Bidirectional module for multichannel use

The invention relates to a transmission and reception module for bidirectional optical message and signal transmission, in which a fiber connection for an optical fiber and lens coupling optics are disposed in a common housing. Such modules include a first optical unit, which contains a transmitter, is disposed on the longitudinal axis of the housing defined by the fiber axis. Such modules include at least one beam splitter disposed at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis, and on the longitudinal axis, in the interior of the housing. By means of the beam splitter, it is possible to deflect beams of light radiation from and to at least one corresponding further optical unit. These optical units disposed to the side of the longitudinal axis. For many years, fiber-optic message transmission used transmission of at least one channel in each case, bidirectionally, using the full-duplex or half-duplex method. By way of example, European Patent Application 0 463 214 A1 discloses a transmission and reception module, which is known as a BIDI module, for bidirectional optical message and signal transmission. In this module, the two active components (the light transmitter and the light receiver) are installed as autonomous components encapsulated such that they are hermetically sealed in a common module housing. In a hollow interior of the common module housing, a beam splitter and lens coupling optics are disposed. The module also includes a fiber connection for a common optical fiber. The transmitter injects an optical signal into the attached glass fiber, while another optical signal can be received from the same fiber simultaneously or at a different time. The beam splitter separates the two signals. The beam splitter also may contain a WDM (wavelength division multiplexing) filter, in which one specific wavelength can be reflected, and another can be passed. A compact bidirectional module for multichannel use includes at least one transmitter and at least one receiver combined in a transmission/reception unit installed in a common housing, and at least one further such transmission/reception unit or at least one additional transmission unit or one additional reception unit provided in the common housing. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the transmission/reception unit is constructed in accordance with a bidirectional transceiver module which is described in German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 93 120 733 A1 and is als