BACKGROUND

[0001] Optical communications have become more prevalent as the demand for high-speed communication and processing has increased. Optical

communications typically implement a laser and/or other optical devices for providing and receiving optical signals that are carried on optical fibers. Routing optical fibers across a plurality of interconnected computer nodes or networking switches can be difficult due to the complexity of the routes, the density of connector faceplates, and the sequencing of fiber attachment to the computing or switching equipment. Certain system topologies, notably meshes and torus configurations, can be particularly challenging, particularly in large-scale optical network topologies. Additionally, an optical shuffle can be required in routing optical fibers, which can allow optical fibers in an assembly to be rearranged as they pass through a given area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0002] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an optical interconnect device.

[0003] FIG. 2 illustrates another example of an optical interconnect device.

[0004] FIG. 3 illustrates yet another example of an optical interconnect device

[0005] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of an optical interconnect system.

[0006] FIG. 5 illustrates another example of an optical interconnect system.

[0007] FIG. 6 illustrates yet another example of an optical interconnect system.

[0008] FIG. 7 illustrates a further example of an optical interconnect device assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an optical interconnect device 10. The optical interconnect device 10 can be implemented in a variety of electro-optical computing and/or communications systems that implement the transfer of optical signals. The optical interconnect device 10 includes a plurality of optical fiber ports 12 and a plurality of optical fibers 14, and is configured to route a plurality N of optical signals, demonstrated as OPT1 through OPTN in the example of FIG. 1 , between the plurality of optical fiber ports 12 via the optical fibers 14. For example, the optical interconnect device 10 can include a body portion to which the optical fiber ports 12 are coupled and through which the optical fibers 14 extend, such that the body portion can secure the optical fibers 14 therein.

[0010] As an example, the optical fiber ports 12 can include mechanical optical connectors into which external optical fibers or optical fiber cables can be plugged, or can include sealed pass-through connections of the optical fibers 14 in the optical interconnect device 10, such that the optical fibers 14 can extend contiguously and uninterrupted from the optical interconnect device 10. In addition, as described herein, the term "optical fiber" can refer to a single optical fiber (e.g., including a core and a cladding) to provide unidirectional optical communication, can refer to a bidirectional pair of optical fibers (e.g., each including a core and a cladding) to provide both transmit and receive communications in an optical network, or can refer to a multi-core fiber, such that a single cladding could encapsulate a plurality of single-mode cores.

[0011] The optical fibers 14 can extend between the optical fiber ports 12 to provide the optical signals ΟΡΤΊ through OPT _N between the optical fiber ports 1 2, such that a first portion of the optical fibers 14 can extend from a first of the optical fiber ports 12 to a second of the optical fiber ports 12, and a second portion of the optical fibers 14 can extend from the first of the optical fiber ports 12 to a third of the optical fiber ports 12. As an example, the optical fiber ports 12 can be arranged to split the optical signals ΟΡΤΊ through OPT _N between separate optical fiber ports 12, such that optical fibers 14 associated with all of the optical signals ΟΡΤΊ through OPT _N can be provided through a first of the optical fiber ports 1 2, with the quantity of the optical fibers 14 being split from the first of the optical fiber ports 12 to two or more additional optical fiber ports 12. As another example, one of the optical fibers 14 can extend between each pair of the optical fiber ports 12 to provide optical connectivity between each optical fiber port 12 and each other optical fiber port 12 in an "all-to-all" fiber routing arrangement. [0012] As an example, the optical interconnect device 10 can include a substrate on which the optical fibers 14 are disposed between the optical fiber ports 12. For example, the optical fibers 14 can be provided on the substrate via V- grooves that have been etched onto a surface of the substrate. Then optical fibers 14 can be secured between the optical ports 12 based on a molding material that is disposed on the surface of the substrate over the optical fibers 14, such as in an overmolding procedure during fabrication of the optical interconnect device 10. Additionally, the optical fibers 14 may be loosely routed by pins which protrude through holes in an associated substrate as part of the molding process, such that the pins can be removed when the associated substrate is extracted from the mold. Furthermore, in some optical configurations, it may be unnecessary to constrain the position of the optical fibers 14 within the confines of the associated substrate, as the entry and exit points for the optical fibers 14 can be defined by the optical ports 12.

[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates another example of an optical interconnect device 50. The optical interconnect device 50 can correspond to the optical interconnect device 1 0 in the example of FIG. 1 . Therefore, reference is to be made to the example of FIG. 1 in the following description of the example of FIG. 2.

[0014] The optical interconnect device 50 is demonstrated in a first view 52 and a second view 54. The optical interconnect device 50 includes a body portion 56 and a first optical fiber port 58, a second optical fiber port 60, and a third optical fiber port 62 that are coupled to the body portion 56. As an example, the optical fiber ports 58, 60, and 62 can be configured as strain reliefs or can include strain reliefs. The optical interconnect device 50 also includes a plurality of optical fibers 64, as demonstrated in the first view 52, that extend between the optical fiber ports 58, 60, and 62. In the example of FIG. 2, the optical fibers 64 are

demonstrated as a quantity of eight optical fibers 64 that extend from the first optical fiber port 58 and which are split into a first portion 66 (e.g., of four optical fibers) that extend from the first optical fiber port 58 to the second optical fiber port 62 and a second portion 68 (e.g., of four optical fibers) that extend from the first optical fiber port 58 to the third optical fiber port 62. Therefore, the optical interconnect device 50 can be provided to split a larger group of the optical fibers 64, such as externally coupled to the first optical fiber port 58 (e.g., via an optical fiber cable or bundle), into smaller groups (e.g., the portions 66 and 68) of the optical fibers 64, such as externally coupled to the respective second and third optical fiber ports 60 and 62 (e.g., via optical fiber cables or bundles).

[0015] The body portion 56 can include a substrate 70, as demonstrated in the first view 52, and a molding material 72, as demonstrated in the second view 54. As an example, the substrate 70 can be formed from a suitable rigid material (e.g., a laminate material) that is prepared by trimming to appropriate dimensions. During fabrication of the optical interconnect device 50, the optical fibers 64 can be disposed on the substrate 70 to extend between the optical fiber ports 58, 60, and 62. As one example, the optical fibers 64 can terminate at each of the optical fiber ports 58, 60, and 62, such that the optical fiber ports 58, 60, and 62 can correspond to mechanical fiber connectors that can optically couple the optical fibers 64 with optical fibers that are externally coupled to the optical fiber

ports 58, 60, and 62. As another example, the optical fibers 64 can extend through the optical fiber ports 58, 60, and 62, such that the optical fibers 64 are secured within the body portion 56 between the optical fiber ports 58, 60, and 62. For example, V-grooves can be etched onto a surface of the substrate 70, such that the optical fibers 64 can be received in the V-grooves. As another example, the substrate 70 can have an adhesive on the surface to which the optical fibers 64 can be adhered into place. As yet another example, the optical fibers 64 may be loosely routed by pins which protrude through holes in the substrate 70 as part of the molding process, and which are removed when the substrate is extracted from the mold. Furthermore, as described previously, constraining the position of the optical fibers 64 within the confines of the substrate may not be necessary, as the entry and exit points for the optical fibers 64 can be defined by the optical ports 58, 60, and 62.

[0016] The molding material 72 can then be disposed on the surface of the substrate 70 over the optical fibers 64 during a molding process (e.g., an

overmolding process). Therefore, the first view 52 can correspond to a

deconstructed view of the optical interconnect device 50 relative to the second view 54 based on the absence of the molding material 72 in the first view 52. For example, the molding material 72 can be a silica-filled mold compound to provide control of Thermal Coefficient of Expansion (TCE) and flatness over a wide range of temperatures. Therefore, the molding material 72 can secure the optical fibers 64 within the body portion 56 between the optical fiber ports 58, 60, and 62. In addition, as an example, the optical fiber ports 58, 60, and 62 can be molded to the body portion 56 by the molding material 72, such that the optical fiber ports 58, 60, and 62 can be secured in fixed locations onto the body portion 56 by the molding

material 72. The molding material 72 is thus configured to protect and secure the bare optical fibers 64 within the body portion 56.

[0017] FIG. 3 illustrates yet another example of an optical interconnect device 1 00. The optical interconnect device 100 can correspond to the optical interconnect device 10 in the example of FIG. 1 . Therefore, reference is to be made to the example of FIG. 1 in the following description of the example of FIG. 3.

[0018] The optical interconnect device 100 is demonstrated in a first view 1 02 and a second view 104. The optical interconnect device 100 includes a body portion 1 06 and a first optical fiber port 108, a second optical fiber port 1 10, a third optical fiber port 1 12, and a fourth optical fiber port 1 14 that are coupled to the body portion 1 06. As an example, the optical fiber ports 108, 1 10, 1 12, and 1 14 can be configured as strain reliefs or can include strain reliefs. The optical interconnect device 1 00 also includes a plurality of optical fibers, as demonstrated in the first view 1 02, that extend between the optical fiber ports 108, 1 1 0, 1 12, and 1 14.

[0019] In the example of FIG. 3, the optical fibers include a first optical fiber 1 16 that extends between the first optical fiber port 108 and the second optical fiber port 1 10, a second optical fiber 1 18 that extends between the first optical fiber port 108 and the third optical fiber port 1 12, and a third optical fiber 120 that extends between the first optical fiber port 108 and the fourth optical fiber port 1 14.

Additionally, the optical fibers include a fourth optical fiber 122 that extends between the second optical fiber port 1 10 and the third optical fiber port 1 1 2, a fifth optical fiber 124 that extends between the second optical fiber port 1 10 and the fourth optical fiber port 1 14, and a sixth optical fiber 1 26 that extends between the third optical fiber port 1 12 and the fourth optical fiber port 1 14. Therefore, each of the optical fibers 1 1 6, 1 18, 120, 122, 1 24, and 1 26 can extend between a pair of the optical fiber ports 108, 1 1 0, 1 12, and 1 14 to provide optical connectivity between each of the optical fiber ports 108, 1 10, 1 1 2, and 1 14. Accordingly, the optical interconnect device 100 can be configured to provide "all-to-all" optical fiber routing between each of the optical fiber ports 108, 1 10, 1 12, and 1 14.

[0020] The optical interconnect device 100 can be fabricated substantially similarly to the optical interconnect device 50 in the example of FIG. 2. The body portion 1 06 can include a substrate 128, as demonstrated in the first view 1 02, and a molding material 1 30, as demonstrated in the second view 104. The optical fibers 1 16, 1 1 8, 120, 122, 1 24, and 1 26 can be disposed on the substrate 128 to extend between the optical fiber ports 108, 1 10, 1 1 2, and 1 14, and the molding material 130 can then be disposed on the surface of the substrate 1 28 over the optical fibers 1 1 6, 1 18, 120, 122, 1 24, and 1 26 during a molding process (e.g., an overmolding process). Therefore, the first view 102 can correspond to a

deconstructed view of the optical interconnect device 100 relative to the second view 1 04 based on the absence of the molding material 130 in the first view 102. Thus, the molding material 130 can protect and secure the optical fibers 1 16, 1 18, 120, 122, 1 24, and 1 26 within the body portion 106 between the optical fiber ports 108, 1 10, 1 1 2, and 1 14. Additionally, similar to as described previously regarding the example of FIG. 2, the optical fiber ports 108, 1 1 0, 1 12, and 1 14 can be molded to the body portion 1 06 by the molding material 130, such that the optical fiber ports 108, 1 1 0, 1 12, and 1 14 can be secured in fixed locations onto the body portion 1 06 by the molding material 130.

[0021] The optical interconnect devices 50 and 100 in the examples of FIGS. 2 and 3 are examples of a manner for providing multiple optical fibers to be simultaneously routed through an assembly in a fashion that is not reliant upon slow, expensive, and overly-precise optical fiber placement. Fabrication of the optical interconnect devices 50 and 100 can reduce time-on-machine, thus removing the need for many parallel machines to provide sufficient manufacturing capability for high-volume applications. Additionally, the optical interconnect devices 50 and 100 allow a wide variety of assemblies and configurations that can be created quickly and predictably in a semi-automated fashion. Additionally, as described in greater detail herein, the optical interconnect devices 50 and 100 also greatly simplify complex routing cases, such as "all-to-all" mesh construction.

[0022] It is to be understood that optical interconnect devices 50 and 100 are not limited to the examples of FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively. As an example, while the optical interconnect device 50 is demonstrated as having three optical fiber ports 58, 60, and 62 and the optical interconnect device 1 00 is demonstrated as having four optical fiber ports 108, 1 10, 1 1 2, and 1 14, the optical interconnect devices 50 and 100 could include more or less optical fiber ports, respectively.

Additionally, while the optical interconnect device 50 is demonstrated as splitting the optical fibers 64 into the first portion 66 and the second portion 68 with respect to the optical fiber ports 58, 60, and 62, and while the optical interconnect device 100 is demonstrated as providing "all-to-all" routing of the optical fibers 1 1 6, 1 18, 1 20, 122, 124, and 126, between the optical fiber ports 108, 1 10, 1 1 2, and 1 14, the optical interconnect devices 50 and 100 could have the optical fibers extend between the optical fiber ports in a variety of ways. For example, the optical interconnect devices 50 and 100 could be configured to provide both splitting and "all-to-all" fiber routing between all or a portion of all of the respective optical fiber ports. Therefore, the optical interconnect devices 50 and 100 can be configured in a variety of ways.

[0023] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of an optical interconnect system 1 50. The optical interconnect system 150 can correspond to a network that implements optical communications between a plurality of optical devices 152. As an example, the optical devices 1 52 can correspond to electro-optic chips, computers, enterprise servers, and/or a combination thereof.

[0024] The optical interconnect system 150 includes an optical interconnect device 1 54 that is demonstrated in the example of FIG. 4 as including four optical fiber ports 156. A first of the optical fiber ports 156 couples the optical interconnect device 1 54 with an optical fiber cable 1 58 that can include a plurality of optical fibers 160 therein. As an example, the optical fiber cable 158 can couple the optical devices 152 to a network (e.g., the Internet), such as via an optical router, switch, or other network device. The optical fibers 160 can thus couple each of the optical devices 152 to the optical interconnect device 154 via the remaining optical fiber ports 156.

[0025] As an example, the optical interconnect device 154 can be configured substantially similar to the optical interconnect device 50 in the example of FIG. 2, such that portions of the optical fibers 1 60 that are associated with the optical fiber cable 158 extend to each of the respective other optical fiber ports 156. Additionally or alternatively, the optical fibers 160 that are secured in the optical interconnect device 1 56 (e.g., via a molding material) can extend between each of the other optical fiber ports 158, such as similar to the optical interconnect device 100 in the example of FIG. 3, to provide optical interconnectivity between the optical devices 152. Therefore, the optical interconnect system 150 can be configured in a variety of ways. By coupling the optical devices 152 to the optical interconnect device 1 54, the network can be arranged in a more efficient and organized manner than by providing optical fiber connectivity of the optical devices 152 directly to the network (e.g., the Internet), such as via an optical router, switch, or other network device, and/or by providing optical fiber connectivity to each other. For example, the lengths and amount of optical fibers 160 can be better controlled and more efficiently organized by implementing optical connectivity of the optical devices 152 to the optical interconnect device 154.

[0026] FIG. 5 illustrates another example of an optical interconnect

system 200. The optical interconnect system 200 can correspond to a network that implements optical communications between a plurality of optical devices 202.

Similar to as described previously in the example of FIG. 4, the optical devices 202 can correspond to electro-optic chips, computers, enterprise servers, and/or a combination thereof. The optical interconnect system 200 is demonstrated in the example of FIG. 5 as having a cascaded-tree arrangement, as described in greater detail herein.

[0027] The optical interconnect system 200 includes a first optical interconnect device 204 that is demonstrated in the example of FIG. 4 as including three optical fiber ports 206. A first of the optical fiber ports 206 couples the optical interconnect device 204 with an optical fiber cable 208 that can include a plurality of optical fibers 210 therein, and the other two ports can be coupled to additional optical interconnect devices 212 via optical fiber cables 214. As an example, the optical fibers 210 in the optical fiber cable 208 can be split between the optical fiber cables 214. The optical interconnect devices 21 2 are each demonstrated as including three optical fiber ports 216, with a first one of the optical fiber ports 216 being coupled to the respective optical fiber cables 214. The optical fibers 210 can be further split in each of the optical interconnect devices 21 2 between the other optical fiber ports 21 6. A second of the optical fiber ports 216 in each of the optical interconnect devices 212 is coupled to a respective set of the optical devices 202 via a portion of the optical fibers 210. A larger portion of the optical fibers 21 0 can be provided in another optical fiber cable 218 from the third of the optical fiber ports 216 in each of the optical interconnect devices 212.

[0028] The optical fiber cables 218 can couple the respective optical interconnect devices 212 to optical interconnect devices 220. The optical interconnect devices 220 are each demonstrated as including three optical fiber ports 222, with a first one of the optical fiber ports 222 being coupled to the respective optical fiber cables 21 8. The optical fibers 210 can be further split in each of the optical interconnect devices 220 between the other optical fiber ports 222 to provide optical connectivity to the remaining optical devices 202. As a result of the cascaded-tree arrangement of the optical interconnect system 200, the number of optical fibers 21 0 can be split at each of the optical interconnect devices 204, 212, and 220, with portions of the optical fibers 210 being provided in each "branch" that extends from the respective optical interconnect devices 204, 212, and 220.

Additionally, the optical fibers 21 0 that are secured in the optical interconnect devices 204, 21 2, and 220 (e.g., via a molding material) can extend between each of the optical fiber ports 206, 216, and 222 in each of the optical interconnect devices 204, 21 2, and 220, such as similar to the optical interconnect device 100 in the example of FIG. 3, to provide optical interconnectivity between the optical devices 202.

[0029] Similar to as described previously with respect to the example of FIG. 4, by coupling the optical devices 202 to the optical interconnect devices 204, 21 2, and 220, the network can be arranged in a more efficient and organized manner than by providing optical fiber connectivity of the optical devices 202 directly to the network (e.g., the Internet), such as via an optical router, switch, or other network device, and/or by providing optical fiber connectivity to each other. For example, the lengths and amount of optical fibers 210 can be better controlled and more efficiently organized by implementing optical connectivity of the optical devices 202 to the optical interconnect devices 204, 212, and 220. In addition, in the example of FIG. 5, the optical fiber ports 206, 21 6, and 222 can be configured as mechanical connectors (e.g., to receive ends of the optical fibers 21 0), or can be through-connections for contiguous optical fibers 21 0, such as between the optical devices 202 and the optical fiber cable 208, or any portion therebetween.

[0030] FIG. 6 illustrates yet another example of an optical interconnect system 250. The optical interconnect system 250 can correspond to a network that implements optical communications between a plurality of optical devices 252. As an example, the optical devices 252 can correspond to electro-optic chips, computers, enterprise servers, and/or a combination thereof.

[0031] The optical interconnect system 250 includes an optical interconnect device 254 that is demonstrated in the example of FIG. 6 as including sixteen optical fiber ports 256. Each of the optical fiber ports 256 is coupled to a respective one of the optical devices 252 via a respective optical fiber 258. Thus, the optical interconnect system 250 can be configured as a network to provide optical connectivity between each of the optical devices 252. As an example, the optical interconnect device 254 can be configured substantially similar to the optical interconnect device 100 in the example of FIG. 3, such that the optical fibers 258 that are secured within the optical interconnect device 254 (e.g., via a molding material) can extend between each of the other optical fiber ports 256 to provide optical interconnectivity between the optical devices 252. Therefore, the optical

interconnect device 254 can be configured to provide an "all-to-all" optical fiber routing arrangement that can be much more efficiently arranged relative to an all-to- all fiber mesh in typical fiber routing arrangements. As an example, one of the optical devices 252 can be replaced by an optical fiber cable that can couple the optical devices 252 to a network, such that optical fibers in the optical fiber cable can extend through the optical interconnect device 254 to each of the optical devices 252 via the optical fiber ports 256 in addition to the optical interconnection between the optical devices 252. Accordingly, the optical interconnect system 250 can be arranged in a variety of ways.

[0032] FIG. 7 illustrates a further example of an optical interconnect device assembly 300. The optical interconnect device assembly 300 is demonstrated in the example of FIG. 7 as being configured as a plurality of individual optical interconnect devices 302 in a stacked arrangement (e.g., in a plan view for ease of

demonstration). Each of the individual optical interconnect devices 302 can be configured substantially similar to the optical interconnect device 254 in the example of FIG. 6, and can thus provide "all-to-all" connectivity between each of the optical fiber ports 304 thereon. In the example of FIG. 7, adjacent pairs of the optical interconnect devices 302 are optically coupled via an optical fiber 306 coupled to a given one of the optical fiber ports 304 on each respective one of the optical interconnect devices 302. Therefore, the "all-to-all" optical connectivity of each of the optical interconnect devices 302 is expanded to all of the optical fiber ports 304 on all of the optical interconnect devices 302.

[0033] For example, the optical interconnect device assembly 300 can be implemented in a more complex optical routing application to provide optical routing to a large number of optical devices (not shown). Therefore, the optical interconnect device assembly 300 can provide a solution for complex optical routing applications that implements the simplistic design of the individual optical interconnect devices 302 in an aggregate manner. While the optical interconnect device assembly 300 is demonstrated as including three optical interconnect devices 302, a given optical interconnect device assembly can include more or less optical interconnect devices 302 to provide flexibility in complex optical routing schemes.

[0034] What have been described above are examples. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methods, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many further combinations and permutations are possible. Accordingly, the invention is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of this application, including the appended claims. Additionally, where the disclosure or claims recite "a," "an," "a first," or "another" element, or the equivalent thereof, it should be interpreted to include one or more than one such element, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements. As used herein, the term "includes" means includes but not limited to, and the term "including" means including but not limited to. The term "based on" means based at least in part on.