Interfacing of microwave and opto-electronic components within 10 Gbit/s terminal transmission equipment

It is evident that the design of a commercially viable, high data rate, long distance, optical communication system is a trade-off between performance, size, cost and volume-build capacity. Therefore, to achieve a working system the specification of module performance is a key skill. However, the interaction of concatenated components still remains a black art, and a detailed test methodology must be implemented to ensure performance optimisation. Furthermore, within this limited technology base and volatile market, the desire to realise dual component sources may influence design architecture. Ideally integration should also be a goal, although aggressive time-to-market makes this impractical for first release designs. Consequently it is clear that with the future of telecommunications demanding more channels, faster data rates, and longer transmission distances all of the above compromises will continue. This will lead to increased collaborations between RF, microwave, and optical engineers. Design is taking place in both the frequency and time domains by component and system engineers alike