TRANSCEIVERS

BACKGROUND

[0001] High-radix network switch modules may support a high number of connectors on their faceplates. Network port standards allow 1 -lane and wider ports (e.g., twelve-lane for CXP), and wider ports use larger connectors and thus fewer connectors on the faceplate. Different applications use different port bandwidth. Traditionally, either one-lane (e.g., Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP)) or four-lane (e.g., Quad Small Form-Factor Pluggable (QSFP)) ports predominate the Ethernet industry. As the bandwidth per lane has reached l OGbps; however, not every system can take advantage of QSFP four-lane ports.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0002] Non-limiting examples of the present disclosure are described in the following description, read with reference to the figures attached hereto and do not limit the scope of the claims. In the figures, identical and similar structures, elements or parts thereof that appear in more than one figure are generally labeled with the same or similar references in the figures in which they appear. Dimensions of components and features illustrated in the figures are chosen primarily for convenience and clarity of presentation and are not necessarily to scale. Referring to the attached figures:

[0003] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an optical receptacle according to an example;

[0004] FIG. 2 illustrates a prospective view of an optical receptacle of FIG. 1 according to an example;

[0005] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic view of an optical receptacle of FIG. 1 according to an example;

[0006] FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of an optical device to directly mate bifurcated optical transceivers according to an example;

[0007] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a transceiver board of FIG. 4 according to an example;

[0008] FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic view of a transceiver board with a receptacle lane box of FIG. 4 according to an example;

[0009] FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of a system to directly mate bifurcated optical transceivers according to an example;

[0010] FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the system of FIG. 7 according to an example;

[0011] FIGS. 9-1 1 illustrate schematic views of the system of FIG. 7 according to examples; and

[0012] FIGS. 12-14 illustrate schematic views of optical cable assemblies installed in the optical receptacle of FIG. 7 according to examples.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is depicted by way of illustration specific examples in which the present disclosure may be practiced. It is to be understood that other examples may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0014] Traditional network ports have a fixed number of lanes. A lane includes a transmit signal and a receive signal for network communications. Network chips, connectors, and cables have been defined to provide a fixed number of lanes for a network port. Ethernet standards have been emerging where a port of a network chip may be configured to be a four-lane port (e.g. , 4x25G for 100GbE), a two-lane port (e.g., 2x25G for 50GbE), or a one-lane port (e.g. , 1x25G for 25GbE). Existing optical connectors and cables for network ports are defined for a fixed number of lanes. This is not a problem for one-lane ports or for multi-lane ports as long as the application calls for fixed lane-count ports (e.g., QSFP for a 4-lane port). When a multi-lane port of a chip in a network switch system needs to be connected by network interface chips in computer systems having a varying number of lanes (e.g., 1 -lane, 2-lane, 4- lane), the fixed lane-count connectors and cables will force certain lanes on a network chip port to be unusable, thus resulting in wasted or stranded lanes. A network chip may be a switch ASIC, a NIC (network interface controller) chip, an electrical transceiver chip (e.g., retimer, redriver), an optical transceiver chip, or a combination of these chips interconnected.

[0015] To minimize product models, many switches include QSFP ports. Using only one lane or two lanes out of the available four lanes, is wasteful. Therefore, users may buy switches with QSFP four-lane ports for future proofing, and use break-out cables to fan-out four SFP one-lane ports or two 2- lane ports for every QSFP port or for every two QSFP ports, respectively. This approach is expensive and can introduce signal integrity and connection reliability issues.

[0016] The disclosure provides for an optical receptacle. The optical receptacle includes a housing with two sides to encase at least one lane of an optical transceiver on one side and directly accept a passive optical cable on the other side. The optical receptacle also includes a receptacle alignment member to align a transmit fiber and a receive fiber of the passive optical cable with the optical transceiver. The optical receptacle to receive configurations of multiple types of optical cable assemblies per optical receptacle. The optical receptacles to accept different lane-count cables so that switch manufacturers can design one system with one set of connectors on each optical connector that will allow varying lane-count cables. Switch port signals may be connected to specific receptacle connector bays in a way that all the lanes of the network chips can be used regardless of the cable type installed.

[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an optical receptacle 100 according to an example. The optical receptacle 100 including a housing 120 and a receptacle alignment member 180. The housing 120 includes two sides, a first side 140 and a second side 160. The first side 140 to encase at least one lane of an optical transceiver on a transceiver board. The second side 160 to directly accept a passive optical cable with a transmit fiber and a receive fiber. The receptacle alignment member 180 to align a transmit fiber and a receive fiber of the passive optical cable with the optical transceiver. The housing 120 to receive configurations of multiple types of optical cable assemblies per optical receptacle. The optical connector assemblies are bifurcatable, i.e., a four-lane connector may be used for one four-lane cable, two two-lane cables, or four one lane cables. In addition, a four-lane connector may be used for one two-lane cable and two one-lane cables.

[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an optical receptacle 100 of FIG. 1 according to an example. The optical receptacle 100 illustrated includes the receptacle housing 120 with a first side 140 that encases four lanes of an optical transceiver on a transceiver board. The optical receptacle 100 may be precision mounted to the transceiver board. The second side 160 includes four lane boxes 262 that each directly accepts a passive optical cable with a transmit fiber (such as a VCEL and Tx fiber) and a receive fiber (such as a PD and Rx fiber). Each lane box 262 is separated by a wall divider 264. A contactless antenna, such as a receptacle contactless antenna 266 may be placed within the wall dividers 264 of each lane box 262. The receptacle contactless antenna 266 may include trace pins that electrically interface with a contactless reader chip on a transceiver board, such as a NFC reader. The contactless antenna may be printed using various methods, such as an aerosol jet printing process that is currently used for mobile device antennae. FIG. 2 illustrates the optical receptacle 100 having four lane boxes 262; however, any number of lane boxes 262 may be used. For example, the optical receptacle may include two lane boxes or six lane boxes, each lane box encases an optical transceiver. FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic view of an optical receptacle 100 of FIG. 1 including a housing 120 with two lane boxes 262 and a wall divider 264 between the two lane boxes 262. The two lane boxes may encase two optical transceivers.

[0019] FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of an optical device 400 to directly mate bifurcated optical transceivers according to an example. The optical device 400 includes a transceiver board 410, an optical transceiver integrated circuit (IC) 430, a transceiver alignment member 450, and an optical receptacle 100. The optical transceiver IC 430 may consist of system interface logic. The optical transceiver IC 430 is coupled to the transceiver board 410. The optical transceiver board 410 includes a transceiver alignment member 450. The optical receptacle 100 couples an optical cable to the transceiver board 410. The optical receptacle 100 includes a housing 120 and a receptacle alignment member 180. The housing 120 to receive multiple types of multiple lane optical cable assemblies per optical receptacle 100. The receptacle alignment member 180 to align the optical cable assembly with the optical transceiver board 410.

[0020] Referring to FIGS. 5-6, FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a transceiver board 410 of FIG. 4 according to an example, and FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic view of a transceiver board 410 with a receptacle lane box of FIG. 4 according to an example. The transceiver board 410 is illustrated to include an optical transceiver IC 430 and a transceiver alignment member 450. The optical transceiver IC 430 is illustrated in FIGS. 5-6 to connect with a laser driver (LD)/ trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) chip 632 in each lane 262 of the optical receptacle 100 that connects with the optical transceiver IC 430. An LD/TIA chip 632 consists of a LD to modulate a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) 566 to transmit an optical signal, and a TIA to receive electrical signals converted from an optical signal by a Photo Detector (PD) 564. In other examples, the four LD/TIA chips 632 and the optical transceiver IC 430 may be combined into one chip. The transceiver board 410 includes a pair of optoelectronic devices, such as a PD 564 to receive an optical signal and a VCSEL 566 to transmit an optical signal. For example, FIG. 6 illustrates the optical transceiver board 410 positioned with a lane-box including a PD 564 and a VCSEL 566. VCSELs 566 and PDs 564 are illustrative examples. Other types of opto-electronic devices may be used. The transceiver alignment member 450 is illustrated as a precision-mounted pin 552 on the transceiver board 410. The transceiver board 410 also includes a contactless reader chip 512. The transceiver board 410 may also include a contactless antennae, such as a transceiver contactless antennae 514 to electrically interface with the

contactless reader chip 512, instead of the receptacle contactless antennae 266 illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0021] FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of a system 770 to directly mate bifurcated optical transceivers according to an example. The system 770 includes an optical transceiver module 790 and an optical receptacle 100. The optical transceiver module 790 includes a transceiver board 410, an optical transceiver IC 430, and a transceiver alignment member 450. The optical transceiver IC 430 is coupled to the transceiver board 410. The optical transceiver IC 430 and/or the transceiver alignment member 450 may be on the transceiver board 410 or connected thereto. The transceiver alignment member 450 mates with an optical receptacle 100. The optical receptacle 100 to couple a passive optical cable with a transmit fiber and a receive fiber to the optical transceiver module 790. The optical receptacle includes a housing 120 and a receptacle alignment member 140. The housing 120 to directly accept the passive optical cable. The passive optical cable including multiple types of multiple lane optical cables per optical receptacle 100. The receptacle alignment member 140 to align the optical transceiver module 790 with a corresponding transmit fiber and receive fiber of the passive optical cable.

[0022] FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the system 770 of FIG. 7 according to an example. The optical receptacle 100 comprises a lane box 262 for each passive optical cable the optical receptacle 100 is designed to receive. FIG. 8 illustrates a side view of a four-lane optical receptacle 100. The transceiver module 790 illustrated includes the transceiver board 410, the optical transceiver IC 430, and the transceiver alignment member 450 as discussed with reference to FIG. 7. The transceiver module 790 also includes a transceiver VCSEL 566 and PD 564 that engages with the fiber ends 872 of the optical cable assembly 882. The fiber ends 872 include the receive fiber 874 and the transmit fiber 876 that both extend from a single ferrule 875. Details of the receive fiber 874 and transmit fiber 876 are visible in FIGS. 12-14.

[0023] The housing 120 accepts at least two types of multiple lane optical cable assemblies per optical receptacle. For example, the four-lane optical receptacle receives a four-lane optical cable assembly, two two-lane optical cable assemblies, four one-lane optical cable assemblies or one two-lane optical cable assembly and two one-lane optical cable assemblies. The optical receptacle 100 may include the optical cable assembly including a contactless tag assembly 868, such as an NFC tag and an associated antenna, and the optical receptacle 100 may also include receptacle contactless antennae 266 to communicate with a contactless reader chip 512 electrically coupled to the transceiver board 410. The contactless reader chip 512 communicates with the contactless tag assembly 868 via the antennae 266 on the optical receptacle 100. The contactless tag assembly 868 may be a part of the optical cable assembly 882. A tag may be connected to the optical cable assembly 882, and an antenna may be printed on the optical cable assembly 882 using various methods, such as an aerosol jet printing process that is currently used for mobile device antennae.

[0024] FIGS. 2 and 8 illustrate a receptacle contactless antennae 266 on the housing 120. In contrast, FIGS. 5 and 9-1 1 illustrate the transceiver contactless antennae 514 on the transceiver board 410. At least one of the antennae in the lane boxes 262 of the housing 120 communicatively couples with a contactless tag assembly 868 on the four-lane optical cable assembly, when the housing 120 receives the four-lane optical cable assembly 882. Each antenna has two electrical terminals to connect to the contactless reader chip 512 and the four antennae (when a four lane box is used) can be either on the housing 120 or on the transceiver board 410. The receptacle contactless antennae 266 can detect and/or read the corresponding contactless tag assembly 868 more accurately since they would be in a close proximity when a cable is inserted into a lane box 262. However, the receptacle contactless antennae 266 may be harder to implement on the dielectric or plastic housing 120 and may be more expensive. The transceiver contactless antennae 514 located on the transceiver board 410 are simpler to implement but there may be reduced accuracy with respect to reading the correct contactless tag assembly 868. The transceiver contactless antennae 514 located on the transceiver board 410 include four antennae and potentially four contactless tag assemblies 868, each with a tag and an antenna, in the same vicinity of the four lane boxes 262, which could reduce accuracy.

[0025] FIGS. 9-1 1 illustrate schematic views of the system 770 of FIG. 7 according to examples. An example of a four-lane optical cable assembly 882 with four optical cable connections is illustrated in FIG. 9. Other variations useable with the example include one two-lane optical cable assembly for a two-lane receptacle, two one-lane optical cable assemblies for a two-lane receptacle, or one one-lane optical cable assembly for a one-lane receptacle.

[0026] FIG. 9 illustrates the system 770 from a back side of the transceiver board 410 opposite the optical receptacle 100. The system 770 includes a four-lane receptacle 100 attached to the transceiver board 410 and a four-lane optical cable assembly 882. As illustrated, the transceiver board 410 includes the optical transceiver IC 430, the transceiver alignment member 450, the transceiver contactless antennae 514, the receive channel 564, and the transmit channel 566 each visible from the back side. The four-lane optical cable assembly 882 includes the optical cable 878, a tab 977, ferrules 978 each with a receive fiber 874 and a transmit fiber 876. The optical receptacle 100 includes the first side that mates with the transceiver board 410 and the second side 160 that receives the optical cable assembly 882.

[0027] FIG. 10 illustrates the system 770 from a front side of the transceiver board 410 with the four-lane optical receptacle 100 attached there to. The transceiver board 410 illustrates the transceiver contactless antennae 514. The optical receptacle 100 includes four lane boxes 262 with wall dividers 264. The optical cable assembly illustrated shows four-lane optical cable assembly 882 with the optical cable 878, tab 977, and a contactless tag assembly 868 (such as NFC tag and antennae). [0028] FIG. 1 1 illustrates an assembled view of the system 770 with the four-lane optical receptacle 100 and four-lane optical cable assembly 882 connected to the transceiver board 410. A front side view of the system 770 includes the transceiver board 410 with the contactless reader chip 512, contactless antennae 514 visible. The first and second sides 140, 160 of the optical receptacle 100 are visible with the four-lane optical cable assembly 882 inserted in the four lane boxes 262 of the optical receptacle 100. The optical cable assembly includes the optical cable 878 and the tab 977 on the cable assembly. The optical connector receptacle 100 may also include indicators 1 1 10, such as lights formed of passive light pipes that illuminate when an optical signal connection is made.

[0029] An optical connector with a four-lane optical cable assembly 882 is illustrated in FIGS. 9-1 1 ; however, optical cable assemblies with one or two optical cable connections may also be used as discussed below in FIGS. 12-14. FIGS. 12-14 illustrate schematic views of optical cable assemblies installed in the system 770 of FIG. 7 according to examples. The housing 120 accepts at least one type of multiple lane optical cable assemblies selected from one four- lane optical cable assembly 882 for a four-lane receptacle as illustrated in FIG. 12, two two-lane optical cable assemblies 1384 for a four-lane receptacle as illustrated in FIG. 13, and four one-lane optical cable assemblies 1486 for a four-lane receptacle as illustrated in FIG. 14. Each cable assembly includes the ferrule 978 with a receive fiber 874 and a transmit fiber 876. The ferrule 978 may include multiple receive and transmit fibers 874, 876. For example, the ferrule 978 may include a pair of receive and transmit fibers 874, 876 or two pairs of receive and transmit fibers 874, 876 that would mate with two pairs of VCSEL 566 and PD 564 on the transceiver board 410. Each cable assembly includes a tab 977 to connect the cable assembly to the optical receptacle. The tab 977 may be spring loaded to hold the cable assembly in the optical receptacle. The spring loaded tab 977 may be inserted or removed by placing pressure on the tab 977.

[0030] The present disclosure has been described using non-limiting detailed descriptions of examples thereof and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. It should be understood that features and/or operations described with respect to one example may be used with other examples and that not all examples of the present disclosure have all of the features and/or operations illustrated in a particular figure or described with respect to one of the examples. Variations of examples described will occur to persons of the art. Furthermore, the terms "comprise," "include," "have" and their conjugates, shall mean, when used in the present disclosure and/or claims, "including but not necessarily limited to."

[0031] It is noted that some of the above described examples may include structure, acts or details of structures and acts that may not be essential to the present disclosure and are intended to be examples. Structure and acts described herein are replaceable by equivalents, which perform the same function, even if the structure or acts are different, as known in the art.

Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the elements and limitations as used in the claims.