Optical-feedback transimpedance receiver for high sensitivity and wide dynamic range at low bit rates

In the rush for very high-bit-rate transmission systems, little recent attention has been paid to receiver designs for low bit rates. Low-speed receivers in the range of a few Mb/s pose a unique challenge in preamplifier design for simultaneous achievement of high sensitivity and wide dynamic range. We describe a new type of transimpedance preamplifier employing optically coupled feedback which eliminates the trade-offs associated with using a feedback resistor.