CN222561816U - PCIe extension line and PCIe device with same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses a PCIe extension cable and a PCIe device with an extension cable. The PCIe extension cable includes: a first end, a second end and an optical fiber. The first end includes a first PCIe connector and an optoelectronic module. The first PCIe connector includes a differential signal pair for sending and a differential signal pair for receiving. The optoelectronic module of the first end is connected to the differential signal pair for sending and the differential signal pair for receiving of the first end. The second end includes a second PCIe connector and an optoelectronic module. The second PCIe connector includes a differential signal pair for sending and a differential signal pair for receiving. The optoelectronic module of the second end is connected to the differential signal pair for sending and the differential signal pair for receiving of the second end. The optical fiber is used to connect the optoelectronic module of the first end and the optoelectronic module of the second end. Through the scheme disclosed in the present disclosure, the PCIe signal can be converted into an optical signal for transmission, thereby realizing the long-distance and efficient transmission of the PCIe signal.

Description

PCIe extension line and PCIe device with same

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of cable technology. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a PCIe extension line and a PCIe device with an extension line.

Background

In modern industry and information industry, the high-speed high-capacity medium-short distance data transmission technology is widely applied. PCIe (PERIPHERAL COMPONENT INTERCONNECT EXPRESS ) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard, which is widely used as a general-purpose communication protocol in computer devices. However, the PCIe bus is generally an on-board high-speed bus, and there is a limitation in application scenario.

For example, in an industrial camera application scenario, in order to expand the transmission bandwidth of an industrial camera to a host, improve the quality of an acquired image, and utilize the advantage that the real-time performance of a PCIe mature development environment is high, some industrial cameras adopt PCIe interfaces. However, in a specific application, the industrial camera needs to be placed far from the host, and the PCIe bus that can only be used as an on-board high-speed bus currently cannot meet the above application requirements of the industrial camera obviously. For another example, in some application scenarios of medical devices such as CT, the host of the medical device is usually placed in an inspection room, while the corresponding display and peripheral devices such as a keyboard and a mouse are located outside the inspection room, and even support for long distance separation between the peripheral devices and the host is required. However, the controller (such as a graphics card) used in the host to control these peripheral devices is generally a PCIe device, and cannot support the application requirements of remote communication between the host and the peripheral devices.

Therefore, the conventional optical module technology is adopted to realize the epitaxy of PCIe signals, wherein the conventional optical module technology requires a special driving chip to realize the conversion of electrical signals, and is limited by the problems of large volume, high power consumption, high cost and the like of the optical module, and the optical module technology has poor technical grounding effect, low practicability and still has great limitation in use.

In view of the foregoing, it is desirable to provide a PCIe extension line to support efficient and long-range transmission of PCIe signals.

Disclosure of utility model

To address at least one or more of the technical problems noted above, the present disclosure proposes, in various aspects, a PCIe extension line that supports PCIe signal efficiency and is remotely transmissible.

In a first aspect, a PCIe extension line is provided, which is characterized by comprising a first end, a second end and an optical fiber, wherein the first end comprises a first PCIe connector and an optical-electrical module, the first PCIe connector comprises a differential signal pair for sending and a differential signal pair for receiving, the optical-electrical module of the first end is connected with the differential signal pair for sending and the differential signal pair for receiving of the first end, the second end comprises a second PCIe connector and an optical-electrical module, the second PCIe connector comprises a differential signal pair for sending and a differential signal pair for receiving, the optical-electrical module of the second end is connected with the differential signal pair for sending and the differential signal pair for receiving of the second end, and the optical fiber is used for connecting the optical-electrical module of the first end and the optical-electrical module of the second end.

In some embodiments, the optoelectronic module of the first end is configured to convert a differential signal of the differential signal pair of the first end for transmission into an optical signal, the optical signal being transmitted by an optical fiber to the optoelectronic module of the second end, and the optoelectronic module of the second end is configured to convert the optical signal into a differential signal for transmission to the differential signal pair of the second end for reception.

In some embodiments, the first end of the optoelectronic module is configured to convert an optical signal from an optical fiber into a differential signal for transmission to the first end of the differential signal pair for reception, and the second end of the optoelectronic module is configured to convert a differential signal of the second end of the differential signal pair for transmission into an optical signal for transmission by the optical fiber to the first end of the optoelectronic module.

In some embodiments, the optoelectronic module comprises an optoelectronic conversion unit, an electro-optical conversion unit and an optical component, wherein the optoelectronic conversion unit is used for converting a received optical signal into a differential signal, the electro-optical conversion unit is used for converting the received differential signal into an optical signal, and the optoelectronic conversion unit and/or the electro-optical conversion unit are coupled with the optical fiber through the optical component.

In some embodiments, the first-end photoelectric module comprises a first photoelectric module, the second-end photoelectric module comprises a second photoelectric module, the optical fibers comprise at least three, the first photoelectric module comprises two photoelectric conversion units and one photoelectric conversion unit, the second photoelectric module comprises two photoelectric conversion units and one photoelectric conversion unit, the two photoelectric conversion units of the first photoelectric module are respectively connected with one of the two photoelectric conversion units of the second photoelectric module through one optical fiber, and the photoelectric conversion unit of the first photoelectric module is connected with the photoelectric conversion unit of the second photoelectric module through one optical fiber.

In some embodiments, the first-end photoelectric module comprises a first photoelectric module and a third photoelectric module, the second-end photoelectric module comprises a second photoelectric module and a third photoelectric module, the optical fibers comprise at least five photoelectric conversion units, the first photoelectric module comprises two photoelectric conversion units and one photoelectric conversion unit, the second photoelectric module comprises two photoelectric conversion units and one photoelectric conversion unit, the third photoelectric module comprises one photoelectric conversion unit and one photoelectric conversion unit, the two photoelectric conversion units of the first photoelectric module are respectively connected with one of the two photoelectric conversion units of the second photoelectric module through one optical fiber, the photoelectric conversion unit of the first photoelectric module is connected with the photoelectric conversion unit of the second photoelectric module through one optical fiber, the photoelectric conversion unit of the third photoelectric module of the first end is connected with the conversion unit of the third module of the second end through one optical fiber, and the photoelectric conversion unit of the third photoelectric module of the first end is connected with the photoelectric conversion unit of the third module through the first optical fiber.

In some embodiments, the first end includes one first photovoltaic module and 1, 3, 7 or 15 third photovoltaic modules, and the second end includes one second photovoltaic module and 1, 3, 7 or 15 third photovoltaic modules.

In some embodiments, the first optoelectronic module is coupled to a differential signal pair for transmitting and a differential signal pair for receiving of PCIe LANE0 (LANE 0) of the first PCIe connector and the second optoelectronic module is coupled to a differential signal pair for transmitting and a differential signal pair for receiving of PCIe LANE0 (LANE 0) of the second PCIe connector.

In some embodiments, the first optoelectronic module is further connected to a differential signal pair of the first PCIe connector for transmitting clock signals, and the second optoelectronic module is further connected to a differential signal pair of the second PCIe connector for transmitting clock signals.

In some embodiments, the two electro-optical conversion units of the first optoelectronic module are respectively connected to a differential signal pair for transmission and a differential signal pair for transmission of clock signals of a PCIe LANE0 (LANE 0) of the first PCIe connector, and the two electro-optical conversion units of the second optoelectronic module are respectively connected to a differential signal pair for reception and a differential signal pair for transmission of clock signals of a PCIe LANE0 (LANE 0) of the second PCIe connector.

In some embodiments, the number of third photovoltaic modules at the first end and the number of third photovoltaic modules at the second end are both n, wherein n=1, 3,7, or 15, the electro-optical conversion unit of the ith third photovoltaic module at the first end is connected to the differential signal pair for transmission of PCIe lane i (LANEi) of the first PCIe connector, the electro-optical conversion unit of the ith third photovoltaic module at the first end is connected to the differential signal pair for reception of PCIe lane i (LANEi) of the first PCIe connector, the electro-optical conversion unit of the ith third photovoltaic module at the second end is connected to the differential signal pair for transmission of PCIe lane i (LANEi) of the second PCIe connector, the electro-optical conversion unit of the ith third photovoltaic module at the second end is connected to the differential signal pair for reception of PCIe lane i (LANEi) of the second PCIe connector, wherein i=1, 2, n.

In some embodiments, one photovoltaic module at the first end and one photovoltaic module at the second end are connected by optical fibers to form one photovoltaic module pair, and the lengths of the optical fibers between the different photovoltaic module pairs are the same.

In some embodiments, the differential signal transmission distance of the differential signal pair of PCIe lane j of the first PCIe connector to the differential signal pair of PCIe lane j (LANEj) of the second PCIe connector is the same, where j=0, 1, 2.

In some embodiments, the distance of the optoelectronic module at the first end from the first PCIe connector is equal to the sum of the distances of the optoelectronic modules at the second end to the second PCIe connectors to which they are correspondingly connected, between different pairs of optoelectronic modules.

In some embodiments, the first end includes a first circuit board having a first side that is closer to the optical fiber than other sides of the first circuit board, the first photovoltaic module of the first end is farther from the first side than a third photovoltaic module of the first end, the second end includes a second circuit board having a second side that is closer to the optical fiber than other sides of the second circuit board, and the second photovoltaic module of the second end is closer to the first side than a third photovoltaic module of the second end.

In some embodiments, the third photovoltaic module of the first end is further away from or closer to the first side than the other third photovoltaic modules, and the corresponding third photovoltaic module of the second end within the same photovoltaic module pair is further away from or closer to the second side than the other third photovoltaic modules.

In some embodiments, the first end photovoltaic module obtains power from a first PCIe connector of the first end, the second end further comprises a third connector, and the second end photovoltaic module obtains power from the third connector.

In some embodiments, the first end photovoltaic module obtains power from a first PCIe connector of the first end, the second end further comprises a y-cable, and the second end photovoltaic module obtains power from the y-cable.

In some embodiments, the first end and the second end are connected only by an optical fiber.

In some embodiments, the extension line further comprises a metal wire connecting the first end and the second end, and the metal wire is used for correspondingly connecting other signals except the differential signal pair of the first PCIe connector of the first end and the second PCIe connector of the second end.

In a second aspect, a PCIe device with an extension line is provided, and the PCIe device is characterized by comprising a first end, a second end and an optical fiber, wherein the first end comprises a first PCIe connector and an optical-electrical module, the first PCIe connector comprises a differential signal pair for transmission and a differential signal pair for reception, the optical-electrical module of the first end is connected with the differential signal pair for transmission and the differential signal pair for reception of the first end, the second end comprises an optical-electrical module, the differential signal pair for transmission, the differential signal pair for reception and a PCIe device, the optical-electrical module of the second end is connected with the differential signal pair for transmission and the differential signal pair for reception of the second end, and the optical fiber is used for connecting the optical-electrical module of the first end and the optical-electrical module of the second end.

In a third aspect, a PCIe device with an extension line is provided, where the PCIe extension line is a PCIe extension line according to any one of the embodiments of the first aspect, and a PCIe device is provided, and the PCIe device is connected to a second PCIe connector at a second end of the PCIe extension line.

In some embodiments, the PCIe device is an electronic device supporting PCIe protocols.

In a fourth aspect, there is provided a signal transmission method of a PCIe extension line, wherein the PCIe extension line is a PCIe extension line according to any one of the embodiments of the first aspect, and the method includes, in response to receiving a differential signal from a differential signal for transmission, converting the differential signal into an optical signal by an optical module of the first end, the optical signal being transmitted to an optical module of the second end by the optical fiber, and in response to receiving the optical signal, converting the optical signal into a differential signal pair of the differential signal for transmission to the second end.

Through the PCIe extension line provided by the above, the embodiment of the disclosure can integrate the PCIe connector and the photoelectric module at two ends of the PCIe extension line respectively, and convert PCIe signals into optical signals for transmission based on cooperation among the PCIe connector, the photoelectric module and the optical fibers, thereby realizing long-distance and efficient transmission of PCIe signals.

Drawings

The above, as well as additional purposes, features, and advantages of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will become readily apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Several embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar or corresponding parts and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a PCIe extension line in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of a PCIe extension line in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic structure of a PCIe extension line in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of a PCIe extension line in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of a PCIe extension line in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates a distribution diagram of an optical module in both ends of a PCIe extension line according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates a structural exploded view of the TX end of a PCIe extension line in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 illustrates a structural exploded view of the RX end of a PCIe extension line in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 illustrates a schematic diagram of a PCIe device with an extension line in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 illustrates a schematic diagram of a PCIe device with an extension line in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 illustrates a schematic structural diagram of a PCIe device with an extension line in accordance with a further embodiment of the present disclosure, and

Fig. 12 shows a flow diagram of a method of signaling PCIe extension lines in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

Detailed Description

The following description of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be made clearly and fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which it is evident that the embodiments described are some, but not all embodiments of the disclosure. Based on the embodiments in this disclosure, all other embodiments that may be made by those skilled in the art without the inventive effort are within the scope of the present disclosure.

It should be understood that the terms "comprises" and "comprising," when used in this specification and the claims, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description of the present disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used in the specification and claims of this disclosure, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that the term "and/or" as used in the present disclosure and claims refers to any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes such combinations.

As used in this specification and the claims, the term "if" may be interpreted as "when..once" or "in response to a determination" or "in response to detection" depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase "if a determination" or "if a [ described condition or event ] is detected" may be interpreted in the context of meaning "upon determination" or "in response to determination" or "upon detection of a [ described condition or event ]" or "in response to detection of a [ described condition or event ]".

An explanation of technical terms that may be used in the present disclosure is first given.

PCIe LANE (LANE) refers to a set of differential signal pairs, including differential signal pairs for transmit signals and differential signal pairs for receive signals. The differential signal pair for transmission includes tx+ and TX-lines and the differential signal pair for reception includes rx+ and RX-lines. Thus, a Lane has four physical links. Within one LANE, the transmission and reception of differential signals may be performed simultaneously.

Specific embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic structure of a PCIe extension line 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 1, PCIe extension line 100 may include a first end, a second end, and an optical fiber. The first end of the PCIe extension line 100 may include a first PCIe connector 101 and an optoelectronic module 102. The first PCIe connector 101 includes a differential signal pair for transmitting and a differential signal pair for receiving. The first end of the optoelectronic module 102 is connected to the first end of the differential signal pair for transmitting and the differential signal pair for receiving.

The second end of PCIe extension line 100 may include a second PCIe connector 103 and an optoelectronic module 104. The second PCIe connector 103 includes a differential signal pair for transmitting and a differential signal pair for receiving, and the optoelectronic module 104 at the second end is connected to the differential signal pair for transmitting and the differential signal pair for receiving at the second end.

The optical fibers 105 in the PCIe extension line 100 may be used to connect the optoelectronic module 102 at the first end and the optoelectronic module 104 at the second end.

In this embodiment, the PCIe connectors at each end (e.g., first end, second end) of PCIe extension line 100 may include a differential signal pair for transmitting and a differential signal pair for receiving, i.e., at least one PCIe LANE (LANE). The aforementioned differential signal pair for transmission is understood to be a differential signal pair for transmission signals, for example, tx+ and TX-two lines. The aforementioned differential signal pair for reception is understood to be a differential signal pair for reception signals, for example rx+ and RX-two lines.

The optoelectronic modules (e.g., optoelectronic module 103, optoelectronic module 104) in each end of PCIe extension line 100 may support converting optical signals into electrical signals and/or converting electrical signals into optical signals, the optoelectronic modules in each end may be connected to a differential signal pair for transmitting and a differential signal pair for receiving in the local end, and the optoelectronic modules in different ends may be connected by optical fibers to perform an optical/electrical conversion process on signals transmitted through the differential signal pair or the optical fibers.

In practical applications, the signal transmission manner in the PCIe extension line 100 may include multiple manners. In some embodiments, the optoelectronic module 102 at the first end may be configured to convert the differential signal of the differential signal pair for transmission at the first end into an optical signal, e.g., in a transmission direction from the first end to the second end, which is transmitted by the optical fiber 105 to the optoelectronic module 104 at the second end. The optical-to-electrical module 104 at the second end may then convert the optical signal into a differential signal for transmission to a differential signal pair at the second end for reception.

In other embodiments, the optical module 104 of the second end may be configured to convert the differential signal of the differential signal pair for transmission of the second end into an optical signal, for example, according to the transmission direction from the second end to the first end, and transmit the optical signal to the optical module 102 of the first end through the optical fiber 105. The optoelectronic module 102 at the first end may then convert the optical signal from the optical fiber 105 into a differential signal for transmission to a differential signal pair at the first end for reception.

Therefore, through integrating the PCIe connector and the photoelectric module at two ends of the PCIe extension line respectively, based on the fact that the PCIe connector in one end (such as a first end) of the PCIe extension line is matched with the photoelectric module, electric signals such as differential signals and the like can be converted into optical signals, and the optical signals can be transmitted to the photoelectric module in the other end (such as a second end) of the PCIe extension line through optical fibers between the photoelectric modules. And then, recovering the optical signal into a differential signal through the photoelectric module in the other end of the PCIe extension line, and continuously transmitting the differential signal through the PCIe connector in the other end of the PCIe extension line.

It can be seen that the scheme of the present disclosure can convert PCIe signals into optical signals for transmission based on the cooperation between PCIe connectors, optoelectronic modules and optical fibers, thereby realizing remote and efficient transmission of PCIe signals. In addition, in the technical implementation process, PCIe extension lines formed by devices such as PCIe connectors, photoelectric modules and optical fibers are adopted to realize signal epitaxy, and the devices in the PCIe extension lines have the advantages of low power consumption, low cost and the like compared with the traditional optical modules, so that hardware cost in the technical landing process can be effectively reduced, and the technical implementation cost is effectively reduced.

It should be noted that, the number of differential signal pairs and the number of optoelectronic modules of each PCIe connector in fig. 1 are only exemplary, and the number of differential signal pairs and the number of optoelectronic modules in the scheme of the present disclosure are not limited, and may be specifically adjusted according to application requirements.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic structural diagram of a PCIe extension line 200 according to another embodiment of the disclosure. The PCIe extension line 200 may be understood as a further limitation or expansion of the function of the PCIe extension line 100. Specifically, fig. 2 mainly defines the optoelectronic module in the PCIe extension line. Accordingly, the foregoing detailed description in connection with FIG. 1 applies equally to FIG. 2.

As shown in fig. 2, PCIe extension 200 may include a first end, a second end, and an optical fiber 105. Wherein a first end of PCIe extension line 200 may include first PCIe connector 101 and optoelectronic module 102. The second end of the PCIe extension line 200 may include a second PCIe connector 103 and an optoelectronic module 104. The optical fibers 105 in the PCIe extension line 200 may be used to connect the optoelectronic module 102 at the first end and the optoelectronic module 104 at the second end. For details including the first PCIe connector 101 and the second PCIe connector 103, reference may be made to the related description in conjunction with fig. 1, which is not repeated here.

In this embodiment, the aforementioned photovoltaic modules (e.g., photovoltaic module 102, photovoltaic module 104) may be of modular design. In particular, the photovoltaic module may include a photovoltaic conversion unit, an electro-optic conversion unit, and an optical component. The photoelectric conversion unit may be configured to convert a received optical signal into a differential signal, and the electro-optical conversion unit may be configured to convert a received differential signal into an optical signal, and the photoelectric conversion unit and/or the electro-optical conversion unit may be coupled to an optical fiber through an optical component.

Specifically, in some embodiments, the aforementioned photoelectric conversion unit may be implemented with an optical receiver, and the electro-optical conversion unit may be implemented with an optical transmitter. The optical transmitter may be a vertical cavity surface laser transmitter (VCSEL) for electro-optical conversion, the optical receiver may be a laser diode (PD) for photoelectric conversion, and the optical component may include an optical device (lens).

In a specific application, the photoelectric conversion unit, the electro-optical conversion unit may be combined with the optical component in various ways to achieve coupling with the optical fiber. For example, when an optical device such as a lens has an optical fiber fixing groove, an optical fiber may be directly inserted into the lens. For another example, the aforementioned optical assembly may further include a jumper capable of coupling an optical signal into an optical fiber, where the optical fiber may be coupled to the lens by the jumper in a keyed manner. It should be noted that the description of the coupling mode is given here as an exemplary illustration, and the scheme of the disclosure is not limited thereto, for example, the optical fiber may be coupled to the lens by other forms such as a bracket.

Further, the photoelectric conversion unit, the electro-optical conversion unit and the optical device can be modularly designed by means of glue, bonding and the like. In the practical application process, the photoelectric module with the modular design can be installed as a conventional electric device (for example, the photoelectric module can be installed by welding or plugging and the like). The modularized design of the photoelectric assembly greatly reduces the complexity of the PCIe extension line manufacturing process, and when a certain photoelectric module fails, the photoelectric module can be replaced for quick maintenance without replacing the whole board. In addition, when the data path is required to be added, the expansion of the data path can be realized on the basis of not affecting the original structure, and the application range and convenience are increased.

As mentioned above, the number of the optoelectronic modules in the PCIe extension line is not limited, and may be specifically set and adjusted in combination with actual requirements. For example, the optoelectronic modules may be correspondingly configured according to the number of PCIe lanes of the PCIe extension line. The specific structure of a PCIe extension line is further described below in conjunction with fig. 3 and 4.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic structural diagram of a PCIe extension line 300 according to yet another embodiment of the disclosure. The PCIe extension line 300 may be understood as a further limitation or expansion of the function of the PCIe extension line 100 or the PCIe extension line 200. Accordingly, the detailed description hereinbefore associated with fig. 1 and 2 applies equally to fig. 3.

As shown in fig. 3, PCIe extension 300 may specifically include a first end (e.g., end a in fig. 3), a second end (e.g., end B in fig. 3), and an optical fiber. The a-end of the PCIe extension line 300 may include the first PCIe connector 101 and the optoelectronic module 102. The B-side of PCIe extension line 300 may include a second PCIe connector 103 and an optoelectronic module 104.PCIe extension 300 further includes optical fiber 105, optical fiber 105 may be used to connect optoelectronic module 102 at end a with optoelectronic module 104 at end B.

In this embodiment, the photovoltaic module 102 may include only a first photovoltaic module (e.g., photovoltaic module 0 at the a-end in fig. 3), and the photovoltaic module 104 may include only a second photovoltaic module (e.g., photovoltaic module 0 at the B-end in fig. 3). At this time, the first photoelectric module may include two photoelectric conversion units and one photoelectric conversion unit. The second photoelectric module may include two photoelectric conversion units and one photoelectric conversion unit. The optical fiber 105 may specifically include 3 optical fibers, where two photoelectric conversion units of the first photoelectric module are respectively connected with one of two photoelectric conversion units of the second photoelectric module through one optical fiber, and the photoelectric conversion unit of the first photoelectric module is connected with the photoelectric conversion unit of the second photoelectric module through one optical fiber.

Further, in some embodiments, the photovoltaic module 102 may include a first photovoltaic module (e.g., photovoltaic module 0 at the a end in fig. 3) and a third photovoltaic module (e.g., photovoltaic module 1 at the a end in fig. 3), where the first photovoltaic module includes two electro-optic conversion units and one electro-optic conversion unit, and the third photovoltaic module includes one electro-optic conversion unit and one electro-optic conversion unit. The photovoltaic module 104 may include a second photovoltaic module (e.g., photovoltaic module 0 at B-end in fig. 3) and a third photovoltaic module (e.g., photovoltaic module 1 at B-end in fig. 3), wherein the second photovoltaic module includes two photovoltaic conversion units and one electro-optic conversion unit, and the third photovoltaic module includes one photovoltaic conversion unit and one electro-optic conversion unit.

At this time, the optical fibers 105 include at least five optical fibers, the two photoelectric conversion units of the first photoelectric module are respectively connected with one of the two photoelectric conversion units of the second photoelectric module through one optical fiber, the photoelectric conversion unit of the first photoelectric module is connected with the photoelectric conversion unit of the second photoelectric module through one optical fiber, the photoelectric conversion unit of the third photoelectric module at the first end is connected with the photoelectric conversion unit of the third photoelectric module at the second end through one optical fiber, and the photoelectric conversion unit of the third photoelectric module at the first end is connected with the photoelectric conversion unit of the third photoelectric module at the second end through one optical fiber.

In addition, in fig. 3, PCIe connectors 101 and 103 may include multiple PCIe LANEs therein (e.g., LANE0 and LANE1 in fig. 3). Note that an LANE (i.e., PCIe LANE) refers to a set of differential signal pairs, including a differential signal pair for a transmit signal and a differential signal pair for a receive signal. Wherein the differential signal pair for transmission may comprise tx+ and TX-lines and the differential signal pair for reception may comprise rx+ and RX-lines. So a LANE may have four physical connections. In some implementations, the transmission and reception of the differential signal may occur simultaneously.

In this embodiment, the first optoelectronic module (e.g., optoelectronic module 0 at end a in fig. 3) is connected to a differential signal pair for transmitting and a differential signal pair for receiving of PCIe LANE0 (LANE 0) of the first PCIe connector 101. The second optoelectronic module (e.g., optoelectronic module 0 at end B in fig. 3) is connected to the differential signal pair for transmitting and the differential signal pair for receiving of PCIe LANE0 (LANE 0) of the second PCIe connector 103.

In addition, the first optoelectronic module is further connected to a differential signal pair of the first PCIe connector 101 for transmitting clock signals, and the second optoelectronic module is further connected to a differential signal pair of the second PCIe connector 103 for transmitting clock signals. For example, in fig. 3, the signal (i.e., the real time signal) of REFCLK pin of the PCIe connector 101 at the a end may be specifically sent to the optoelectronic module 0 at the a end, and after being processed by the optoelectronic module 0 at the a end, the processed signal is transmitted to the optoelectronic module 0 at the B end through an optical fiber. Then, the received signal is processed by the optoelectronic module 0 in the B-terminal, and then sent to the REFCLK pin of the connector 103 by the PCIe in the B-terminal. At this time, the two electro-optical conversion units of the first photoelectric module are respectively connected to the differential signal pair for transmission and the differential signal pair for transmission of clock signals of PCIe LANE0 (LANE 0) of the first PCIe connector, and the two photoelectric conversion units of the second photoelectric module are respectively connected to the differential signal pair for reception and the differential signal pair for transmission of clock signals of PCIe LANE0 (LANE 0) of the second PCIe connector.

It should be noted that, in this embodiment, each PCIe channel in the PCIe connector is independent, and the optoelectronic module that interfaces with the LANE0 additionally performs the task of transmitting clock signals, and is consistent with the structure of the optoelectronic module that interfaces with other LANEs. Thus, communication is still possible when the photovoltaic module interfacing with other LANE fails, but the photovoltaic module interfacing with LANE0 fails.

In addition, the photovoltaic module shown in fig. 3 may specifically include a first photovoltaic module (e.g., photovoltaic module 0 at the a end in fig. 3) or a second photovoltaic module (e.g., photovoltaic module 0 at the B end in fig. 3), and a third photovoltaic module (e.g., photovoltaic module 1 at the a end and B end in fig. 3). In practical applications, the number of the third photovoltaic modules in each end of the PCIe extension line may be 1, or may include a plurality of third photovoltaic modules. For example, the first end of the PCIe extension line includes a first photovoltaic module and 1,3, 7 or 15 third photovoltaic modules, and the second end of the PCIe extension line includes a second photovoltaic module and 1,3, 7 or 15 third photovoltaic modules.

In this implementation scenario, the number of the third photovoltaic modules at the first end and the number of the third photovoltaic modules at the second end are n, n >0, for example, n=1, 3,7, or 15. At this time, the electro-optical conversion unit of the ith third optoelectronic module at the first end is connected to the differential signal pair for transmission of the PCIe lane i (LANEi) of the first PCIe connector. The photoelectric conversion unit of the ith third photoelectric module of the first end is connected with a differential signal pair for receiving of a PCIe channel i (LANEi) of the first PCIe connector. The electro-optical conversion unit of the ith third photoelectric module of the second end is connected with a differential signal pair for transmission of a PCIe channel i (LANEi) of the second PCIe connector. The photoelectric conversion unit of the ith third photoelectric module of the second end is connected with a differential signal pair for receiving of a PCIe channel i (LANEi) of the second PCIe connector. Where i=1, 2,..n.

That is, the third photovoltaic module at the first end is connected to the differential signal pair for transmission and the differential signal pair for reception of the PCIe lane n (LANEn) of the first PCIe connector, and the third photovoltaic module at the second end is connected to the differential signal pair for transmission and the differential signal pair for reception of the PCIe lane n (LANEn) of the second PCIe connector, where n is not 0. In other words, the third photovoltaic module at the first end is connected in one-to-one correspondence with other PCIe LANEs of the first PCIe connector except PCIe LANE0 (LANE 0), and the third photovoltaic module at the second end is connected in one-to-one correspondence with other PCIe LANEs of the second PCIe connector except PCIe LANE0 (LANE 0).

Fig. 4 shows a case where 3 of the above-described third photovoltaic modules are included in each end of the PCIe extension line, that is, n=3. Specifically, FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic structural diagram of a PCIe extension line 400 in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. The PCIe extension line 400 may be understood as an extension of further definition or function of the PCIe extension line 100 or the PCIe extension line 200 or the PCIe extension line 300. Accordingly, the detailed description above in connection with FIGS. 1-3 applies equally to FIG. 4.

As shown in fig. 4, the PCIe extension line 400 may specifically include a first end (e.g., an a end in fig. 4) and a second end (e.g., a B end in fig. 4). The a-end of the PCIe extension line 400 may include the first PCIe connector 101 and the optoelectronic module 102. The B-side of PCIe extension line 400 may include a second PCIe connector 103 and an optoelectronic module 104.PCIe extension 400 further includes optical fiber 105, optical fiber 105 may be used to connect optoelectronic module 102 at end a with optoelectronic module 104 at end B.

In this embodiment, the photovoltaic module shown in fig. 4 may specifically include a first photovoltaic module (e.g., photovoltaic module 0 at the a end in fig. 4) or a second photovoltaic module (e.g., photovoltaic module 0 at the B end in fig. 4), and 3 third photovoltaic modules (e.g., photovoltaic modules 1-3 at the a end and the B end in fig. 4).

In this implementation scenario, the number of the third photovoltaic modules at the first end and the number of the third photovoltaic modules at the second end are both 3. At this time, the electro-optical conversion unit of the ith third optoelectronic module (such as optoelectronic module 1, 2 or 3 in the a-side of fig. 4) of the first end is connected to the differential signal pair for transmission of the PCIe channel (LANE 1, LANE2 or LANE 3) of the first PCIe connector 101. The photoelectric conversion unit of the ith third photoelectric module (e.g., photoelectric module 1, photoelectric module 2 or photoelectric module 3 in the a end in fig. 4) of the first end is connected to the differential signal pair for receiving of the PCIe channel i (e.g., LANE1, LANE2 or LANE3 in the a end in fig. 4) of the first PCIe connector. The electro-optical conversion unit of the ith third optoelectronic module of the second end (e.g., optoelectronic module 1, 2 or 3 in end B in fig. 4) is connected to the differential signal pair for transmission of PCIe LANE i (e.g., LANE1, LANE2 or LANE3 in end B in fig. 4) of the second PCIe connector. The photoelectric conversion unit of the ith third photoelectric module of the second end (e.g. the photoelectric module 1, the photoelectric module 2 or the photoelectric module 3 in the end B in fig. 4) is connected to the differential signal pair for receiving of the PCIe channel i (e.g. the LANE1, the LANE2 or the LANE3 in the end B in fig. 4) of the second PCIe connector.

In addition, in fig. 3 and 4, the optoelectronic module 102 at the first end of the PCIe extension line may draw POWER from the first PCIe connector at the first end (e.g., the "POWER/other" pin of the PCIe connector in fig. 3 or 4). In some embodiments, the second end further includes a third connector (e.g., "power port" in fig. 3 or 4) from which the photovoltaic module 104 of the second end may draw power. In other embodiments, the second terminal further includes a y-cable (not shown), from which the photovoltaic module 104 of the second terminal may draw power. Therefore, the two ends of the PCIe extension line adopt independent power supply modes, and electric isolation between devices connected with the two ends can be realized, so that the safety of communication is improved.

For example, in some embodiments, a first end of the PCIe extension line in fig. 3 or 4 may be connected to PCIe device a through first PCIe connector 101, and a second end of the PCIe extension line may be connected to PCIe device B through second PCIe connector 103. Particularly, when the PCIe device A is a source device and the PCIe device B is a remote device, the PCIe extension line not only can support efficient and remote PCIe signal transmission between the source device and the remote device, but also can realize electrical isolation between the source device and the remote device, thereby effectively avoiding the problem of large-scale damage caused by the problem of one-end device.

Fig. 5 shows a schematic structural diagram of a PCIe extension line 500 according to still another embodiment of the disclosure. It should be noted that fig. 5 may be understood as a specific implementation of the PCIe extension line in fig. 1 to 4. Accordingly, the foregoing detailed description of PCIe extensions in conjunction with FIGS. 1-4 applies equally to the following. In addition, in order to more clearly illustrate the working principle of PCIe extension line, source device 501 and remote device 502 are also shown in fig. 5.

As shown in fig. 5, PCIe extension 500 may include a first end (e.g., TX end in fig. 5), a second end (e.g., RX end in fig. 5), and optical fiber 105. The first end may include a golden finger 106 (in this embodiment, the golden finger 106 may be understood as a specific implementation of the first PCIe connector 101) and the optoelectronic module 102, and the second end may include a board-to-board connector 107 (in this embodiment, the board-to-board connector 107 may be understood as a specific implementation of the second PCIe connector) and the optoelectronic module 104. Details of the first PCIe connector 101, the optoelectronic module 102, the second PCIe connector 103, and the optoelectronic module 104 may be referred to the related descriptions in fig. 1-4, and are not repeated here.

In addition, in this embodiment, the golden finger 106 may be connected to the source device 501 for transmitting signals and supplying power to TX. The board-to-board connector 107 is connected to a remote device 502 for transmitting signals and the like. The second end may include a connector 108 thereon, and the connector 108 may take the form of a USB/HDMI/or the like socket, which may be used to power the remote device 502 and the optoelectronic module 104.

In this embodiment, the optoelectronic modules at two ends of the PCIe extension line may include a plurality of optoelectronic modules, which are limited by the offset (skew) limitation of the LANE to LANE, and special layout design is required for these optoelectronic modules.

For example, in some embodiments, one optoelectronic module at a first end of a PCIe extension line and one optoelectronic module at a second end are connected by optical fibers to form one optoelectronic module pair, and the lengths of the optical fibers between the different optoelectronic module pairs are the same. In addition, differential signal transmission distances of differential signal pairs of PCIe lanes j of the first PCIe connector to differential signal pairs of PCIe lanes j (Lanej) of the second PCIe connector are the same, where j=0, 1, 2. In addition, when the optical fibers include a plurality of optical fibers, each of the optical fibers for connecting the first end and the second end has an equal optical fiber length.

In other words, when the optoelectronic modules are laid out, the distance from the optoelectronic module at the first end to the first PCIe connector is equal to the sum of the distances from the optoelectronic module at the second end to the second PCIe connector, which are correspondingly connected, between the different optoelectronic module pairs.

Fig. 6 illustrates a specific layout of an optoelectronic module of an embodiment of the present disclosure in both ends of a PCIe extension line.

As shown in fig. 6, the first end (e.g., RX end in fig. 6) may include a first circuit board 601, a first side of the first circuit board 601 being closer to the optical fiber 105 than other sides of the first circuit board 601, a first optoelectronic module (e.g., optoelectronic module No. 0) of the first end being farther from the first side than a third optoelectronic module (e.g., optoelectronic module No. 1, optoelectronic module No. 2) of the first end. The second end includes a second circuit board 602, a second side of the second circuit board 602 is closer to the optical fibers than other sides of the second circuit board 602, and a second optoelectronic module (e.g., optoelectronic module No. 0) of the second end is closer to the first side than a third optoelectronic module (e.g., optoelectronic module No. 1, optoelectronic module No. 2) of the second end.

In addition, the third photoelectric module at the first end is far away from or near the first edge relative to the other third photoelectric modules, and the corresponding third photoelectric module at the second end in the same photoelectric module pair is far away from or near the second edge relative to the other third photoelectric modules. For example, in fig. 6, the No. 1 and No. 2 optoelectronic modules in the first end (TX end) are closer to the first side than the No. 3 optoelectronic modules, that is, the No. 3 optoelectronic modules in the first end (TX end) are farther from the first side than the No. 1 and No. 2 optoelectronic modules.

In other words, within the same pair of optoelectronic modules, if the optoelectronic module at the first end is farther from or closer to the first side than the other optoelectronic modules, the optoelectronic module at the corresponding second end is closer to or farther from the second side than the other optoelectronic modules. For example, the number 0 optoelectronic module and the number 3 optoelectronic module in the TX end of fig. 6 are closer to the golden finger connection than the number 1 optoelectronic module and the number 2 optoelectronic module, which means that the trace (trace) of the LANE0 and the LANE3 on the first circuit board 601 is smaller than the trace of the LANE1 and the LANE 2. At the RX end, the layout of the photovoltaic module is opposite to that of the TX end. Specifically, the LANEs of Lane1 and Lane2 in the RX end on the second circuit board 602 are smaller than Lane0 and Lane3. The RX and TX ends are thus complementary such that the deviation between the LANEs is controlled within a certain range (e.g. 1 CM) and such an arrangement also allows the length differences caused by the optical fibers to be compensated for and thus become negligible.

Therefore, the scheme of the embodiment can transmit PCIe signals common in computer equipment in an optical signal mode. In addition, the layout design shown in fig. 6 is adopted, so that signal transmission with different PCIe rates and different channel numbers can be supported. In a specific application, the TX end of the PCIe extension line may be docked with the m.2 slot of the computer motherboard using a connection manner such as an m.2 gold finger. The on-board photoelectric module can convert PCIe signals into optical signals for transmission. In addition, the TX side is powered by a power source (e.g., 3.3V power source) provided on the m.2 slot of the motherboard.

In addition, in FIG. 6, the optoelectronic modules numbered 0, 1, 2, 3 have their corresponding numbers corresponding to the PCIe LANEs (LANE 0-LANE 3) that it is responsible for transmitting. The No. 0 optoelectronic module is responsible for transmitting PCIe clock signals in addition to differential signals of PCIe LANEs (LANE 0).

In addition, the number of data links that can be supported by the PCIe extension line of the present embodiment is X1, X2 (as shown in fig. 3), X4 (as shown in fig. 4), X8, X16, and the like, and the communication rate is multiplied by an integer power of 2 from low to high. In some embodiments, if the No. 2 or No. 3 optoelectronic module fails accidentally, the system may be reduced to X2 link operation without complete failure. If the No. 1 photoelectric module fails, the X1 photoelectric module operates on the X1 link. Only the No. 0 photoelectric module fails to cause the overall failure of the system.

FIG. 7 illustrates a structural exploded view of the TX end of a PCIe extension line in an embodiment of the present disclosure. In fig. 7, a circuit board (PCB) at the TX end of the PCIe extension line is provided with a photovoltaic module, a gold finger 106 (other connection methods are also possible), a mounting hole (e.g., a fixing half hole 109 in fig. 7 may be omitted), and a power chip 110 (which is used for voltage conversion). In addition, in some embodiments, GND is increased from the circular hole of the TX end far from the optoelectronic module end, so as to raise the ground point of the TX end.

Fig. 8 shows a structural exploded view of the RX end in a PCIe extension line of an embodiment of the disclosure. In fig. 8, an optical-electrical module, a board-to-board connector 107, a fixing nut 111, a nut soldering hole 112, a connector 108, a fixing hole 113, a power chip (which is used for voltage conversion), and the like are provided on the RX-side PCB. The fixing nuts 111 are provided in a plurality of and spaced apart manner for mounting fixing screws for abutting the distal end device between the board-to-board connector 107 and the fixing nuts 111. A plurality of fixation nuts 111 are spaced apart for accommodating different sizes of distal devices. The fixing nut 111 is connected with the GND of the PCB, which can increase the ground point of the remote device and improve the signal stability.

In particular, in fig. 7 and 8, the optoelectronic module may specifically include an optoelectronic IC 1021 and an optical component. Among other things, optoelectronic IC 1021 may include an IC die 1021A, an optical transmitter (VCSEL) +an optical receiver (PD) 1021B. In this embodiment, the IC die 1021A can be understood as a driver as a drive of the optoelectronic module. A VCSEL may be understood as a specific implementation of an electro-optical conversion unit and a PD may be understood as a specific implementation of an electro-optical conversion unit. The optical assembly may include a lens optical assembly 1022 and/or a jumper 1023. In this embodiment, the optoelectronic module assembly, the optical fiber fixing and the jumper assembly are preferably assembled separately and independently, so as to improve the production efficiency

In some embodiments, the optoelectronic IC 1021 in fig. 7 and 8 may include a plurality, where the optoelectronic IC 1021 numbered 0 in the TX side may include in particular 2 VCSELs and 1 PD, and the other numbered optoelectronic ICs 1021 may include 1 VCSEL and 1 PD, each VCSEL and PD being connected to a power source that is powered by the power source. The photo IC 1021 numbered 0 in the Rx end specifically includes 2 PDs and 1 VCSEL. Wherein, the VCSEL at the TX end is connected with the PD at the RX end through an optical fiber, and the VCSEL at the RX end is connected with the PD at the TX end through an optical fiber.

Further, in some embodiments, the optoelectronic IC 2021 may be implemented in a modular design. Specifically, the Lens, IC die, and VCSEL, and PD, etc. may be attached to one side of the substrate by glue and bonding, and electrical contacts (including solder joints or board-to-board connectors, etc. for connection to the PCB) are provided on the bottom (i.e., the other side) of the substrate. Thus, the modularized optoelectronic IC 2021 is simply soldered (or mounted) as a conventional device at the time of mounting. The design greatly reduces the complexity of the whole manufacturing process, and when a certain photoelectric module fails, the photoelectric module can be quickly maintained in a mode of replacing the photoelectric module, and the whole plate is not required to be replaced. In addition, when the data path is required to be added, the expansion of the data path can be realized on the basis of not affecting the original structure, and the application range and convenience are increased.

In some embodiments, the first end and the second end of the PCIe extension line are connected only by an optical fiber. Further, the PCIe extension line further includes a metal wire (e.g., copper wire) connecting the first end and the second end, and is used for correspondingly connecting other signals except the differential signal pair of the first PCIe connector of the first end and the second PCIe connector of the second end. For example, in fig. 7 and 8, pads 114 for other PCIe low-speed signals are reserved on pcb boards at TX and RX ends, which increases the manner in which copper wires for PCIe low-speed signals are transmitted. In addition, an IC pull-up resistor 115 is also disposed on the pcb of the TX side.

For the PCIe low-speed signal described above, three processing schemes are proposed in this embodiment. In some cases, PCIe devices follow the host to power up and do not need to support hot plug, so that normal communication can be realized without connecting low-speed signals due to cost and space saving. When the low-speed signal is required to be transmitted, the transmission can be completed through two schemes of direct connection of copper wires and optical transmission. And secondly, copper wires are directly connected to a board connector through welding wires, and TX and RX ends are connected with signals corresponding to each other. Because PCIe low speed signals only involve high and low level changes to indicate operating status, copper wires can also support longer distances. In the optical transmission scheme, a single photoelectric module can be used for transmitting low-speed signals, or a time division multiplexing technology can be used for multiplexing the photoelectric modules of the high-speed channels to transmit the low-speed signals. Because PCIe low-speed signals are sent to a level for status indication before communication is established, the low-speed signals can be multiplexed with any one or more optoelectronic modules before high-speed data communication by using a high-speed channel which is already used at present. The low-speed signal multiplexing high-speed channel transmission mode can transmit the high-low level of a single low-speed signal on a certain high-speed channel in a mode of switching light or a mode of optical pulse and the like. In addition, the four low-speed signals can be encoded, one high-speed channel is multiplexed, the optical pulses represent different code patterns for transmission, and the signals are deserialized at the receiving end to recover four paths of low-speed signals. The flexible choice of the three approaches described above can greatly increase the scope of application of the disclosed approaches.

It can be seen that the scheme of the present disclosure can implement optical signaling of PCIe signals based on PCIe extension lines to support long-range transmission of PCIe signals. In addition, the scheme of the present disclosure adopts fewer circuit elements, and reduces hardware overhead, so that the scheme has great advantages in equipment maintenance, manufacturing cost and power consumption overhead. In addition, each PCIe lane in the PCIe connector in the present disclosure is independent, and certain IC failures (not No. 0) do not result in complete failure of the overall functionality, thereby reducing the failure probability. Furthermore, in the scheme, independent power supply is adopted at two ends of the PCIe extension line, so that electric isolation between a far end and a source end can be realized, and the safety system of a communication system is improved. The modularization of the photoelectric module in the scheme disclosed by the disclosure relates to convenience in maintenance, expansion and the like.

Further, the scheme of the disclosure also provides PCIe equipment with an extension line.

FIG. 9 illustrates a schematic structural diagram of a PCIe device 900 with an extension cord in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 9, PCIe device 900 specifically includes a first end, a second end, and an optical fiber 905. The first end may include a first PCIe connector 901 and an optical module 902, where the first PCIe connector 901 may specifically include a differential signal pair for transmitting and a differential signal pair for receiving, and the optical module 902 of the first end is connected to the differential signal pair for transmitting and the differential signal pair for receiving of the first end.

The aforementioned second end may include an optoelectronic module 904, a differential signal pair for transmission, and differential signal pair 903 and PCIe device 906 for reception. The photovoltaic module 904 of the second terminal is connected to the differential signal pair for transmitting and the differential signal pair 903 for receiving of the second terminal. In addition, an optical fiber 905 is used to connect the first end of the optoelectronic module 902 and the second end of the optoelectronic module 904.

In this embodiment, a set of differential signal pairs for transmitting and differential signal pairs for receiving may be referred to as a PCIe LANE (i.e., an LANE), and the PCIe device 906 in the PCIe device 900 also has a PCIe LANE, so that the optoelectronic module 904 and the PCIe device 906 in the second end of the PCIe device 900 may be directly docked through the PCIe LANE. That is, the optoelectronic module 904, PCIe device 906, etc. in the second end of the PCIe device 900 may be integrated in design (e.g., integrated on the same substrate).

In some embodiments, the differential signal pair for transmitting and the differential signal pair 903 for receiving may be integrated in the PCIe device 906. At this time, the optical module 901 at the first end is configured to convert the differential signal of the differential signal pair sent by the first end into an optical signal, and the optical signal is transmitted to the optical module 904 at the second end by an optical fiber. The second-side optoelectronic module 904 is configured to convert the optical signal into a differential signal for transmission to a differential signal pair in the second-side PCIe device 906 for reception. In addition, the optical-electrical module 902 at the first end may be further configured to convert an optical signal from an optical fiber into a differential signal for transmission to the differential signal pair at the first end for receiving, and the optical-electrical module 904 at the second end is configured to convert the differential signal of the differential signal pair for transmission in the PCIe device 906 at the second end into an optical signal and transmit the optical signal to the optical-electrical module 902 at the first end through the optical fiber.

In this implementation scenario, the first end of the PCIe device 900 may be understood as a first end of the PCIe extension line described in fig. 1 to 8, and the second end of the PCIe device 900 may be understood as a second end of the PCIe extension line described in fig. 1 to 8. That is, the functions and structures of the first PCIe connector 901 and the optoelectronic module 902 in the first end of the PCIe device 900 may be similar to the first PCIe connector 101 and the optoelectronic module 102 in the first end of the PCIe extension line described in fig. 1-8. The function and structure of the optoelectronic module 904 in the second end of the PCIe device 900 may be similar to the optoelectronic module 104 in the second end of the PCIe extension line described in fig. 1-8, and the functions of the differential signal pair for transmitting and the differential signal pair 903 for receiving and the PCIe device 906 in the second end of the PCIe device 900 may be similar to the second PCIe connector 103 in the second end of the PCIe extension line described in fig. 1-8. The structure and function of the optical fiber 905 in the PCIe device 900 is similar to the PCIe extended fiber 105 described in fig. 1-8. Therefore, the specific connection manner and the working principle of each component in the PCIe device 900 may refer to the connection relationship and the specific working principle of each component in the PCIe extension line in fig. 1 to 9, which are not described herein.

FIG. 10 illustrates a schematic structure of a PCIe device 1000 with an extension cord in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 10, PCIe device 1000 may include PCIe extension lines and PCIe means 1006. The PCIe extension line may include the PCIe extension line as described in FIG. 1-8. Specifically, the PCIe extension line may include a first end, a second end and an optical fiber 105, where the first end may include a first PCIe connector 101 and an optoelectronic module 102, and the second end may include a second PCIe connector 103 and an optoelectronic module 104.

In this embodiment, the PCIe device 1006 in the PCIe apparatus 1000 and the optoelectronic module 104 in the second end are indirectly connected. Specifically, the PCIe device 1006 may interface with the optoelectronic module 104 through the second PCIe connector 103, or the like.

FIG. 11 illustrates a schematic structure of a PCIe device 1100 with an extension cord in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be noted that PCIe device 1100 may be understood as a specific implementation of PCIe device 1000. In addition, PCIe device a is also shown in fig. 11 for a clearer explanation of the operating principle of PCIe device 1100.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 11, PCIe device 1100 may include a PCIe extension line and PCIe device B (i.e., a PCIe apparatus). The PCIe extension line may include a PCIe extension line a end (i.e., a first end) and a PCIe extension line B end, where the PCIe extension line a end may include a PCIe connector and a plurality of optoelectronic modules (e.g., optoelectronic modules numbered 0-3 in fig. 11), and the PCIe extension line B end may include a PCIe connector and a plurality of optoelectronic modules (e.g., optoelectronic modules numbered 0-3 in fig. 11).

In this embodiment, the optoelectronic module in the end a of the PCIe extension line and the optoelectronic module in the end B of the PCIe extension line may be abutted through optical fibers. In addition, when there are other signals to be transmitted, except for the differential signal pair, between the PCIe connector in the PCIe extension line a end and the PCIe connector in the PCIe extension line B end, the PCIe connector in the PCIe extension line a end and the PCIe connector in the PCIe extension line B end may be directly connected through a metal wire (e.g., a copper wire or the like).

In this implementation scenario, power at the PCIe extension line B may be provided by PCIe device a, where no additional connector (e.g., USB connector, etc.) may be provided in the PCIe extension line B to provide power. It should be noted that the connector for supplying power may include various types of connectors such as Y-cable, USB, type-c.

In addition, as shown in fig. 11, the PCIe extension line B end may be integrated in the PCIe device B. PCIe device B may specifically include a PCIe module, where PCIe device B interfaces with a PCIe connector in a PCIe extension line B end through the PCIe module, where the PCIe module includes m.2PCIe modules with different sizes. In addition, PCIe device B may further include a graphics card, a solid state disk (PCIe interface form), a wireless network card, a wired network card, an audio card, a video capture card, a PCIe switching m.2 interface, a PCIe switching USB interface, a PCIe switching Tpye-C interface, etc. (only the form of the PCIe connector is changed correspondingly at this time).

Fig. 12 shows a specific working principle of the PCIe extension line related to fig. 1 to 11.

Specifically, fig. 12 shows a signal transmission method 1200 of a PCIe extension line, including:

In step S1201, in response to receiving the differential signal from the differential signal used for transmitting the differential signal, the optoelectronic module at the first end converts the differential signal into an optical signal, and the optical signal is transmitted to the optoelectronic module at the second end by the optical fiber.

In step S1202, in response to receiving the aforementioned optical signal, the optical-electrical module at the second end converts the optical signal into a differential signal pair for transmitting the differential signal to the second end.

From this, can be based on the cooperation between PCIe connector, photoelectric module and the optic fibre in the PCIe extension line, convert PCIe signal into optical signal and transmit to realize the long-range and the high-efficient transmission of PCIe signal.

It should be noted that although several devices or sub-devices of the apparatus are mentioned in the above detailed description, such a division is merely exemplary and not mandatory. Indeed, the features and functions of two or more of the devices described above may be embodied in one device in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Conversely, the features and functions of one device described above may be further divided into multiple devices to be embodied.

While the spirit and principles of the present disclosure have been described with reference to several particular embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed particular embodiments nor does it imply that features in these aspects are not to be combined to benefit from this division, which is done for convenience of description only. The disclosure is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims (10)

1. A PCIe extension line comprising:

The first end comprises a first PCIe connector and an optical-electrical module, wherein the first PCIe connector comprises a differential signal pair for transmitting and a differential signal pair for receiving, and the optical-electrical module of the first end is connected with the differential signal pair for transmitting and the differential signal pair for receiving of the first end;

The second end comprises a second PCIe connector and an optical-electrical module, the second PCIe connector comprises a differential signal pair used for sending and a differential signal pair used for receiving, and the optical-electrical module of the second end is connected with the differential signal pair used for sending and the differential signal pair used for receiving of the second end;

The photoelectric module comprises a photoelectric conversion unit, an electro-optical conversion unit and an optical component, wherein the photoelectric conversion unit is used for converting a received optical signal into a differential signal, the electro-optical conversion unit is used for converting the received differential signal into an optical signal, the photoelectric conversion unit and/or the electro-optical conversion unit are coupled with an optical fiber through the optical component, and

The optical fiber is used for connecting the photoelectric module at the first end and the photoelectric module at the second end.

2. The PCIe extension line according to claim 1 wherein,

The optical-electrical module of the first end is used for converting the differential signal of the differential signal pair used for sending of the first end into an optical signal, and the optical signal is transmitted to the optical-electrical module of the second end through an optical fiber;

The photoelectric module of the second end is used for converting the optical signal into a differential signal and transmitting the differential signal to the differential signal pair of the second end for receiving;

The photoelectric module of the first end is used for converting an optical signal from an optical fiber into a differential signal and transmitting the differential signal to the differential signal pair of the first end for receiving;

The optical-electrical module of the second end is used for converting the differential signal of the differential signal pair used for sending of the second end into an optical signal, and the optical signal is transmitted to the optical-electrical module of the first end through an optical fiber.

3. The PCIe extension line according to claim 2, wherein the first-end optoelectronic module comprises a first optoelectronic module, the second-end optoelectronic module comprises a second optoelectronic module, the optical fibers comprise at least three, the first optoelectronic module comprises two photoelectric conversion units and one photoelectric conversion unit, the second optoelectronic module comprises two photoelectric conversion units and one photoelectric conversion unit, the two photoelectric conversion units of the first optoelectronic module are respectively connected with one of the two photoelectric conversion units of the second optoelectronic module through one optical fiber, and the photoelectric conversion units of the first optoelectronic module are connected with the photoelectric conversion units of the second optoelectronic module through one optical fiber.

4. The PCIe extension line according to claim 2, wherein the first-end optoelectronic module comprises a first optoelectronic module and a third optoelectronic module, the second-end optoelectronic module comprises a second optoelectronic module and a third optoelectronic module, the optical fiber comprises at least five optical fibers, the first optoelectronic module comprises two photoelectric conversion units and one photoelectric conversion unit, the second optoelectronic module comprises two photoelectric conversion units and one photoelectric conversion unit, the third optoelectronic module comprises one photoelectric conversion unit and one photoelectric conversion unit, the two photoelectric conversion units of the first optoelectronic module are respectively connected with one of the two photoelectric conversion units of the second optoelectronic module through one optical fiber, the photoelectric conversion unit of the first optoelectronic module is connected with the photoelectric conversion unit of the second optoelectronic module through one optical fiber, the photoelectric conversion unit of the third optoelectronic module of the first end is connected with the photoelectric conversion unit of the third optoelectronic module of the second end through one optical fiber, and the third photoelectric conversion unit of the first optoelectronic module is connected with the third optical fiber.

5. The PCIe extension line of claim 4 wherein,

The two electro-optical conversion units of the first photoelectric module are respectively connected with a differential signal pair used for sending and a differential signal pair used for transmitting clock signals of a PCIe channel 0 of the first PCIe connector;

the two photoelectric conversion units of the second photoelectric module are respectively connected with a differential signal pair for receiving and a differential signal pair for transmitting clock signals of a PCIe channel 0 of the second PCIe connector.

6. The PCIe extension line of claim 4 wherein,

The number of the third photoelectric modules at the first end and the number of the third photoelectric modules at the second end are n, wherein n=1, 3,7 or 15;

The electro-optical conversion unit of the ith third photoelectric module of the first end is connected with the differential signal pair used for sending of the PCIe channel i of the first PCIe connector;

the electro-optical conversion unit of the ith third photoelectric module of the second end is connected with the differential signal pair used for sending of the PCIe channel i of the second PCIe connector;

Where i=1, 2,..n.

7. The PCIe fabric of claim 6, wherein one of the first end photovoltaic modules and one of the second end photovoltaic modules are connected by optical fibers to form one photovoltaic module pair, and wherein the distance from the first end photovoltaic module to the first PCIe connector is equal to the sum of the distances from the second end photovoltaic module to the second PCIe connector.

8. The PCIe extension line of claim 7 wherein,

The first end includes a first circuit board, a first edge of the first circuit board being more adjacent to the optical fiber than other edges of the first circuit board;

The first photovoltaic module of the first end is further away from the first side than the third photovoltaic module of the first end;

The second end includes a second circuit board, the second side of the second circuit board being closer to the optical fiber than the other sides of the second circuit board;

The second photovoltaic module of the second end is closer to the first side than the third photovoltaic module of the second end;

The third photoelectric modules at the first end are far away from or close to the first edge relative to the other third photoelectric modules, and the corresponding third photoelectric modules at the second end in the same photoelectric module pair are far away from or close to the second edge relative to the other third photoelectric modules.

9. The PCIe extension line according to any one of claims 1-8 wherein,

The first end photovoltaic module obtains power from a first PCIe connector of the first end;

The second end further includes a third connector from which the photovoltaic module of the second end obtains electrical power.

10. A PCIe device with an extension line is characterized by comprising the PCIe extension line and a PCIe device;

the PCIe extension line is a PCIe extension line according to one of claims 1-9;

The PCIe device is connected with a PCIe connector of the second end of the PCIe extension line, and is electronic equipment supporting PCIe protocol.