Book excerpt: This book is intended to provide a step-by-step guide to all design aspects and tradeoffs from theory to application for fiber-optics transceiver electronics. Presenting a compendium of information in a structured way, this book enables the engineer to develop a methodical design approach, a deep understanding of specifications parameters and the reasons behind them, as well as their effects and consequences on system performance, which are essential for proper component design. Further, a fundamental understanding of RF, digital circuit design, and linear and nonlinear phenomena is important in order to achieve the desired performance levels. Becoming familiar with solid-state devices and passives used to build optical receivers and transmitters is also important so one can effectively overcome design limitations.