Inphi is now sampling the new Canopus coherent digital signal processor (DSP), which it calls the industry’s first merchant 7nm coherent DSP.
The multi-rate 100/200/300/400G 7nm Coherent DSP will be available for sample to qualified customers as part of the company’s overarching strategy to drive a comprehensive ecosystem of QSFP-DD, OSFP and CFP2-DCO modules from multiple sources to ensure interoperability and multi-vendor supply variability for the industry.
The DSP will provide low-power and high-density QSFP-DD, OSFP and CFP2-DCO coherent pluggable modules. It makes high-density internet protocol (IP) over dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) on switch and router platforms a reality, and is designed to deliver the performance levels required for metro and long-haul networks. Switches and routers will be able to offer the same port density of coherent interfaces as client ports with capacities of up to 14.4 Tb/s per rack unit, representing a 3x increase over current coherent port densities.
Canopus’ DSP architecture implements probabilistic shaping, a technique that maximises data-rate at longer fibre distances and delivers lower deployment cost per bit. Its low power implementation in 7nm silicon geometry, says Inphi, delivers more than 75 per cent reduction in DSP power dissipation and size compared to the current generation of coherent DSPs. Additionally, Canopus’ design gives operators the flexibility to select either ZR or high-performance modes, for a wide range of network applications.
The new processor builds on the deployed base of Inphi’s M200 coherent DSP, which enables interoperability across generations of coherent solutions for 100G and 200G deployments to drive a seamless transition to 400G. It supports 400GZR, which is broadly supported by cloud operators, service providers and OEMs and is being standardised in OIF facilitating multi-vendor interoperability up to 120km span. Canopus extends performance beyond ZR to ZR+ extending 400G reach and spans lower data rates to thousands of kilometres on metro and long-haul networks.
Nariman Yousefi, SVP, coherent DSP at Inphi commented: ‘The Canopus coherent DSP is ushering a new industry-wide ecosystem, pluggability, and era of interoperability. Canopus increases density while slashing both power dissipation and the cost per bit to unprecedented levels. The sampling of the Canopus DSP transforms coherent pluggable optics to high-performance 100/200/300/400G, a true revolutionary step and the inflection point in the industry.’
In line with the strategy behind the launch, Inphi is facilitating an ecosystem of partners – including Molex Optoelectronics and NeoPhotonics – offering QSFP-DD, OSFP and CFP2-DCO modules, fuelled with coherent advancements enabled by Canopus. It is thought that this will make Canopus a fully interoperable ecosystem for data centre interconnect, as well as metro and long-haul applications.
Inphi has had a busy last quarter, as well as the development of Canopus, the company announced earlier this month that it would acquire fabless semiconductor firm, eSilicon for $216 million.