*Full duplex serial transmission over one fiber.
*Link lengths up to 5km.
*Supports asynchronous data rates from DC to 76.8kbps.
*Supports synchronous data rates up to 512kbps.
*Full diagnostic modes - Remote and Local loopback.
*Uses a single Ping Pong LED (PPLED) to both receive and transmit
data for single fiber operation.
*Supports two additional low frequency asynchronous channels or
the RS-232 handshake signals.
*Digital mode for non fiber applications - RF.
*Bit Error Rate (BER) < 10
*Available in 44 pin PLCC package.
ACS101A
Equivalent Block Diagram of ACS101A
-9
2
General Description:
The ACS101A is a complete controller, driver and receiver IC, supporting fullduplex asynchronous transmission from DC to 76.8kbps and synchronous
data rates up to 512kbps over one optical fiber. The ACS101A also supports
two additional low frequency asynchronous channels or RS-232 handshake
signals, RTS, CTS, DTR and DSR.
The ACS101A employs data compression and time compression techniques,
affording high launch power in short bursts, leading to a low average power
consumption. The advantage of this approach is that high link budgets can be
achieved with inexpensive optical components.
Communicating optical modems automatically maintain synchronisation
with each other such that the receive phase of one modem is lined-up with
the transmit phase of the other, compensating for the propagation delay
presented by the link. Link lengths from zero to maximum distance are
catered for automatically. In 'standard' mode, the fiber may be up to 2.5km
ACS101A Revision 1.2 October 1999
100 SERIES
long, or up to 5km in 'double' mode.
1
ACS101A Issue 1.2 October 1999.
Page 2
Acapella Optical Modem ICACS101A
Synchronous or Asynchronous Single Fiber Modem
2
Inter-IC Encoding Technique
The 3B4B encoding method is used for communication between
ACS101A, thus ensuring that there is no DC component in the
signal. The encoding and decoding is transparent to the user.
Transmitter and Receiver Functions
The TxD input data of the transmitting modem is compressed,
filtered, and 3B4B encoded. In the receiving modem, 3B4B
encoding ensures easy extraction of the bit-clock. The received
data is filtered, decoded, then stored in an output memory. The
memory provides time expansion, de-jittering and frequency
compensation. Finally, the data is filtered again to improve BER
then directed to the RxD output pin.
Transmit Current
The transmit current to the LED can be defined by the Transmit
Current pin (TRC). The current is set to the maximum value
(~100mA) when TRC is unconnected. The current is set to the
minimum value (~10mA) when TRC is connected directly to
ground. To obtain current values between minimum and maximum
TRC is connected to ground through a resistor. The resistor value
R is given by:
LED current drive (mA) =
Data-rate Selection DR1 to DR4
Modes for Asynchronous Data :
DR4 DR3 DR2 DR1 XTAL freqData-rateDistance
Standard' mode of operation is up to 2.5km, 'double' mode is up to
5km and 'short' is up to 1.25km. Other non-standard data-rates
may be generated by using different crystal frequencies as long as
the 5 - 19MHz crystal range is observed.
100 * (110+R)
(1100+R)
For data-rates of 9.6, 19.2, 33.4, 48 and 64kbps the data-rate
selection pins DR1-DR3 are common to standard and double
modes of operation, with DR4 selecting the distance mode.
Modem Control Signals
RSS.
RTS, CTS, DTR and DSR signals may be used in either of two
modes, depending on the RSS setting:
In data transmission mode the inputs RTS and DTR are sampled
continuously at (crystal freq.) / 1536, 6.0kHz with a crystal of
9.216MHz. The outputs appear at CTS and DSR respectively.
RSS High - Modem Handshake Mode.
In modem handshake mode the control signals are used as
conventional handshake signals between the DTE (terminal) and
the DCE (modem):
DSR (Data Set Ready) DCE
The DCE is powered up and asserts a Low (active level) on DSR.
The DTE is informed that it is connected to a “live” DCE.
DTR (Data Terminal Ready) DTE
The DTE is powered-up and asserts a Low (active level) on DTR.
The DCE is informed that it is connected to a “live” DTE. If DTR is
set High, the DCE responds by asserting DCDB High.
RTS (Request to Send) DTE
The DTE recognises that synchronisation has been achieved
(DCDB active) and asserts a Low (active level) on RTS. This
constitutes a request by the DTE to send data to the far-end
modem.
CTS (Clear to Send) DCE
The DCE recognises the active RTS signal and responds by
asserting a Low (active level) on CTS. If RTS is set High the DCE
responds by bringing CTS High.
DCDB (Data Carrier Detect) DCE
When synchronisation is achieved between DCEs the DCDB
signal is set Low (active level). If synchronisation is lost the DCE
sets DCDB and CTS High.
Crystal Clock
A crystal may be connected between the pins XLI and XLO.
Alternatively, XLI may be driven directly by an external clock. The
operational frequency range is 5MHz to 19MHz, though
communicating devices must be driven at the same nominal
frequency with a tolerance of 100ppm. In synchronous mode the
frequency should be 9.216MHz, resulting in the standard range of
synchronous communication frequencies selected by DR1-DR4.
àà
à DTE.
àà
àà
à DCE.
àà
àà
à DTE.
àà
àà
à DCE.
àà
àà
à DTE.
àà
ACS101A Issue 1.2 October 1999.
2
Page 3
For asynchronous operation, the choice of clock frequency
dictates the sample rate of the asynchronous data appearing at
the input TxD, and consequently the jitter on the output RxD. The
sample frequency is always 1/36 of the chosen clock frequency in
'standard' mode and 1/72 in 'double' mode.
enables the system designer to use the ACS101A for the
transmission of packets of data with blank periods between
packets. The minimum quanta of data that can be sent over the
link is three bits.
In asynchronous mode the RxCL clock is turned off.
Integrating Capacitor
The ACS101A requires the use of an integrating ceramic capacitor
of value 10nF - 33nF between pins CNT and GND for a crystal
oscillator frequency range from 18MHz to 5MHz respectively.
PORB
The PORB pin is a single-pin alternative to the reset combination
DM3 = 0, DM2 = 0, and DM1 = 1. If left unconnected the input
pulls High to the operational state. Selecting reset using DM1DM3 or holding PORB Low turns off the LED and most of the
digital logic. The device has been designed to power-up correctly
and operate without the aid of PORB.
Transmission Clock TxCL
The ACS101A gives a choice between internally and externally
generated transmission clocks (see Figure 3. Timing diagrams for
set-up and hold specifications).
When the CKC pin is held Low, TxCL is configured as an output
producing a clock at the frequency defined by DR1-DR4. Data is
clocked into the device on the rising edge of the internally supplied
clock.
When the CKC pin is held High, TxCL is configured as an input,
and will accept an externally produced transmission clock with a
tolerance of up to 500ppm with respect to the transmission rate
determined by DR1-DR4.
Diagnostic/Operational Modes
The diagnostic/operational modes input pins DM1-DM3 may be
changed asynchronously within a window of (crystal clock period )
* 1536. The diagnostic mode signals are sampled 1536 * (crystal
clock period) after a change is detected on any of the DM inputs.
The sampled value is taken as the valid diagnostic mode.
In full-duplex configuration the RxCL clock of both devices tracks
the average frequency of the TxCL clock of the opposing end of
the link. The receiving Digital Phase-Lock Loop (DPLL) system
makes periodic adjustments to the RxCL clock to ensure that the
average frequency is exactly the same as the far-end TxCL clock.
In this mode each TxCL is an independent master clock and each
RxCL a slave clock.
2
The ACS101A performance is at its best when external changes
on input pins are synchronised with internal clocks. Therefore,
superior performance is likely when using the internally generated
data transmission clock. If however, the externally generated
transmission clock is used, then TxCL and TxD are generally
asynchronous to the ACS101A internal clocks, performance in this
case will be enhanced by limiting the edge speed of the TxCL and
TxD signals so that they are greater than 150 ns. The modem has
been designed to cope with very slow edges on inputs, without
fear of metastability problems.
Receive Clock RxCL
In synchronous mode data is valid on the rising edge of RxCL
clock (see Figure 3. Timing diagrams). To ensure that the
average receive frequency is the same as the transmitted
frequency RxCL is generated from a Digital Phase-Lock Loop
(DPLL) system. The DPLL makes periodic corrections to the
output RxCL clock to compensate for differences in the crystal
values, and in the case of an externally supplied transmission
clock, TxCL, compensation is also made for differences in
frequency between this supplied data clock and the selected clock
rate (DR1-DR4). The DPLL is adaptive and will minimise the
frequency of correction and jitter when the crystal values and
transmission clocks are tightly toleranced.
If the ACS101A receive FIFO empties (e.g. transmissions at farend are halted) the RxCL clock stops, therefore rising edges of the
RxCL clock always correspond to valid received data bits. This
Full-Duplex Slave
In slave mode the TxCL and the RxCL clock is derived from the
TxCL clock of the opposing side of the link, such that the average
frequency is exactly the same. It is therefore essential that only
one modem is configured in slave mode at a time. The CKC pin is
overridden such that TxCL is always configured as an output.
Full-Duplex Master
In master mode, the local RxCL clock is internally generated from
the local TxCL clock. The local TxCL clock may be internally or
externally generated. Master mode is only valid if the far-end
device is configured in slave mode or if the far-end TxCL clock is
derived from the far-end RxCL clock. Only one modem within a
communicating pair may be configured as a master.
Local Loopback
In local loopback mode data is looped back inside the near-end
modem and is output at its own RxD output. The data is also sent
to the far-end modem; synchronisation between the modems is
maintained. In local loopback mode data received from the farend device is ignored, except to maintain lock. When local
loopback is activated the DCDB signal assumes the logic High
state. If concurrent requests occur for local and remote loopback,
local loopback is selected.
When RSS = 0, RTS and DTR are looped back to CTS and DSR
respectively.
3
ACS101A Issue 1.2 October 1999.
Page 4
2
Remote Loopback
In remote loopback mode the near-end modem sends a request to
the far-end modem to loopback its received data, thus returning
the data. The far-end modem also outputs the received data at its
RxD. Both modems are exercised completely, as well as the
LEDs and the fiber optic link. Once remote loopback is
established, the DCDB of the near-end (initiating) modem is Low,
and DCDB on the far-end modem is set High. Any data appearing
on the TxD input of the far-end modem is ignored.
When RSS = 0, RTS and DTR are looped back to CTS and DSR
respectively.
Drift Lock
Communicating modems attain a stable state where the 'transmit
window' of one modem coincides with the 'receive window' of the
other allowing for delay through the optical link. Adjustments to
machine cycles are made automatically during operation to
compensate for differences in crystal frequencies which cause
loss of synchronisation.
Using drift lock, synchronisation described above depends on a
difference in the crystal frequencies at each end of the link, the
greater the difference the faster the locking. Therefore, if the
difference between crystal frequencies is very small (a few ppm),
automatic locking may take tens of seconds.
Active Lock Mode
Active lock mode may be used to accelerate synchronisation of a
pair of communicating modems. This mode synchronises the
modems with less than 250 ms delay, by adjusting the machine
cycles of the modem. Active lock reduces the machine cycle of
the device by 0.5 % ensuring rapid lock. After synchronisation the
machine cycle reverts to normal.
Note that only one device can be configured in active lock at any
one time, and thus the DM pins must not be permanently wired
High on both devices in a production system. Active lock mode is
usually invoked on power-up.
One common way of temporarily invoking active lock is to adopt
the standard RC time-constant method. This is achieved on the
ACS101A by connecting DM1, DM2 and DM3 together, and
attaching that node to an RC arrangement, i.e. with the capacitor
to 5V and the resistor to ground. This creates a 5V à 0V ramp on
power-up. The RC time-constant should be Ca. 1 second.
random lock will be the preferred mode. The effect of mixing
locking modes on locking speed is tabulated below:
LIN goes High when synchronisation or “lock” is achieved. Lock is
normally an invert of DCDB. But unlike DCDB is not affected by
the status of RTS and DTR, or the selected diagnostic mode.
ERD (Error Detector)
This signal can be used to give an indication of the quality of the
optical link. Even when a DC signal is applied to the TxD and
TxCL inputs, the ACS101A transmits approximately 256 kbps over
the link in each direction. This control data is used to maintain the
timing and the relative positioning of transmit and receive
windows. The transmit data and the control data is constantly
monitored to make sure it is compatible with the 3B4B coding
rules. If an infringement of the rules is detected then ERD will go
High and will remain High until reset. ERD may be initialised by
applying reset (DM1-DM3) or PORB, or by removing the fiber-optic
cable from one side of the link thereby forcing the device
temporarily out of lock. ERD is only an indication and should not
be considered as a substitute for Bit Error Rate (BER) tests.
LED Considerations
Since LEDs from different suppliers may emit different
wavelengths, it is recommended that the LEDs in a
communicating pair of modems are obtained from the same
supplier. The emission spectrum of an LED is a function of
temperature, so a temperature difference between the ends of a
link reduces the responsivity of the receiving diode. This results in
a reduction in the link budget. Information is given in the LED
suppliers’ data sheets. The following manufacturers have LEDs
that have been successfully tested with the ACS101A, and
Acapella will be glad to assist with contact names and addresses
on request:
Random Lock
This is a new mode of operation (over the ACS100), both ends of a
link can be permanently configured in this mode (i.e. with hardwired DM1-DM3 pins), which will achieve lock in typically 1
second, and worst case 5 seconds.
Like active lock, random lock will operate even when both ends of
the link are driven by identical clock frequencies (0ppm
difference). Random lock mode is compatible with drift lock
available on the ACS100.
Mixing Lock modes
It is possible to mix all combinations of locking modes once the
modems are locked, however, prior to synchronisation two
modems configured in active lock will not operate. Normally,
Most suppliers support the standard range of fiber
e.g. ST, SMA & FC.
Power Supply Decoupling
The ACS101A contains a highly sensitive amplifier, capable of
responding to extremely low current levels. To exploit this
sensitivity it is important to reduce external noise to a low level
compared to the input signal from the LED. The modem should
have an independent power trace to the point where power enters
the board.
4
connector
connector
)
)
connectors
,
Page 5
Figure 4. shows the recommended power supply decoupling. The
LED should be sited very close to the LDN and LDP pins. A
generous ground plane should be provided, especially around the
sensitive LDN and LDP pins. The modem should be protected
from EMI/RFI sources in the standard ways.
Link Budgets
TxD Inputs
There is a choice of pins for TxD, pins 8 and 27. Only one input
should be used. The other input will pull-up to VDD via an internal
resistor. Pin 8 is the recommended choice since it is further away
from the sensitive analogue pins. However, pin 27 is available for
designers wishing to maintain compatibility with the ACS100.
The link budget is the difference between the power coupled to the
fiber via the transmit LED and the power required to realise a
current of 500 nA (minimum amplifier sensitivity) via the receive
LED. The link budget is normally specified in dB or dBm, and
represents the maximum attenuation allowed between
communicating LEDs. The budget is utilised in terms of the cable
length, cable connectors and splices. It usually includes an
operating margin to allow for degradation in LED performance.
The power coupled to the cable is a function of the efficiency of the
LED, the current applied to the LED and the diameter of the fiber
optic cable. The larger the cable diameter the greater the power
coupled. The conversion current produced by the receive diode is
a function of the LED efficiency and the cable diameter. The
conversion efficiency is measured in terms of its ability to convert
the available power to current, known as the responsivity, given by
(A/W). Some examples of link budgets are given in Note 7: Link
Budget Examples. High quality LEDs can offer > 12dB link budget
on 50µm fiber.
Maximum Link Length
The internal timing chain within the ACS101A supports a
maximum link length of 5km, with 2 modes giving provision for the
link length to 2.5km ('standard' mode) and 5km ('double' mode)
with a crystal frequency of 9.216MHz. However, the maximum link
length as determined by the ACS101A timing chain is inversely
proportional to the crystal frequency. Hence with a 18.4MHz
crystal the range is decreased to 1.25km. The maximum link
length of 5km in 'double' mode is subject to the optical link budget
that is available.
Digital Mode
The ACS101A may be used as a controller and data buffer, with
external analogue circuitry for data transmission and reception.
This external circuitry could be used to create a higherperformance fiber link, or allow the ACS101A to be used in
non-fiber applications such as wire or RF interfaces.
The digital interface mode is selected by connecting pins 5
(DP2) and pin 6 (DP3) to ground and pin 2 (DP1) to VD+. In
this mode the data to be sent over the link is produced on pin
17 and the received data from the link is input on pin 18,
instead of using the LDN and LDP pins. A simple digital
connection is also possible with pin 17 of the first I.C. driving
into pin 18 of the second I.C. and pin 17 of the second I.C.
driving into pin 18 of the first I.C.
In addition, in digital mode, to aid data reception with external
amplifiers or AGCs, pin 26 produces a signal which indicates
the data reception time of the data burst over the link. After
the data burst is sent, the data output on pin 17 goes high.
Figure 5 shows the inter IC wiring connections for a simple
digital communications link using the digital interface mode.
This example shows a single wire connection between the two
ICs (two including ground) for data to and from each IC. This
only demonstrates how a simple single medium interface can
be used, because each IC transmits it's data at different
times, automatically interleaving it's transmitted data with the
data from the other IC. Any other medium for connecting the
ICs could be used, such as RF, twisted pair or mains power
carrier for example.
2
5
ACS101A Issue 1.2 October 1999.
Page 6
Pin Descriptions
PinSymIONameDescription
The DR1-DR4 inputs select the
Data Rates.
Leave unconnected, for normal
fibre applications.
Set high to select special digital
interface mode (see p5).
DM1-DM3 inpust select the
Diagnostic Modes such as local
loopback and remote loopback.
Leave unconnected, for normal
fibre applications.
Set low to select special digital
interface mode (see p5).
Modem control signal or
additional low frequency data
c ha n nel inp u t
Connection to fundamental
parallel resonance crystal with
padding capacitors to GND
2
1DR1IData Rate Select
2DP1-Digital Preset
3DM1IDiagnostic Modes
4RxDOReceived DataReceived data.
56DP2
DP3
7RTSI
8TxDITransmit DataTransmitted data
910XLI
XLOIO
-Digital Preset
Request To Send /
Da ta C ha nne l 2
input
O s cilla t o r Cr ys t al
PinSymIONameDescription
23GND-GroundGround Supply
24VD+-+ve power supplyP ower Supply, 4.75-5.25 Volts
RS232 handshake
25RSSI
LIN /
26
RW
2 7Tx DITra nsmit D ata
28IC-
29NC-Not connectedCan be connected to or not.
30GND-GroundGround Supply
or data channels
select
Lock Indicator /
O
Receive Window
Internally
connected
Mo d e m co nt r o l signal,
Low = data transmission mode,
High = mo d e m hand s ha k e mod e
In normal fibre mode indicates
modem lock, high when both
modems locked together. In
digital interface mode indicates
the receiving window, high when
the data burst being received.
Normally unconnected as main
data is input on Pin8, but is used
to ma int a in c omp a t ibilty w it h
ACS100
Should not be connected to,
only used for test access.
11CKC IClock Control
12TxCLIO
13RxCL
1415DM2
DM3
16DTRI
ERD /
17
DO
18DII
19PORBIPower-on-Reset
20CTSO
21DSRO
Tra n s mit D a t a
Clock
Receive Data
O
Clock
ID iagnos t ic M od e s
Da t a Ter min a l
Ready /
Da t a c ha n nel 3 i/ p
Error Detector /
O
Digital mode data
output
Digit al mo d e
data input
Clear To Send /
Da ta C ha nne l 2
output
Data Se t Ready /
Da ta C ha nne l 3
output
Co nfigure s t he TxCL p in fo r
either internally or externally
generated clocks
Transmit Data Clock, frequency
set by DR1-DR4, input or
output depending on CKC.
Receive Data Clock, turned off
in asynchronous mode
Diagnostic modes select see
DM1 pin and main text
Modem contrrol signal or
additional low frequency data
c ha n nel inp u t
In normal fibre applications
indicates quality of link. If a
coding infringement is detected,
ERD go e s High. Da t a o utp ut in
special digital interface mode.
Data input in special digittal
interface mode. N ot used in
normal fibre applications, can be
left disconnected.
Will init ia t e the de vic e wh e n
PORB=0. PORB is normally
connected to a capacitor to gnd
so that a POR is automatically
invoked on power-up.
Modem control signal or
additional low frequency data
cha nne l out p ut
Modem control signal or
additional low frequency data
cha nne l out p ut
31C NTIO
32GND-GroundGround Supply
33LDNI OLED Catho d e
34NC-Not connectedCan be connected to or not.
35LDPIO LED Anod e
36GND-GroundGround Supply
37VA+-+ve power supplyPower supply, 4.75-5.25 Volts
38VG-
39NC-Not connectedCan be connected to or not.
40DR4IData Rate SelectData rate select, see DR1
4 1TRCITr ans mit Cur r e n t
42DR2IData Rate SelectData rate select, see DR1
43GND-GroundGround Supply
Capacitor
Integration
Gua rd r ing &
mode select
Integrating capacitor is placed
between CNT and GND of
value 10nF-33nF with an XTAL
of 19MHz to 5MHz
Co nne c t ion t o LED us ed fo r
transmission and receiption
Co nne c t ion t o LED us ed fo r
transmission and receiption
Ca n b e le ft unc o nne c te d o r
connected to VA+. Pulled high
internally.
Defines transmit curre nt to the
LED. Set by connecting TRC
to GND via a resistor, value R
defined by equation on page 2
22DCDBO
ACS101A Issue 1.2 October 1999.
Data Carrier
Detect
Goes low when modems locked
and ready for data transmission
44DR3IData Rate SelectData rate select, see DR1
6
Page 7
DTE ACS101A
ACS101A DCE
TxD
RxD
RTS
CTS
DTR
DSR
Figure 1. Data Flow Representation showing data and handshake signals transmitted over a single fiber
Note 2: XLO does not have a drive capability other than that of the load presented by a parallel resonant
crystal and appropriate padding capacitor.
ACS101A Issue 1.2 October 1999.
Maximum amp lifie r in p u t c ur r entI max12-mA
Rtrc placed between TRC and
GND
Rtrc0--
LED curr ent with TRC floating
peak current:
average curent:
Icur
70
--130
14
26
(Note 4)
LED capacitance
with Vr = 0 Volts
Cled--100pF
(Note 5)
LED leakage current
Vr = 1.8 Volts
Cl-1100nA
LED reverse bias (Note 6)Vr-0-V
Note 4: The LED is switched on for approximately 1/5th of the time, with a cycle of 160 µs a t
9.216MHz.
Note 5: The ACS101A is at its best with low capacitance LEDs - Acapella is able to supply LEDs with
lower than 20pF capacitance.
Note 6: The ACS101A incorporates a differential receiver front end. Single ended reception,
compatible with the ACS101 is still selectable by connecting VG, pin 38, low, in which case the
LED reverse bias will be as specified for the ACS101, 1.3 to 1.8v.
8
Ω
mA
Page 9
Link Budget Examples
Cable200 micron100 micron62.5 micron50 micron
Typical transmit couple power to fiber (µW)120026010040
Minimum LED responsivity (A/W)0.050.060.10.12
Available current (µA)6015.6104.8
Minimum ACS101A sensitivity (nA)50050050050 0
Link budget (dB)20151310
Note 7: Link Budget Calculations for a typical 1A-212 LED from MITEL Semiconductor.
2
t
wh
t
wl
TxCL and RxCL clock pulse widths
TxCL RxCL
t
tht t
sut
TxD RxD
90 %
10 %
t
f
t
r
90 %
10 %
Digital Outputs rise and fall times
t
sur
hr
Transmit set-up and hold times Receive set-up and hold times
Figure 3. Timing diagrams
9
ACS101A Issue 1.2 October 1999.
Page 10
2
Basic RS-232 to Fiber Interface Circuit
Figure 4. Typical application circuit for linking two PCs via a Single Fiber Optic Cable
Figure 5. Test Circuit to demonstrate a simple Single medium link in digital interface mode
ACS101A Issue 1.2 October 1999.
10
Page 11
PLCC44D/ED1/E1D2/E2D 3/E3 AA1A2 e b RCopl.
2
Dime nsions in mm
max
min
17.40
17.65
16.51
16.66
Figure 6. Package Dimensions, PLCC44
14.99
16.00
4.20
12.70
4.57
11
2.29
3.04
0.51
0.33
1.27
0.53
ACS101A Issue 1.2 October 1999.
0.64
1.140.10
Page 12
2
Acapella Ltd.
Delta House
UK Tel.023 80 769 008
UK Fax.023 80 768 612
Chilworth Research Centre
Southampton S016 7NS
United Kingdom
Intn'l. Tel.+44 23 80 769 008
Intn'l. Fax.+44 23 80 768 612
Email: sales@acapella.co.uk
Web:www.acapella.co.uk
Acapella - a wholly owned subsidiary of
In the interest of further product development Acapella reserve the right to change this specification without further notice.