Synchronizer And Synchronizing Transfer Over An Optical Link

patent description

(1) Disclosed is a synchronizer for synchronizing transfer over an optical link, the synchronizer comprising: a frequency reference oscillator that produces a frequency reference signal; a tracking optical timing source in communication with the frequency reference oscillator and comprises a tracking frequency comb and that: receives, by the tracking frequency comb, the frequency reference signal from the frequency reference oscillator; produces, by the tracking frequency comb, a tracking comb signal; receives, tracking comb feedback from a signal processor-controller; produces a tracking optical timing signal based on the tracking comb feedback; a comb timing discriminator in communication with the tracking optical timing source and a clock frequency comb and that: receives the tracking comb signal from the tracking optical timing source; receives a clock comb signal from the clock frequency comb; and produces an initial clock comb-tracking comb time offset from the clock comb signal and the tracking comb signal; the clock frequency comb in communication with the clock frequency comb, the frequency reference oscillator, and a bidirectional terminal and that: receives the frequency reference signal from the frequency reference oscillator; produces the clock comb signal based on the frequency reference signal; produces a clock output based on the frequency reference signal; and communicates the clock comb signal to the comb timing discriminator and a bidirectional terminal; the signal processor-controller in communication with the tracking optical timing source, a time-frequency offset measurement system, and the comb timing discriminator and that: receives the initial clock comb-tracking comb time offset from the comb timing discriminator; receives a time-frequency offset signals from the time-frequency offset measurement system; produces, based on the initial clock comb-tracking comb time offset and the time-frequency offset signals, the tracking comb feedback and local one-way data; the time-frequency offset measurement system in communication with the tracking optical timing source, the bidirectional terminal, and the signal processor-controller; comprises a second comb timing discriminator.2; and that: receives the tracking optical timing signal from the tracking optical timing source; receives an incoming optical timing signals from the bidirectional terminal; produces the time-frequency offset signals from the tracking optical timing signal and the incoming optical timing signals; and communicates the time-frequency offset signals to the signal processor-controller; and the bidirectional terminal in communication with the clock frequency comb and the time-frequency offset measurement system and that: receives the clock comb signal from the clock frequency comb; receives synchronization data from an optical link, the synchronization data comprising incoming optical timing signals; communicates the incoming optical timing signals to time-frequency offset measurement system from the optical link; and communicates the clock comb signal to the optical link from the clock frequency comb as part of the synchronization data.

(2) Disclosed is a process for synchronizing transfer over an optical link with the synchronizer, the process comprising: producing, by the frequency reference oscillator, the frequency reference signal; receiving, by the tracking frequency comb, the frequency reference signal from the frequency reference oscillator; producing, by the tracking frequency comb, a tracking comb signal; receiving, by the tracking optical timing source, the tracking comb feedback from the signal processor-controller; producing, by the tracking optical timing source, the tracking optical timing signal based on the tracking comb feedback; receiving, by the comb timing discriminator, the tracking comb signal from the tracking optical timing source; receiving by the comb timing discriminator, the clock comb signal from the clock frequency comb; producing, by the comb timing discriminator, the initial clock comb-tracking comb time offset from the clock comb signal and the tracking comb signal; receiving, by the clock frequency comb, the frequency reference signal from the frequency reference oscillator; producing, by the clock frequency comb, the clock comb signal based on the frequency reference signal; producing, by the clock frequency comb, the clock output based on the frequency reference signal; communicating, by the clock frequency comb, the clock comb signal to the comb timing discriminator and the bidirectional terminal; receiving, by the signal processor-controller, the initial clock comb-tracking comb time offset from the comb timing discriminator; receiving, by the signal processor-controller, the time-frequency offset signals from the time-frequency offset measurement system; producing, by the signal processor-controller based on the initial clock comb-tracking comb time offset and the time-frequency offset signals, the tracking comb feedback and local one-way data; receiving, by the time-frequency offset measurement system, the tracking optical timing signal from the tracking optical timing source; receiving, by the time-frequency offset measurement system, the incoming optical timing signals from the bidirectional terminal; producing, by the time-frequency offset measurement system, the time-frequency offset signals from the tracking optical timing signal and the incoming optical timing signals; communicating, by the time-frequency offset measurement system, the time-frequency offset signals to the signal processor-controller; receiving, by the bidirectional terminal, the clock comb signal from the clock frequency comb; receives, by the bidirectional terminal, synchronization data from the optical link, the synchronization data comprising incoming optical timing signals; communicating, by the bidirectional terminal, the incoming optical timing signals to time-frequency offset measurement system from the optical link; and communicating, by the bidirectional terminal, the clock comb signal to the optical link from the clock frequency comb as part of the synchronization data.