OFC 2017
Technical conference: 19 - 23 March
Exhibition: 21 - 23 March
The best way to keep current with trends in optical communications and networking is to attend the Optical Fiber Communications (OFC) conference and exposition.
Paper submissions: 11 October 2016
Advance registration: 20 February 2017
Diamond USA
Diamond USA (booth 2710) will highlight its exclusive Power Solution (PS) connectors, which are designed for applications carrying up to 3W optical power over singlemode fibre. Diamond can terminate a wide variety of cable and fibre types using industry standard connectors like E-2000, F-3000, or SC, FC, ST, and MPO. The company also offers its range of PS connectors with different expanded beam technologies to suit the final application.
Also on display from Diamond will be its multi-fibre interconnect assemblies. The DiaFlex contains a Diamond multi-fibre connector for 12 fibres (24 upon request). A special feature of the new DiaFlex fan-out connection is that the fibre whips can be removed and replaced via a connector system in the divider. This provides greater flexibility in the installation of fibre-optic networks.
MACOM Technology Solutions
Discover how MACOM (booth 1736) is increasing bandwidth density in optical networks. Leveraging deep domain experience in optical networking along with a combination of semiconductor technologies, MACOM creates innovative and smart products supporting cloud data centre, client access, metro and long-haul applications. The company’s complete portfolio includes high-performance modulator drivers, transimpedance amplifiers, clock/data recovery circuits, crosspoints, photodiodes, Fabry Perot and distributed feedback (DFB) lasers, silicon photonics, and optical subassemblies (ROSAs and TOSAs) for enterprise and telecom optical systems operating at speeds of 100G, 400G and beyond. The portfolio addresses the high-performance analogue interfaces between electrical and optical domains, and provides solutions to meet the demanding size, power and signal integrity requirements of today’s high-speed networks, which are expanding to meet the continuously growing demand for data capacity.
Product demonstrations at OFC this year include:
- OSA for 100G CWDM4
- PAM-4 L-PIC Transmitter
- 100G PAM-4 53GBaud PHY with driver and TIA
- 64 GBaud quad linear modulator driver
- SFP28 long-reach chipset
Demonstrations will be on display by appointment only in MACOM’s booth.
Senko
Senko (booths 2584, 2811) will show its new range of Micro LC connectors. The simple bayonet mechanism on the Micro LC connector eliminates the need for finger access to the latch mechanism, allowing connectors to be mounted much closer together than before. Attendees will have the opportunity to see how Senko’s unique design of Micro LC connector is ideal for behind-the-wall applications, plug-and-play modules, and on-board optics, where space saving is important. Using a conventional LC ferrule with spring-loaded design, the Micro LC connector also mates with standard LC connectors.
Coriant
Coriant (booth 1715) will discuss how now, more than ever, innovation at the transport layer is critical to transformation as the ongoing explosion of video and the growing dominance of hyperscale cloud traffic intensify the opex and capex challenges faced by network operators around the world. Coriant is excited to be taking part in OFC 2017, where it will showcase the latest innovations in its portfolio and how they are redefining open, multi-layer transport from the network edge to the optical core. Highlights include the new Coriant Groove Open Line System (OLS). This latest product complements the company’s portfolio of packet-optical networking and data centre interconnect (DCI) platforms, enabling network operators to cost-efficiently scale network capacity, reduce operational complexity, and create the resilient foundation for a new generation of mobile, video, and cloud services.
Apex Technologies
APEX Technologies (booth 3146), a manufacturer of ultra-high resolution optical spectrum analysers (OSA), will display updated versions of its star products: including a compact high-resolution OSA, top-performance ultra-high resolution OSA and optical complex spectrum analyser (OCSA). By using robust and smart internal and external mechanics, the new analysers are extremely reliable, the company claims. Furthermore, with faster new electronic and new optical designs, the OSAs can provide not only high resolution, but also fast sweep, to satisfy customers’ requirements in C-, L- and O-band applications. The detailed spectrum and temporal information offered by APEX Technologies’ products opens the door to characterisation of a wide variety of photonic devices, like lasers, combs, advanced modulation formats, sensors and other components.
Bristol Instruments
The 438 Series Multi-Wavelength Meter from Bristol Instruments (booth 3412) combines Michelson interferometer-based technology with fast Fourier transform analysis in order to measure the wavelength, power, and optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) of as many as 1000 discrete optical signals. With features such as high accuracy and a measurement rate of 10Hz, the model 438 provides the most precise, reliable, and efficient wavelength testing to satisfy the needs of any manufacturing engineer, the company claims. It is the fastest system available for WDM testing applications, enabling reduced testing times and greater production efficiency. The model 438 operates from 1000nm to 1680nm, to cover current testing requirements over the C and L optical bands, and address future testing requirements over the T and O optical bands. The 438 system measures wavelength to an accuracy as high as ±0.3pm, power to ±0.5dB, and OSNR to better than 40dB.
Albis Optoelectronics
Albis Optoelectronics (booth 3506) will present its extended portfolio of mounted photodiodes. In close cooperation with customers, Albis has developed complex assembly solutions that meet stringent requirements with regards to alignment precision, bandwidth and layout complexity. The Albis avalanche and pin photodiode portfolio can now be supplied as flip-chip bonded or wire-bonded devices on customised 2D or 3D (wrap-around) carriers. For example, PS20X4 consists of an array of four, flip-chip soldered 28Gb/s lensed photodiodes that can be used as the core building block inside a 100G receiver optical sub-assembly (ROSA) module. To support the surge in demand for its high-end products the company will be doubling its work force and production infrastructure during 2017.
ADVA Optical Networking
ADVA Optical Networking (booth 1709) will showcase its FSP Network Hypervisor – a key component in the drive to virtualise optical networks. The software has been specifically developed to help service providers automate service discovery and service activation, especially when paired with the ADVA FSP 3000 DCI platform. It creates an abstracted view of the underlying physical infrastructure, helping to decouple the complexities of managing photonic transmission systems while enabling greater network automation and optimisation. It has been engineered to work with all open source and commercial SDN controllers.
Microlap Technologies
Microlap Technologies (booth 3124) is a custom manufacturer of high-precision components made from synthetic ruby and sapphire, ceramics, silicon nitride, carbide and other hard materials. Microlap offers the full line of industry standard size ferrules and sleeves for fibre-optic connectors, but we can also offer any custom inner diameter sizes ranging from 80µm to more than 1mm in size. Additionally, the company can provide custom features such as grooves, notches, vent holes, counterbores and nearly any custom size inner or outer diameter, or length.
KrellTech
KrellTech (booth 3441) will display its new NOVA optical polishing system. Building on the performance and features of its range of existing polishers, NOVA is a highly configurable and cost-effective system that supports a variety of polishing applications, from connectors to waveguides, and bare fibres to custom components. NOVA is scalable from R&D projects to mass production, and withstands the rigours of high-reliability field installation.
Wireless tablet control provides the programming freedom required for research, as well as simplified step-by-step operation for manufacturing technicians. Workholder fixtures are easily interchangeable for each task, and optional videoscopes are available for real-time process monitoring and in-line surface inspection. Whether developing new optical devices, improving component performance or manufacturing Telcordia compliant cable assemblies, NOVA is the ideal polishing system, the company claims.
Oclaro
Just as Oclaro (booth 2747) drove the emergence of 100G networks, it is now also delivering a new generation of components and modules that will enable 400G networks and beyond. During OFC 2017, Oclaro will be showcasing a powerful line-up of 100G, 200G, and 400G products that exploit the company’s indium phosphide technology and photonic integration expertise. These products deliver the increased faceplate density, higher bandwidth, lower power consumption and longer reach that telecom service providers and data centre operators need to transition to higher speed networks capable of meeting the industry’s insatiable demand for more speed and bandwidth.
Nokia
Nokia (booth 2525) will discuss innovations under the theme ‘Powering Cloud Connectivity’ at OFC 2017. Featuring luminaries from Nokia Bell Labs and the optical industry, Nokia will once again host the popular Shannon Theater, located in the Nokia booth. Running for the duration of the exhibition, the Shannon Theater will feature visionary topics such as capacity crunch and software-defined networking (SDN) in FlexGrid networks, along with customer appearances and case studies. Nokia and Bell Labs speakers will also be prominently featured in the OFC technical conference, including conference co-chair and Bell Labs’ optical director, Dr Peter Winzer.
Nokia will demonstrate new products in its booth including its recently announced ‘Anyhaul’ mobile transport portfolio enabling the move to 5G, including the new 1830 PSS integrated packet transport capabilities, along with data centre interconnection (DCI) applications with the 1830 Photonic Service Interconnect – 2T (PSI-2T).
Fiber Optic Center
Experts from Fiber Optic Center (booth 3309) will be performing demonstrations at OFC 2017 at the ‘FOC Cleaving Station’, with three key pieces of equipment: Phenix Fibersect mechanical connector cleaver, Cometx laser cleaving system, and OptiSaber MT laser cleaver. Appointments can be made via Kathleen Skelton, and walk-ups are welcomed to see both demos and booth presentations on ‘Termination Process, Connectors and Cleaving’. Processes to be presented will include end face quality reworks, core cracks, chip out elimination, increasing production yield on multi-fibre (MTP/MPO) applications, portability on the production floor, minimising polishing, eliminating manual cleaving and denubbing steps.
Prysmian Group
At this year’s OFC exhibition energy and telecom cable specialist Prysmian Group (booth 2647) will be showcasing its WideCap-OM5 multimode fibre for high-speed data communications and BendBrightXS 200µm optical fibre for high-density optical cables.
In addition, during the technical conference, Prysmian researchers will discuss how next-generation multimode fibres can be optimised to support WDM operations in data communications and space-division multiplexing operations in telecommunications to allow migration to higher bit rates and achieve higher capacity.
Huber+Suhner Polatis
Huber+Suhner company Polatis (booth 2239) is a supplier of high-performance dynamic all-optical circuit switches for software-defined network provisioning, protection, monitoring, reconfiguration and test. Its reliable, field-proven DirectLight optical switch technology powers more than 2000 systems in-service worldwide and forms the industry’s broadest range of transparent, bidirectional, dark fibre optical circuit switches from 4x4 to 384x384 ports.
At OFC 2017, Huber+Suhner will be releasing the new Polatis Series 6000 Ultra range of fully non-blocking all-optical switches, offering ultra-low optical loss of less than 1.0dB (0.5dB typical) from 4x4 to 32x32 ports in a compact 1RU size. Also highlighted will be integrated solutions that combine Polatis’ optical switch modules with Huber+Suhner’s fibre management systems, offering a new level of dynamic fibre connectivity for the data centre and remote office.
In addition, the booth will feature optically-switched RF over fibre connectivity for remote antennas, together with all-optical switching for C-RAN monitoring, enabling centralised test equipment that can be scaled to manage thousands of fibre links.
Infinera
At OFC 2017, Infinera (booth 3259) will demonstrate its latest packet-optical products for long-haul, metro and cloud networks, including those based on the company’s Infinite Capacity Engine, the first multi-terabit optoelectronic subsystem, delivering the next step function in transport networking performance.
In addition, Infinera has an array of confirmed speakers at the event, including Parthi Kandappan, Infinera SVP, system architecture, who will present on OSA's Executive Forum Program ‘Panel 2: Trade-offs in Data Center Interconnect (DCI)’ at 11:15am on March 20, 2017. In addition, Fred Kish, Infinera SVP, optical integrated components group, will speak on MarketWatch ‘Panel V: Photonic Integration Business Case – Reality Check’ at 10:30am on Thursday, March 23, 2017.
Fischer Connectors
Fischer Connectors (booth 3807) will highlight its rugged fibre-optic interconnects, a pre-cabled product designed for maximum link performance. The FiberOptic Series connectors are easy use, clean and maintain even in harsh environments, making them ideal for many demanding applications like energy, sensing, medical devices, defence and security, broadcast, telecom and transportation.
Fischer’s FiberOptic Series features high-end butt joint technology, and comes in singlemode and multimode variants with UPC or APC polishing. Rated to IP68 (mated) and IP67 (unmated), they offer unmatched protection against water, with a removable mono-block mate adapter. Body styles include a full fibre-optic version with one, two or four optical channels, and hybrid option with two fibre channels and two electrical contacts.
NeoPhotonics
NeoPhotonics (booth 3017) will be showing a selection of products that have recently begun sampling to customers. First up are its 400G CFP8 transceiver modules, designed for data centre interconnect and client-side telecom applications over distances of up to 10km. As part of this development, NeoPhotonics recently announced an electroabsorption modulated laser (EML) with the driver integrated with the EML at the chip-on-carrier level. The low-power-consumption 28Gbaud EML with integrated driver is suitable for client side 4x25 NRZ 100G and 4x50 PAM4 200G applications, as well as 8x50 PAM4 400G.
NeoPhotonics will also be showing a coherent CFP-DCO module as part of its ClearLight coherent module product line. The ClearLight DCO Platform uses the latest advances in 16nm digital signal processors, and is suitable for single-wavelength 100G and 200G transmission over data centre interconnect and long-haul distances.
OFS
OFS (booth 2925) will showcase its award-winning TeraWave ultra low loss (ULL) singlemode optical fibre during OFC 2017. Designed for terrestrial long-haul systems, OFS says this fibre combines the best aspects of highly-engineered submarine fibres with cabling performance that is similar to conventional singlemode terrestrial fibre. Specifically, TeraWave ULL fibre is optimised for long haul transmission in the C- and L-bands (1530–1625nm) at 100Gb/s, 400Gb/s and beyond. This fibre’s core features an effective area that is 50 per cent greater than G.652.D singlemode fibre to help reduce nonlinear effects. As a result, TeraWave ULL fibre allows designers to increase distances between amplification and regeneration sites, helping to lower the overall cost of deploying coherent systems – for today and in the future.
