Design And Characterization Of A Novel Fiber Optic Coupling Device For Data Communication Applications

Abstract

Many of the functions necessary for fiber optic coupling in data link applications have been incorporated into one opto-mechanical device called a lensheceptacle. The lens/receptacle enables the assembly of data links with reduced parts count, simplified assembly, lower cost, and streamlined testing with many performance advantages. The packaging consistent with this lens can accommodate data rates in excess of 600 M bls . This paper outlines the design of the lens/receptacle while highlighting the performance benefits of the package as a whole. Performance results presented are on FDDl compliant pre-production prototypes operating at 125 Mb/s at h = 1330 nm. Jntroduction;The availability of inexpensive fiber optic data communication equipment will enable the realization of wide area, shared resource, computer networks. The adoption of the Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) standard [l], including recent work toward a Low Cost FDDl standard, guides the path to the data communication superhighways of the future. Data link packaging efforts to date [2,3], including so called ''low cost" packaging, have concentrated primarily on integrated circuit packaging and consolidation. The trusty "TO" header has been consistently relied upon to house active devices and mate with expensive optical coupling elements such as GRIN lenses and split sleeves. The header has also seen increased integration by housing preamplifier circuits. While this approach is technically sound, it shifts the cost from the driveheceive electronics to the active device mount (ADM).An approach to manufacturing cost reduction has been taken which involves optical solutions to the ADM problem. The introduction of an integrally molded lensheceptacle element which performs fiber-receiving, lightcoupling, and light-bending functions eliminates the need for headers by allowing tight integration of all electronics and active devices on a pre-tested board assembly. The multifunction precision molding further