Automatic bias controller for IQ-Modulators

3rd March 2016

Mick Elliott

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Bias control of an IQ-modulator is an essential part of the coherent optical communication system. The need for stable and accurate modulator bias control has become even more prominent with the next generation 400G systems employing 16QAM modulation formats due to its sensitivity to optimum bias control.

The IQABC from Coherent Solutions enables full automatic control of an IQ-modulator’s DC biases and is modulation format independent, paving the way towards simple generation of any conceivable optical signal.

The IQABC independently controls all DC Biases, in automatic or manual mode, maintaining optimization against any bias drifts or changes to the driving signal.

When connected with an OIF compatible IQ-modulator, complex modulation formats such as mPSK and mQAM are stabilised by the IQABC’s robust algorithms, displaying stable and repeatable results every time.

The demand for ever increasing data rates has encouraged optical engineers to push the boundaries and develop more complex and higher bandwidth IQ-modulators than ever before. IQABC will be an important tool to help engineers test and verify the reliability and performance of the IQ-modulators under test.

“The IQABC will relieve optical engineers of the rather frustrating task of modulator bias maintenance for higher order modulation formats. With its robust, modulation format independent algorithm, it simply just works.” said Andy Stevens, CEO of Coherent Solutions.

The IQABC is commercially available immediately and will be demonstrated live at OFC 2016 in Anaheim, California (March 22-24).