguides.

13. The data processing system of claim 10 wherein in the optical link, the number of transmitters coupled to the even number of waveguides is an integer multiple of the even number and the number of detectors coupled to the even number of waveguides is an integer multiple of the even number.

14. The data processing system of claim 10 wherein in the optical link, each of the even number of waveguides has the same number of transmitters coupled to it, and the same number of detectors coupled to it.

15. The data processing system of claim 10 wherein in the optical link, the number of different wavelengths, used by the first interface to communicate over the even number of waveguides, is equal to the number of transmitters plus the number of detectors in the first interface that are coupled to the even number of waveguides, divided by the even number.

16. The data processing system of claim 10 wherein in the first interface, a column of transmitters and a column of detectors are arranged with opposite channel numbering.

17. The data processing system of claim 10 wherein the first interface comprises an arrangement of a plurality of light transmitters and a plurality of light detectors coupled to the even number of waveguides, to operate at a plurality of different wavelengths, the location of the transmitter for each of the channels is given by mirroring the location of the receiver for the channel, across a central horizontal axis and then across a central vertical axis of the arrangement.