Ciena Corporation
Thermal control system with sliding heatsink resistance control for pluggable optics in a hardened optical platform

Abstract:

A thermal control system for pluggable optics in an optical platform. The thermal control system includes a heatsink and an actuator. The heatsink is configured to dissipate heat from a pluggable optical module in the optical platform. The heatsink includes a mating surface configured to make thermal contact with a module surface of the pluggable optical module inserted into the optical platform. The actuator is configured to manipulate the mating surface to change a contact area between the mating surface and the module surface such that the contact area between the mating surface and the module surface is larger for a temperature above a predetermined temperature than for a temperature below a predetermined temperature.