A 155-Mb/s LED transmitter with integral power conditioning

There is a growing need to reduce the power consumption of the high-speed components in broadband telecommunications networks. This will require that power processing be treated simultaneously with signal processing in the development of new broadband products. The power consumption of fiber optic transmitters, which can use either lasers or LEDs, is considered to be relatively large. LED transmitters normally require considerably more operating power than lasers, which is often the deciding factor in the selection of a laser rather than an LED in short span 100-200 Mb/s fiber optic links. The LED transmitter issue therefore represents a good opportunity for examining new strategies to improve power-hungry technologies. The overall performance of an LED transmitter can be enhanced by using the available supply voltage more efficiently through power conditioning. A prototype 155 Mb/s LED transmitter that achieves a threefold improvement in power efficiency is described