Techniques for improving redundancy in semiconductor-based optical communication systems are provided. For example, two or more semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) may be provided in an optical repeater, and each SOA may form a respective amplification path. When failure occurs on a first SOA, a second SOA that is different from the first SOA can be selected. In one example, the selection may be based on wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), and in another example, the selection may be based on optical switching. The two or more SOAs (and other optical components) may be integrated in the same substrate package.

Techniques for improving redundancy in semiconductor-based optical communication systems are provided. For example, two or more semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) may be provided in an optical repeater, and each SOA may form a respective amplification path. When failure occurs on a first SOA, a second SOA that is different from the first SOA can be selected. In one example, the selection may be based on wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), and in another example, the selection may be based on optical switching. The two or more SOAs (and other optical components) may be integrated in the same substrate package.

Aspects of the disclosure provide for determining a network configuration. For instance, a system may include a controller including one or more processors. The one or more processors may be configured to receive information from each of a plurality of available nodes within a network, the plurality of available nodes including at least one aerial vehicle; determine a plurality of constraints for a future point in time, each one of the plurality of constraints including one or more minimum service requirements for a geographic area; attempt to determine a first network configuration for each of the plurality of available nodes that satisfies all of the constraints; when unable to determine the first network configuration, determine a second network configuration for the plurality of available nodes and at least one additional ground-based node that satisfies all of the constraints; and send instructions in order to affect the second network configuration.

Aspects of the disclosure provide for determining a network configuration. For instance, a system may include a controller including one or more processors. The one or more processors may be configured to receive information from each of a plurality of available nodes within a network, the plurality of available nodes including at least one aerial vehicle; determine a plurality of constraints for a future point in time, each one of the plurality of constraints including one or more minimum service requirements for a geographic area; attempt to determine a first network configuration for each of the plurality of available nodes that satisfies all of the constraints; when unable to determine the first network configuration, determine a second network configuration for the plurality of available nodes and at least one additional ground-based node that satisfies all of the constraints; and send instructions in order to affect the second network configuration.

An apparatus and a method for optically linking at least two AC and DC low voltage cascading power grids connecting at least two intelligent support boxes (ISB) each powered by two distinct AC standard power grid and separately powered by DC low voltage power grid with each grid is further linked by a cascading segments of optical cable grid, enabling two way control, operate and report electrical activity through plug in wiring devices (PWD) for supporting DC and AC plurality of connected/attached loads.

An apparatus and a method for optically linking at least two AC and DC low voltage cascading power grids connecting at least two intelligent support boxes (ISB) each powered by two distinct AC standard power grid and separately powered by DC low voltage power grid with each grid is further linked by a cascading segments of optical cable grid, enabling two way control, operate and report electrical activity through plug in wiring devices (PWD) for supporting DC and AC plurality of connected/attached loads.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus including: a phase detector for detecting a write frequency of a deserializer and a read frequency of a serializer, such that the phase detector outputs a first code sequence in response to the write frequency being greater than the read frequency, or a second code sequence at the rotator input in response to the write frequency being less than the read frequency; and a phase rotator for receiving the first code sequence or the second code sequence from the phase rotator to transmit a pacing signal having the read frequency to the deserializer, wherein the pacing signal causes the read frequency to increase or decrease based on whether the read frequency is different from the write frequency.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus including: a phase detector for detecting a write frequency of a deserializer and a read frequency of a serializer, such that the phase detector outputs a first code sequence in response to the write frequency being greater than the read frequency, or a second code sequence at the rotator input in response to the write frequency being less than the read frequency; and a phase rotator for receiving the first code sequence or the second code sequence from the phase rotator to transmit a pacing signal having the read frequency to the deserializer, wherein the pacing signal causes the read frequency to increase or decrease based on whether the read frequency is different from the write frequency.

A bidirectional optical repeater having two unidirectional optical amplifiers and a supervisory optical circuit connected to optically couple the optical ports thereof. In an example embodiment, the supervisory optical circuit provides one or more pathways therethrough for supervisory optical signals, each of these pathways having located therein a respective narrow band-pass optical filter. The supervisory optical circuit further provides one or more pathways therethrough configured to bypass the corresponding narrow band-pass optical filters in a manner that enables backscattered light of any wavelength to cross into the optical path that has therein the unidirectional optical amplifier directionally aligned with the propagation direction of the backscattered light.

Disclosed herein are various embodiments for high performance wireless data transfers. In an example embodiment, laser chips are used to support the data transfers using laser signals that encode the data to be transferred. The laser chip can be configured to (1) receive a digital signal and (2) responsive to the received digital signal, generate and emit a variable laser signal, wherein the laser chip comprises a laser-emitting epitaxial structure, wherein the laser-emitting epitaxial structure comprises a plurality of laser-emitting regions within a single mesa structure that generate the variable laser signal. Also disclosed are a number of embodiments for a photonics receiver that can receive and digitize the laser signals produced by the laser chips. Such technology can be used to wireless transfer large data sets such as lidar point clouds at high data rates.