The PONI-1 parallel-optical link

A low-cost, surface-mountable parallel-fiber optical link, which employs passive mechanical alignment of its optical elements, is described. The optical links are fabricated as separate transmitter and receiver modules comprised of 8 or 12 channels operating at a maximum rate of 1.25 GBd per channel. The electro-mechanical platform is constructed using materials and techniques originally developed for fabricating tape ball grid array (TBGA) IC packages. Electrical I/O is provided via a 6/spl times/10 solder ball array on 50 mil centers. The modules are designed to operate off of a 3.3 V supply voltage, and to interface with a variety of fiber ribbon connectors.