Multichannel parallel data link for optical communication

The MODLINK (multichannel parallel optical data link) system is described. It provides 12 parallel data channels; one channel may be used for clock signal, and provisions are made for synchronizing the data channels with the clock. Additional MODLINK units can be linked in parallel for more channels. The system can handle data rates from DC to 200 Mb/s/channel in continuous or burst mode. Since this system is burst-mode compatible, data signal encoding is not required and clock recovery is optional. The transmitter and receiver systems are presented in detail. System performance is examined with respect to the thermal characteristics of the transmitter package, interchannel crosstalk in the transmitter, receiver sensitivity and interchannel crosstalk, and long-distance transmission. >