RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a division, and claims the benefit, of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/101,258, entitled AVALANCHE PHOTODIODE CONTROLLER CIRCUIT FOR FIBER OPTICS TRANSCEIVER, filed Mar. 18, 2002 which, in turn, claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/357,075 entitled AVALANCHE PHOTODIODE CONTROLLER CIRCUIT FOR FIBER OPTICS TRANSCEIVER, filed Feb. 12, 2002, both of which are incorporated herein in their respective entireties by this reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention generally relates to methods for calibrating optical components. More particularly, embodiments of the invention are concerned with methods and processes for calibrating an optoelectronic device, based upon an avalanche photodiode breakdown voltage.  
         [0003]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic representation of the essential features of a typical prior-art fiber optic transceiver. The main circuit  1  contains at a minimum transmit and receive circuit paths and power  19  and ground connections  18 . The receiver circuit typically consists of a Receiver Optical Subassembly (ROSA)  2  which contains a mechanical fiber receptacle and coupling optics as well as a photodiode and pre-amplifier (preamp) circuit. The ROSA is in turn connected to a post-amplifier (postamp) integrated circuit  4 , the function of which is to generate a fixed output swing digital signal which is connected to outside circuitry via the RX+ and RX− pins  17 . The postamp circuit  4  also often provides a digital output signal known as Signal Detect or Loss of Signal indicating the presence or absence of suitably strong optical input. The Signal Detect output is provided at output pin  18 . The transmit circuit will typically consist of a Transmitter Optical Subassembly (TOSA)  3  and a laser driver integrated circuit  5 . The TOSA contains a mechanical fiber receptacle and coupling optics as well as a laser diode or LED. The laser driver circuit will typically provide AC drive and DC bias current to the laser. The signal inputs for the AC driver are obtained from the TX+ and TX− pins  12 . The laser driver circuitry typically will require individual factory setup of certain parameters such as the bias current (or output power) level and AC modulation drive to the laser. Typically this is accomplished by adjusting variable resistors or placing factory selected resistors  7 ,  9  (i.e., having factory selected resistance values). Additionally, temperature compensation of the bias current and modulation is often required. This function can be integrated in the laser driver integrated circuit or accomplished through the use of external temperature sensitive elements such as thermistors  6 ,  8 .  
         [0004]     In addition to the most basic functions described above, some transceiver platform standards involve additional functionality. Examples of this are the TX disable  13  and TX fault  14  pins described in the GBIC (Gigabit Interface Converter) standard. In the GBIC standard (SFF-8053), the TX disable pin allows the transmitter to be shut off by the host device, while the TX fault pin is an indicator to the host device of some fault condition existing in the laser or associated laser driver circuit. In addition to this basic description, the GBIC standard includes a series of timing diagrams describing how these controls function and interact with each other to implement reset operations and other actions. Most of this functionality is aimed at preventing non-eyesafe emission levels when a fault conditions exists in the laser circuit. These functions may be integrated into the laser driver circuit itself or in an optional additional integrated circuit  11 . Finally, the GBIC standard for a Module Definition “4” GBIC also requires the EEPROM  10  to store standardized ID information that can be read out via a serial interface (defined as using the serial interface of the ATMEL AT24C01A family of EEPROM products) consisting of a clock  15  and data  16   
         [0005]     As an alternative to mechanical fiber receptacles, some prior art transceivers use fiber optic pigtails which are unconnectorized fibers.  
         [0006]     Similar principles clearly apply to fiber optic transmitters or receivers that only implement half of the transceiver functions.  
         [0007]     It is desirable to use avalanche photodiodes in some transceivers, because avalanche photodiodes have a sensitivity that is 10 dB greater than the sensitivity of the PIN diodes that have been used in previous transceivers. Avalanche photodiodes are characterized by avalanche breakdowns, which occur when the reverse-bias voltage applied to a particular avalanche photodiode is set to a particular value. The sensitivity of an avalanche diode is maximized when it is operated at a reverse-bias voltage that is a small increment below its avalanche voltage, which typically is approximately −50 volts. Unfortunately, avalanche voltages vary from one device to the next, and they also vary as a function of the temperature of the particular device. Therefore, to achieve maximum sensitivity, either the temperature of an avalanche photodiode must be controlled or else the reverse-bias voltage applied to the avalanche photodiode must be adjusted for different operating temperatures.  
         [0008]     One prior art approach uses thermistors whose electrical resistance changes as a function of temperature to control the reverse-bias voltage applied to the avalanche photodiode. Under high-volume manufacturing conditions, however, this approach is not desirable because each receiver/transceiver has to be manually tuned to account for variations among thermistors and photodiodes.  
         [0009]     Another prior art approach uses a temperature controller to maintain a steady operating temperature for the avalanche photodiode. This approach, however, is generally not feasible for pluggable optoelectronic transceivers/receivers because temperature controllers are typically too big to fit within such devices. For example, the dimensions for a pluggable optoelectronic transceiver specified by GBIC (Gigabit Interface Converter) standards are 1.2″×0.47″×2.6″, and the dimensions for an optoelectronic transceiver specified by SFP (Small Form Factor Pluggable) standards are 0.53″×0.37″×2.24″. As pluggable optoelectronic transceivers/transmitters become more and more compact, the use of temperature controller in these devices is becoming less and less feasible.  
         [0010]     Accordingly, what is needed is a method and system to maintain desirable sensitivity of an avalanche photodiode over temperature variations.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF AN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     In one exemplary embodiment, a calibration method is employed that is suited for use in the calibration of optoelectronic devices, such as optoelectronic transceivers and optoelectronic receivers, based upon an avalanche photodiode breakdown voltage. In general, the method involves adjusting a reverse-bias voltage of the avalanche photodiode until avalanche breakdown of the avalanche photodiode occurs. An optimized APD reverse-bias voltage is then determined by reducing the reverse-bias voltage at which avalanche breakdown occurs by a predetermined offset voltage. This process is performed at a variety of different temperatures. Information concerning each temperature and the corresponding optimized APD reverse-bias voltage is stored as a temperature lookup table in a memory of the optoelectronic device. An IC controller of the optoelectronic device then accesses the temperature lookup table during laser operations and uses the information to implement temperature compensated laser control and performance.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]     For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a prior art optoelectronic transceiver.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an optoelectronic transceiver in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of modules within the controller IC of the optoelectronic transceiver of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of components of an optoelectronic transceiver having an avalanche photodiode in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a graph of the avalanche voltage and optimal reverse-bias voltage for a typical avalanche photodiode plotted as a function of temperature.  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a circuit diagram of the avalanche photodiode power supply circuit in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a circuit diagram of the circuit mirror monitor circuit in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 8  is a flowchart of a method for controlling the reverse-bias voltage applied to an avalanche photodiode in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 9  is a flowchart of a method for calibrating an optoelectronic transceiver having an avalanche photodiode in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0022]      FIG. 10  is a flowchart of a method for calibrating an optoelectronic transceiver having an avalanche photodiode in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0023]     Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described. It will be appreciated that in the development of any such embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.  
         [0024]     A transceiver  100  based on the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The transceiver  100  contains a Receiver Optical Subassembly (ROSA)  102  and Transmitter Optical Subassembly (TOSA)  103  along with associated post-amplifier  104  and laser driver  105  integrated circuits that communicate the high speed electrical signals to the outside world. Other control and setup functions are implemented with a third single-chip integrated circuit  110  called the controller IC. All the components of the transceiver  100  are preferably located in a protective housing  212  except for connectors that may protrude from the housing. Suitable housings, including metallic, plastic, potting box and other housing structures are well known in the art.  
         [0025]     The controller IC  110  handles all low speed communications with a host device. These include the standardized pin functions such as Loss of Signal (LOS)  111 , Transmitter Fault Indication (TX FAULT)  14 , and the Transmitter Disable Input (TXDIS)  13 . The controller IC  110  has a two wire serial interface  121 , also called the memory interface, for reading and writing to memory mapped locations in the controller.  
         [0026]     The interface  121  is coupled to host device interface input/output lines, typically clock (SCL) and data (SDA) lines,  15  and  16 . In one embodiment, the serial interface  121  operates in accordance with the two wire serial interface standard that is also used in the GBIC and SFP (Small Form Factor Pluggable) standards. Other interfaces could be used in alternate embodiments. The two wire serial interface  121  is used for all setup and querying of the controller IC  110 , and enables access to the optoelectronic transceiver&#39;s control circuitry as a memory mapped device. That is, tables and parameters are set up by writing values to predefined memory locations of one or more nonvolatile memory devices  120 ,  122 ,  128  (e.g., EEPROM devices) in the controller, whereas diagnostic and other output and status values are output by reading predetermined memory locations of the same nonvolatile memory devices  120 ,  121 ,  122 . This technique is consistent with currently defined serial ID functionality of many transceivers where a two wire serial interface is used to read out identification and capability data stored in an EEPROM.  
         [0027]     It is noted here that some of the memory locations in the memory devices  120 ,  122 ,  128  are dual ported, or even triple ported in some instances. That is, while these memory mapped locations can be read and in some cases written via the serial interface  121 , they are also directly accessed by other circuitry in the controller IC  110 . For instance, certain “margining” values stored in memory  120  are read and used directly by logic  134  to adjust (i.e., scale upwards or downwards) drive level signals being sent to the digital to analog output devices  123 . Similarly, there are flags stored memory  128  that are (A) written by logic circuit  131 , and (B) read directly by logic circuit  133 . An example of a memory mapped location not in the memory devices but that is effectively dual ported is the output or result register of clock  132 . In this case the accumulated time value in the register is readable via the serial interface  121 , but is written by circuitry in the clock circuit  132 .  
         [0028]     In addition to the result register of the clock  132 , other memory mapped locations in the controller may be implemented as registers at the input or output of respective sub-circuits of the controller. For instance, the margining values used to control the operation of logic  134  may be stored in registers in or near logic  134  instead of being stored within memory device  128 .  
         [0029]     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the controller IC  110  has connections to the laser driver  105  and receiver components. These connections serve multiple functions. The controller IC  110  has a multiplicity of digital to analog converters  123 . In one embodiment the digital to analog converters are implemented as current sources, but in other embodiments the digital to analog converters may be implemented using voltage sources, and in yet other embodiments the digital to analog converters may be implemented using digital potentiometers. In some embodiments, the output signals of the digital to analog converters are used to control key parameters of the laser driver circuit  105 . In one embodiment, outputs of the digital to analog converters  123  are used to directly control the laser bias current as well as to control the AC modulation level to the laser (constant bias operation). In another embodiment, the outputs of the digital to analog converters  123  of the controller IC  110  control the level of average output power of the laser driver  105  in addition to the AC modulation level (constant power operation).  
         [0030]     In some embodiments, the controller IC  110  includes mechanisms to compensate for temperature dependent characteristics of the laser. This is implemented in the controller IC  110  through the use of temperature lookup tables  122  that are used to assign values to the control outputs as a function of the temperature measured by a temperature sensor  125  within the controller IC  110 . In other embodiments, the controller IC  110  may use digital to analog converters with voltage source outputs or may even replace one or more of the digital to analog converters  123  with digital potentiometers to control the characteristics of the laser driver  105 . It should also be noted that while  FIG. 2  refers to a system where the laser driver  105  is specifically designed to accept inputs from the controller IC  110 , it is possible to use the controller IC  110  with many other laser driver ICs to control their output characteristics.  
         [0031]     In addition to the connection from the controller IC  110  to the laser driver  105 ,  FIG. 2  shows a number of connections from the laser driver  105  to the controller IC  110 , as well as similar connections from the ROSA  106  and Postamp  104  to the controller IC  110 . These are analog monitoring connections that the controller IC  110  uses to provide diagnostic feedback to the host device via memory mapped locations in the controller IC. The controller IC  110  in one embodiment has a multiplicity of analog inputs. The analog input signals indicate operating conditions of the transceiver and/or receiver circuitry. These analog signals are scanned by a multiplexer  124  and converted using an analog to digital converter (ADC)  127 . The ADC  127  has 12 bit resolution in one embodiment, although ADC&#39;s with other resolution levels may be used in other embodiments. The converted values are stored in predefined memory locations, for instance in the diagnostic value and flag storage device  128  shown in  FIG. 3 , and are accessible to the host device via memory reads. These values are calibrated to standard units (such as millivolts or microwatts) as part of a factory calibration procedure.  
         [0032]     The digitized quantities stored in memory mapped locations within the controller IC include, but are not limited to, the laser bias current, transmitted laser power, and received power as well corresponding limit values, flag values, and configuration values (e.g., for indicating the polarity of the flags).  
         [0033]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the controller IC  110  includes a voltage supply sensor  126 . An analog voltage level signal generated by this sensor is converted to a digital voltage level signal by the ADC  127 , and the digital voltage level signal is stored in memory  128 . Similarly, the temperature sensor  125  in the controller IC  110  generates a signal that is converted by the ADC  127  into a digital temperature level signal, and the digital temperature level signal is stored in memory  128 . In one embodiment, the analog to digital input mux  124  and ADC  127  are controlled by a clock signal so as to automatically, periodically convert the monitored signals into digital signals, and to store those digital values in memory  128 .  
         [0034]      FIG. 4  illustrates components of an optoelectronic transceiver having an avalanche photodiode in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. These components are all located within the transceiver housing  212  ( FIG. 2 ). In the embodiment in  FIG. 4 , the controller IC  110  regulates the reverse-bias voltage applied to an avalanche photodiode  206 . As is well known in the art, if the reverse-bias voltage applied to an avalanche photodiode is increased, an avalanche breakdown will eventually occur at a characteristic avalanche voltage V A . The avalanche voltage V A  is typically in a range between 40 volts and 70 volts at room temperature, and it varies from one device to another and also as a (generally increasing) function of the temperature of the avalanche photodiode. The sensitivity of an avalanche photodiode is maximized when it is operated at a reverse-bias voltage V APD  that is less than the avalanche voltage V A  by an offset voltage that is relatively small (approximately 1 volt for some avalanche photodiodes). The controller IC  110  may be used to regulate the reverse-bias voltage V APD  applied to an avalanche photodiode so that the maximum sensitivity of the avalanche photodiode is maintained over a range of temperatures.  
         [0035]      FIG. 5  is a graph showing the avalanche voltage V A  and the optimal reverse-bias voltage V APD  plotted as a function of temperature for a typical avalanche photodiode. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the lines representing the avalanche voltage V A  and the optimal reverse-bias voltage V APD  are separated by an offset voltage. The offset voltage shown in  FIG. 5  is constant, but it may vary with the temperature.  
         [0036]     Referring again to  FIG. 4 , the controller IC  110  outputs a signal to an APD power supply circuit  202  that provides a reverse-bias voltage for an avalanche photodiode  206 . A current mirror monitor circuit  204  is coupled between the APD power supply circuit  202  and the avalanche photodiode  206 . The current mirror monitor  204  passes the reverse-bias current to the avalanche photodiode  206  and also produces a mirrored current signal that is provided as an input to the controller IC  110 . The current mirror signal is proportional to the current passing through the avalanche photodiode  206 , which is also proportional to the received power of the avalanche photodiode  206 . The current mirror signal is used to monitor the received power of the avalanche photodiode  206  during operation, and sense avalanche breakdown during calibration of the optoelectronic transceiver  100 . The output signal from the avalanche photodiode  206  is amplified by a transimpedance amplifier (TIA)  208  and then amplified by a post-amplifier (postamp) integrated circuit  104 . The postamp  104  generates a fixed output swing digital signal which is connected to outside circuitry via the RX+ and RX− pins  17 .  
         [0037]     The controller IC  110  also receives a temperature input signal from a temperature sensor  210 . The temperature sensor may be incorporated into the controller IC  110  or, as shown in  FIG. 4 , it maybe a separate device with the transceiver housing  212 . The controller IC  110  is coupled to a host device through an interface  121  ( FIG. 3 ) connected to input/output lines, typically clock (SCL) and data (SDA) lines,  15  and  16 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the controller IC  110  includes a General Purpose EEPROM  120  ( FIG. 3 ) and a temperature lookup table  122  ( FIG. 3 ) located therein. Referring to Memory Map Table 1, the temperature lookup table  122  ( FIG. 3 ) may be situated in Array 4 or Array 5 in the memory.  
         [0038]     The temperature lookup table  122  ( FIG. 3 ) stores control value entries for the avalanche photodiode  206  for a range of temperatures. These correspond to the optimal reverse-bias voltages V APD  shown in  FIG. 5 . Each control value entry represents the reverse-bias voltage that must be applied to the avalanche photodiode  206  at a particular temperature in order to maximize its sensitivity.  
         [0039]      FIG. 6  is a circuit diagram of a power supply circuit  202  for an avalanche photodiode in an embodiment of the present invention. To accommodate a variety of avalanche photodiodes operating over a wide range of temperatures, the power supply must be capable of supplying up to 3 mA of current at voltages ranging from 40 volts to 70 volts. Since the voltage supplied to pluggable transceivers is typically 5 volts or 3.3 volts DC, depending on the specific application, an avalanche photodiode power supply must be a boost, DC-DC regulator, capable of converting a DC voltage of 3.3 volts up to 70 volts. A typical boost-regulator configuration is shown in  FIG. 6 , with a switch controller IC  602  that drives a p-channel FET transistor  603 , a feedback loop consisting of a resistor divider network  612 ,  614  and  616  connected between node  618  and ground, an input bypassing capacitor  604 , a blocking diode  606 , an inductor  608 , and an R-C output filter  610 - 1 ,  610 - 2  and  610 - 3 . The resistor divider network  612 ,  614  and  616  is tapped between resistor  612  and resistor  614 , and the tapped voltage is connected to the monitor pin on the switch controller IC  602 . In the example shown in  FIG. 6 , the switch controller IC  602  is a PWM-type so that as the feedback voltage rises or dips from the reference value, the duty factor of the switch is decreased or increased respectively to regulate the output at the proper level.  
         [0040]     Resistor  610 - 2  increases the dynamic range of the avalanche photodiode  206  by providing a voltage drop that is proportional to the current through the avalanche photodiode and hence to the intensity of the optical signals received by the avalanche photodiode. The voltage drop reduces the reverse bias voltage for the avalanche photodiode, and in turn reduces the current gain in the photodiode and consequently limits the current through the avalanche photodiode to prevent the avalanche photodiode from being overloaded by strong optical signals. The use of a resistor placed in series with an avalanche photodiode to increase the dynamic range of the avalanche photodiode is described in co-pending United States provisional application entitled High Dynamic Range Optical Signal Receiver, filed Feb. 8, 2002 and bearing attorney docket number 9775-0062-888, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Other means for increasing the dynamic range of an avalanche photodiode may also be used.  
         [0041]     The avalanche photodiode power supply also must provide a means by which the reverse-bias voltage V APD  can be set during the operation and calibration of the optoelectronic transceiver  100 . In one embodiment, the transceiver controller IC  110  adjusts the voltage level in the feedback loop of the power supply by connecting one of the digital to analog converter/current-sinks of the controller IC  110  to a voltage divider node  620  in the feedback loop of the avalanche power supply.  
         [0042]      FIG. 7  is a circuit diagram of a current mirror monitor circuit  204  for measuring the current through an avalanche photodiode. Since the avalanche photodiode current is proportional to the power of the incident light, measuring the avalanche photodiode current is a means for monitoring the received power. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , the avalanche photodiode current is mirrored through a sense resistor  702  connected to ground. The voltage across the sense resistor  702  is proportional to the avalanche photodiode current, and this voltage is monitored by connecting one of the analog to digital converters in the transceiver controller IC  110  to the top of the sense resistor. The controller IC  110  applies a calibration value for the reverse-bias current to the avalanche photodiode  206 , and the controller IC  110  reports the calibration value via the serial interface  121  during the calibration of the transceiver.  
         [0043]     The current mirror monitor circuit  204  must be capable of withstanding a maximum avalanche photodiode voltage of 70 volts and a maximum current of 3 mA. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , an operational amplifier (opamp)  712  is used to mirror the current. The opamp  712  is arranged so that it tries to maintain equal current on both branches of the current mirror by driving a FET  704  on the sense side. Since many opamps are designed to have a supply voltage of 5 volts, the supply voltage to the opamp  712  is made to float with the positive supply set to the avalanche photodiode voltage, and the negative supply is made to float 5 volts below this level. The negative supply is made to float in this manner by connecting it to a node  706  between a zener diode  708  and a resistor  710 . This zener-resistor network is connected between the avalanche photodiode voltage and ground. In other embodiments, matched transistors may be used, provided that the matched transistor pairs are selected so that they can withstand a collector-emitter voltage greater than the maximum avalanche photodiode voltage.  
         [0044]      FIG. 8  illustrates a method for controlling the reverse-bias voltage for an avalanche photodiode in accordance with an embodiment of this invention. During operation of the avalanche photodiode  206 , an analog signal from the temperature sensor  210  is received by the controller IC  110  in step  802  and converted to a digital temperature value in step  804 . The digital value is stored in the General Purpose EEPROM  120  ( FIG. 3 ) in step  806 . In step  808  logic in the controller IC determines a digital control value associated with the reverse-bias voltage for the avalanche photodiode  206  based on the digital temperature value and the entry for the control value in the temperature lookup table  122  ( FIG. 3 ) associated with the digital value for the temperature. If the digital temperature value falls between two entries in the temperature lookup table, the control value is preferably generated using interpolation (e.g., linear interpolation) to compute a control value between the control values in the two entries Alternatively, a closest entry is selected and its digital control value is used. In step  510  digital to analog circuitry  123  converts the digital control value into an analog control signal that is transmitted to the power supply  202  to control the avalanche photodiode  206 .  
         [0045]     The entries in the temperature lookup table  122  ( FIG. 3 ) are determined during calibration of the optoelectronic transceiver  100 .  FIG. 9  is a flow-chart of a method for calibrating an optoelectronic transceiver in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. First, in step  902  the ambient temperature of the optoelectronic transceiver  100  is allowed to reach a particular value. Next in step  904 , the bit error rate for the optoelectronic transceiver is measured using techniques that are well-known to those skilled in the art. In step  906 , the controller IC causes the reverse-bias voltage applied to the avalanche photodiode  206  to be adjusted until the bit error rate is minimized. The reverse-bias voltage which minimizes the bit error rate is the optimal reverse-bias voltage. A control value associated with the optimal reverse-bias voltage is stored in a temperature lookup table  122  ( FIG. 3 ) in the controller IC  110  along with the temperature in step  908 . The ambient temperature of the optoelectronic transceiver  100  is then adjusted (by heating it in an oven, for example), and the process repeated to determine a control value for one or more other temperatures. Control values for additional temperatures may be assigned by interpolation or extrapolation and stored in the temperature lookup table.  
         [0046]      FIG. 10  is a flow-chart of another method for calibrating an optoelectronic transceiver in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. As in the method illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the first step  1002  involves allowing the ambient temperature of the optoelectronic transceiver  100  is allowed to reach a particular value. Next in step  1004 , the controller IC causes the reverse-bias voltage applied to the avalanche photodiode  206  to increase until the current mirror signal from the current mirror monitor circuit  204  increases abruptly, which indicates the occurrence of an avalanche breakdown. The reverse-bias voltage at which the avalanche breakdown occurred is reduced by an offset voltage in step  1006  to provide an approximate optimal reverse-bias voltage. A control value associated with the approximate optimal reverse-bias voltage determined in step  1006  is stored in a temperature lookup table  122  ( FIG. 3 ) in the controller IC  110  along with the temperature in step  1008 . As with the method illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the ambient temperature of the optoelectronic transceiver  100  is then adjusted (by heating it in an oven, for example), and the process repeated to determine a control value for one or more other temperatures. Control values for additional temperatures may be assigned by interpolation or extrapolation and stored in the temperature lookup table.  
                             TABLE 1                       MEMORY MAP FOR TRANSCEIVER CONTROLLER                                Memory               Location       (Array 0)   Name of Location   Function               00h-5Fh   IEEE Data   This memory block is used to store required               GBIC data       60h   Temperature MSB   This byte contains the MSB of the 15-bit 2&#39;s               complement temperature output from the               temperature sensor.       61h   Temperature LSB   This byte contains the LSB of the 15-bit 2&#39;s               complement temperature output from the               temperature sensor.               (LSB is 0b).       62h-63h   V cc  Value   These bytes contain the MSB (62h) and the               LSB (63h) of the measured V cc                 (15-bit number, with a 0b LSbit)       64h-65h   B in  Value   These bytes contain the MSB (64h) and the               LSB (65h) of the measured B in                 (15-bit number, with a 0b LSbit)       66h-67h   P in  Value   These bytes contain the MSB (66h) and the               LSB (67h) of the measured P in                 (15-bit number, with a 0b LSbit)       68h-69h   R in  Value   These bytes contain the MSB (68h) and the               LSB (69h) of the measured R in                 (15-bit number, with a 0b LSbit)       6Ah-6Dh   Reserved   Reserved       6Eh   IO States   This byte shows the logical value of the I/O               pins.       6Fh   A/D Updated   Allows the user to verify if an update from               the A/D has occurred to the 5 values:               temperature, Vcc, B in , P in  and R in . The user               writes the byte to 00h. Once a conversion is               complete for a give value, its bit will change               to ‘1’.       70h-73h   Alarm Flags   These bits reflect the state of the alarms as a               conversion updates. High alarm bits are ‘1’               if converted value is greater than               corresponding high limit. Low alarm bits are               ‘1’ if converted value is less than               corresponding low limit. Otherwise, bits are               0b.       74h-77h   Warning Flags   These bits reflect the state of the warnings               as a conversion updates. High warning bits               are ‘1’ if converted value is greater than               corresponding high limit. Low warning bits               are ‘1’ if converted value is less than               corresponding low limit. Otherwise, bits are               0b.       78h-7Ah   Reserved   Reserved       7Bh-7Eh   Password Entry Bytes   The four bytes are used for password entry.           PWE Byte 3 (7Bh)   The entered password will determine the           MSByte   user&#39;s read/write privileges.           PWE Byte 2 (7Ch)           PWE Byte 1 (7Dh)           PWE Byte 0 (7Eh)           LSByte       7Fh   Array Select   Writing to this byte determines which of the               upper pages of memory is selected for               reading and writing.               0xh (Array x Selected)               Where x = 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5       80h-F7h       Customer EEPROM       87h   DA % Adj   Scale output of D/A converters by specified               percentage                   Name of Location   Function of Location               Memory       Location       (Array 1)       00h-FFh       Data EEPROM       Memory       Location       (Array 2)       00h-FFh       Data EEPROM       Memory       Location       (Array 3)       80h-81h   Temperature High Alarm   The value written to this location serves as the high       88h-89h   Vcc High Alarm   alarm limit. Data format is the same as the       90h-91h   B in  High Alarm   corresponding value (temperature, Vcc, B in  P in  R in ).       98h-99h   P in  High Alarm       A0h-A1h   R in  High Alarm       82h-83h   Temperature Low Alarm   The value written to this location serves as the low       8Ah-8Bh   Vcc Low Alarm   alarm limit. Data format is the same as the       92h-93h   B in  Low Alarm   corresponding value (temperature, Vcc, B in  P in  R in ).       9Ah-9Bh   P in  Low Alarm       A2h-A3h   R in  Low Alarm       84h-85h   Temp High Warning   The value written to this location serves as the high       8Ch-8Dh   Vcc High Warning   warning limit. Data format is the same as the       94h-95h   B in  High Warning   corresponding value (temperature, Vcc, B in  P in  R in ).       9Ch-9Dh   P in  High Warning       A4h-A5h   R in  High Warning       86h-87h   Temperature Low Warning   The value written to this location serves as the low       8Eh-8Fh   Vcc Low Warning   warning limit. Data format is the same as the       96h-97h   B in  Low Warning   corresponding value (temperature, Vcc, B in  P in  R in ).       9Eh-9Fh   P in  Low Warning       A6h-A7h   R in  Low Warning       A8h-AFh,   D out  control 0-8   Individual bit locations are defined in Table 4.       C5h   F out  control 0-8       B0h-B7h,   L out  control 0-8       C6h       B8h-BFh,       C7h       C0h   Reserved   Reserved       C1h   Prescale   Selects MCLK divisor for X-delay CLKS.       C2h   D out  Delay   Selects number of prescale clocks       C3h   F out  Delay       C4h   L out  Delay       C8h-C9h   Vcc - A/D Scale   16 bits of gain adjustment for corresponding A/D       CAh-CBh   B in  - A/D Scale   conversion values.       CCh-CDh   P in  - A/D Scale       CEh-CFh   R in  - A/D Scale       D0h   Chip Address   Selects chip address when external pin ASEL is low.       D1h   Margin #2   Finisar Selective Percentage (FSP) for D/A #2       D2h   Margin #1   Finisar Selective Percentage (FSP) for D/A #1       D3h-D6h   PW1 Byte 3 (D3h) MSB   The four bytes are used for password 1 entry. The           PW1 Byte 2 (D4h)   entered password will determine the Finisar           PW1 Byte 1 (D5h)   customer&#39;s read/write privileges.           PW1 Byte 0 (D6h) LSB       D7h   D/A Control   This byte determines if the D/A outputs source or               sink current, and it allows for the outputs to be               scaled.       D8h-DFh   B in  Fast Trip   These bytes define the fast trip comparison over               temperature.       E0h-E3h   P in  Fast Trip   These bytes define the fast trip comparison over               temperature.       E4h-E7h   R in  Fast Trip   These bytes define the fast trip comparison over               temperature.       E8h   Configuration Override   Location of the bits is defined in Table 4           Byte       E9h   Reserved   Reserved       EAh-EBh   Internal State Bytes   Location of the bits is defined in Table 4       ECh   I/O States 1   Location of the bits is defined in Table 4       EDh-EEh   D/A Out   Magnitude of the temperature compensated D/A               outputs       EFh   Temperature Index   Address pointer to the look-up Arrays       F0h-FFh   Reserved   Reserved       Memory       Location       (Array 4)       00h-FFh       D/A Current vs. Temp #1               (User-Defined Look-up Array #1)       Memory       Location       (Array 5)       00h-FFh       D/A Current vs. Temp #2               (User-Defined Look-up Array #2)                    
         [0047]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 2 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Detail Memory Descriptions - A/D Values and Status Bits 
               
             
          
           
               
                 Byte 
                 Bit 
                 Name 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Converted analog values. Calibrated 16 bit data. (See Notes 1-2) 
               
             
          
           
               
                  96 
                 All 
                 Temperature MSB 
                 Signed 2&#39;s complement integer temperature (−40 to 
               
               
                 (60 h) 
                   
                   
                 +125 C.) 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Based on internal temperature measurement 
               
               
                  97 
                 All 
                 Temperature LSB 
                 Fractional part of temperature (count/256) 
               
               
                  98 
                 All 
                 Vcc MSB 
                 Internally measured supply voltage in transceiver. 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Actual voltage is full 16 bit value * 100 uVolt. 
               
               
                  99 
                 All 
                 Vcc LSB 
                 (Yields range of 0-6.55 V) 
               
               
                 100 
                 All 
                 TX Bias MSB 
                 Measured TX Bias Current in mA Bias current is 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 full 16 bit value *(1/256) mA. 
               
               
                 101 
                 All 
                 TX Bias LSB 
                 (Full range of 0-256 mA possible with 4 uA 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 resolution) 
               
               
                 102 
                 All 
                 TX Power MSB 
                 Measured TX output power in mW. Output is 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 full 16 bit value *(1/2048) mW. (see note 5) 
               
               
                 103 
                 All 
                 TX Power LSB 
                 (Full range of 0-32 mW possible with 0.5 μW 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 resolution, or −33 to +15 dBm) 
               
               
                 104 
                 All 
                 RX Power MSB 
                 Measured RX input power in mW RX power is 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 full 16 bit value *(1/16384) mW. (see note 6) 
               
               
                 105 
                 All 
                 RX Power LSB 
                 (Full range of 0-4 mW possible with 0.06 μW 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 resolution, 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 or −42 to +6 dBm) 
               
               
                 106 
                 All 
                 Reserved MSB 
                 Reserved for 1 st  future definition of digitized analog 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 input 
               
               
                 107 
                 All 
                 Reserved LSB 
                 Reserved for 1 st  future definition of digitized analog 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 input 
               
               
                 108 
                 All 
                 Reserved MSB 
                 Reserved for 2 nd  future definition of digitized analog 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 input 
               
               
                 109 
                 All 
                 Reserved LSB 
                 Reserved for 2 nd  future definition of digitized analog 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 input 
               
             
          
           
               
                 General Status Bits 
               
             
          
           
               
                 110 
                 7 
                 TX Disable 
                 Digital state of the TX Disable Input Pin 
               
               
                 110 
                 6 
                 Reserved 
               
               
                 110 
                 5 
                 Reserved 
               
               
                 110 
                 4 
                 Rate Select 
                 Digital state of the SFP Rate Select Input Pin 
               
               
                 110 
                 3 
                 Reserved 
               
               
                 110 
                 2 
                 TX Fault 
                 Digital state of the TX Fault Output Pin 
               
               
                 110 
                 1 
                 LOS 
                 Digital state of the LOS Output Pin 
               
               
                 110 
                 0 
                 Power-On-Logic 
                 Indicates transceiver has achieved power up and data 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 valid 
               
               
                 111 
                 7 
                 Temp A/D Valid 
                 Indicates A/D value in Bytes 96/97 is valid 
               
               
                 111 
                 6 
                 Vcc A/D Valid 
                 Indicates A/D value in Bytes 98/99 is valid 
               
               
                 111 
                 5 
                 TX Bias A/D Valid 
                 Indicates A/D value in Bytes 100/101 is valid 
               
               
                 111 
                 4 
                 TX Power A/D 
                 Indicates A/D value in Bytes 102/103 is valid 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Valid 
               
               
                 111 
                 3 
                 RX Power A/D 
                 Indicates A/D value in Bytes 104/105 is valid 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Valid 
               
               
                 111 
                 2 
                 Reserved 
                 Indicates A/D value in Bytes 106/107 is valid 
               
               
                 111 
                 1 
                 Reserved 
                 Indicates A/D value in Bytes 108/109 is valid 
               
               
                 111 
                 0 
                 Reserved 
                 Reserved 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0048]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 3 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Detail Memory Descriptions - Alarm and Warning Flag Bits 
               
               
                 Alarm and Warning Flag Bits 
               
             
          
           
               
                 Byte 
                 Bit 
                 Name 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 112 
                 7 
                 Temp High Alarm 
                 Set when internal temperature exceeds high 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 alarm level. 
               
               
                 112 
                 6 
                 Temp Low Alarm 
                 Set when internal temperature is below low 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 alarm level. 
               
               
                 112 
                 5 
                 Vcc High Alarm 
                 Set when internal supply voltage exceeds high 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 alarm level. 
               
               
                 112 
                 4 
                 Vcc Low Alarm 
                 Set when internal supply voltage is below low 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 alarm level. 
               
               
                 112 
                 3 
                 TX Bias High Alarm 
                 Set when TX Bias current exceeds high alarm 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 level. 
               
               
                 112 
                 2 
                 TX Bias Low Alarm 
                 Set when TX Bias current is below low alarm 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 level. 
               
               
                 112 
                 1 
                 TX Power High Alarm 
                 Set when TX output power exceeds high alarm 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 level. 
               
               
                 112 
                 0 
                 TX Power Low Alarm 
                 Set when TX output power is below low alarm 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 level. 
               
               
                 113 
                 7 
                 RX Power High 
                 Set when Received Power exceeds high alarm 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Alarm 
                 level. 
               
               
                 113 
                 6 
                 RX Power Low Alarm 
                 Set when Received Power is below low alarm 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 level. 
               
               
                 113 
                 5-0 
                 Reserved Alarm 
               
               
                 114 
                 All 
                 Reserved 
               
               
                 115 
                 All 
                 Reserved 
               
               
                 116 
                 7 
                 Temp High Warning 
                 Set when internal temperature exceeds high 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 warning level. 
               
               
                 116 
                 6 
                 Temp Low Warning 
                 Set when internal temperature is below low 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 warning level. 
               
               
                 116 
                 5 
                 Vcc High Warning 
                 Set when internal supply voltage exceeds high 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 warning level. 
               
               
                 116 
                 4 
                 Vcc Low Warning 
                 Set when internal supply voltage is below low 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 warning level. 
               
               
                 116 
                 3 
                 TX Bias High 
                 Set when TX Bias current exceeds high warning 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Warning 
                 level. 
               
               
                 116 
                 2 
                 TX Bias Low Warning 
                 Set when TX Bias current is below low warning 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 level. 
               
               
                 116 
                 1 
                 TX Power High 
                 Set when TX output power exceeds high 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Warning 
                 warning level. 
               
               
                 116 
                 0 
                 TX Power Low 
                 Set when TX output power is below low 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Warning 
                 warning level. 
               
               
                 117 
                 7 
                 RX Power High 
                 Set when Received Power exceeds high warning 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Warning 
                 level. 
               
               
                 117 
                 6 
                 RX Power Low 
                 Set when Received Power is below low warning 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Warning 
                 level. 
               
               
                 117 
                 5 
                 Reserved Warning 
               
               
                 117 
                 4 
                 Reserved Warning 
               
               
                 117 
                 3 
                 Reserved Warning 
               
               
                 117 
                 2 
                 Reserved Warning 
               
               
                 117 
                 1 
                 Reserved Warning 
               
               
                 117 
                 0 
                 Reserved Warning 
               
               
                 118 
                 All 
                 Reserved 
               
               
                 119 
                 All 
                 Reserved 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0049]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 4 
               
               
                   
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Byte Name 
                 Bit 7 
                 Bit 6 
                 Bit 5 
                 Bit 4 
                 Bit 3 
                 Bit 2 
                 Bit 1 
                 Bit 0 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 X-out cntl0 
                 T alrm hi 
                 T alrm lo set 
                 V alrm hi 
                 V alrm lo 
                 B alrm hi 
                 B alrm lo 
                 P alrm hi 
                 P alrm lo 
               
               
                   
                 set 
                   
                 set 
                 set 
                 set 
                 set 
                 set 
                 set 
               
               
                 X-out cntl1 
                 R alrm hi 
                 R alrm lo 
                 B ft hi set 
                 P ft hi set 
                 R ft hi set 
                 D-in inv 
                 D-in set 
                 F-in inv 
               
               
                   
                 set 
                 set 
                   
                   
                   
                 set 
                   
                 set 
               
               
                 X-out cntl2 
                 F-in set 
                 L-in inv set 
                 L-in set 
                 Aux inv set 
                 Aux set 
                 T alrm hi 
                 T alrm lo 
                 V alrm hi 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 hib 
                 hib 
                 hib 
               
               
                 X-out cntl3 
                 V alrm lo 
                 B alrm hi 
                 B alrm lo 
                 P alrm hi 
                 P alrm lo 
                 R alrm hi 
                 R alrm lo 
                 B ft hi hib 
               
               
                   
                 hib 
                 hib 
                 hib 
                 hib 
                 hib 
                 hib 
                 hib 
               
               
                 X-out cntl4 
                 P ft hi hib 
                 R ft hi hib 
                 D-in inv 
                 D-in hib 
                 F-in inv hib 
                 F-in hib 
                 L-in inv hib 
                 L-in hib 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 hib 
               
               
                 X-out cntl5 
                 Aux inv hib 
                 Aux hib 
                 T alrm hi 
                 T alrm lo 
                 V alrm hi 
                 V alrm lo 
                 B alrm hi 
                 B alrm lo 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 clr 
                 clr 
                 clr 
                 clr 
                 clr 
                 clr 
               
               
                 X-out cntl6 
                 P alrm hi 
                 P alrm lo 
                 R alrm hi 
                 R alrm lo 
                 B ft hi clr 
                 P ft hi clr 
                 R ft hi clr 
                 D-in inv 
               
               
                   
                 clr 
                 clr 
                 clr 
                 clr 
                   
                   
                   
                 clr 
               
               
                 X-out cntl7 
                 D-in clr 
                 F-in inv clr 
                 F-in clr 
                 L-in inv clr 
                 L-in clr 
                 Aux inv clr 
                 Aux clr 
                 EE 
               
               
                 X-out cntl8 
                 latch 
                 invert 
                 o-ride data 
                 o-ride 
                 S reset 
                 HI enable 
                 LO enable 
                 Pullup 
               
               
                   
                 select 
                   
                   
                 select 
                 data 
                   
                   
                 enable 
               
               
                 Prescale 
                 reserved 
                 reserved 
                 Reserved 
                 reserved 
                 B 3   
                 B 2   
                 B 1   
                 B 0   
               
               
                 X-out delay 
                 B 7   
                 B 6   
                 B 5   
                 B 4   
                 B 3   
                 B 2   
                 B 1   
                 B 0   
               
               
                 chip 
                 b 7   
                 b 6   
                 b 5   
                 b 4   
                 b 3   
                 b 2   
                 b 1   
                 X 
               
               
                 address 
               
               
                 X-ad scale 
                 2 15   
                 2 14   
                 2 13   
                 2 12   
                 2 11   
                 2 10   
                 2 9   
                 2 8   
               
               
                 MSB 
               
               
                 X-ad scale 
                 2 7   
                 2 6   
                 2 5   
                 2 4   
                 2 3   
                 2 2   
                 2 1   
                 2 0   
               
               
                 LSB 
               
             
          
           
               
                 D/A cntl 
                 source/ 
                 D/A #2 range 
                 source/ 
                 D/A #1 range 
               
               
                   
                 sink 
                   
                 sink 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 1/0 
                 2 2   
                 2 1   
                 2 0   
                 1/0 
                 2 2   
                 2 1   
                 2 0   
               
               
                 config/O- 
                 manual 
                 manual 
                 manual 
                 EE Bar 
                 SW-POR 
                 A/D 
                 Manual 
                 reserved 
               
               
                 ride 
                 D/A 
                 index 
                 AD alarm 
                   
                   
                 Enable 
                 fast 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 alarm 
               
               
                 Internal 
                 D-set 
                 D-inhibit 
                 D-delay 
                 D-clear 
                 F-set 
                 F-inhibit 
                 F-delay 
                 F-clear 
               
               
                 State 1 
               
               
                 Internal 
                 L-set 
                 L-inhibit 
                 L-delay 
                 L-clear 
                 reserved 
                 reserved 
                 reserved 
                 reserved 
               
               
                 State 0 
               
               
                 I/O States 1 
                 reserved 
                 F-in 
                 L-in 
                 reserved 
                 D-out 
                 reserved 
                 reserved 
                 reserved 
               
               
                 Margin #1 
                 Reserved 
                 Neg_Scale2 
                 Neg_Scale1 
                 Neg_Scale0 
                 Reserved 
                 Pos_Scale2 
                 Pos_Scale1 
                 Pos_Scale0 
               
               
                 Margin #2 
                 Reserved 
                 Neg_Scale2 
                 Neg_Scale1 
                 Neg_Scale0 
                 Reserved 
                 Pos_Scale2 
                 Pos_Scale1 
                 Pos_Scale0 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0050]     While the combination of all of the above functions is desired in some embodiments of this transceiver controller, it should be obvious to one skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that a device which only implements a subset of these functions would also be of great use. Similarly, the present invention is also applicable to optoelectronic receivers, and thus is not solely applicable to transceivers. Finally, it should be pointed out that the controller of the present invention is suitable for application of multichannel optical links.  
         [0051]     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention are presented for purposes of illustration and explanation. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Various modifications may occur to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure without departing from the inventive concepts described herein. Accordingly, it is the claims, not merely the foregoing illustration, that are intended to define the exclusive rights of the invention.
Methods and processes are disclosed for calibrating optoelectronic devices, such as optoelectronic transceivers and optoelectronic receivers, based upon an avalanche photodiode breakdown voltage. In general, the method involves adjusting a reverse-bias voltage of the avalanche photodiode until avalanche breakdown of the avalanche photodiode occurs. An optimized APD reverse-bias voltage is then determined by reducing the reverse-bias voltage at which avalanche breakdown occurs by a predetermined offset voltage. This process is performed at a variety of different temperatures. Information concerning each temperature and the corresponding optimized APD reverse-bias voltage is stored in a memory of the optoelectronic device.