Components and Subsystems

VI Systems has launched its first-generation 56Gb/s laser driver and amplifier chips designed for non-return-to-zero (NRZ) modulation in latency-critical optical communication links. The chips are designed to comply with the recently completed common electrical interface CEI-56G specification from the Optical Internet Working Forum (OIF), which specifies 56Gb/s NRZ signalling for very-short and ultra-short reach optical interconnects.

The 100G QSFP28 transceiver remains a popular choice for intra-rack and data centre use and therefore is an important part of Smartoptics’ portfolio of compatible optical transceivers. Now Smartoptics has added four new models to its QSFP28 product range.

The SO-QSFP28-LR4-10L and SO-QSFP28-LR4-2L are direct-modulated laser (DML) diodes for 10km and 2km applications. The DML provides a cost-effective alternative to standard LR modules based on electroabsorption modulated lasers (EML), which are better suited to Ethernet-only traffic.

Qorvo has introduced five new low-power four-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM4) integrated circuits (ICs) aimed at delivering higher performance in data centre and client-side applications. The family of transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs) and drivers gives customers the broadest range of PAM4 options as their migrate their optical networks to 100G to 400G data rates.

At OFC 2017, semiconductor developer MaxLinear introduced the MxL9162, a 64Gbaud linear transimpedance amplifier (TIA) designed for next-generation 400G/600G coherent optical transcievers.

Oclaro has announced sampling of a 400G CFP8 optical transceiver to support the ultra-high bandwidth requirements of core routers and optical transport applications. Oclaro held a live demo of the CFP8 at its booth #2747 at OFC 2017.

Delivering four times more bandwidth than existing 100G CFP-family devices in a small and compact footprint, the device operates with eight lasers using 50Gb/s per channel and PAM4.

When optics moves onto the line card, systems developers need to find ways to manage electromagnetic interference (EMI) through the front panel. That’s where Molex’s high-density optical EMI shielding adapters come in. The company displayed its new line of multi-port EMI adapters with internal laser protection shutters on its booth, 3218, at OFC 2017, on 21–23 March in Los Angeles.

Lumentum has added a small form factor TrueFlex Nano 1x9 wavelength-selective switch (WSS) to its portfolio for reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) applications.

Thinner than its predecessor, the new TrueFlex Nano 1x9 WSS is small enough to fit into a single-slot line card in optical networking systems. This next-generation device is 42 per cent smaller than conventional products and requires less operating power, the company claims.

Emcore has introduced the 1618A and 1718A, 6.5GHz ultra-linear distributed feedback (DFB) laser modules operating at 1310nm and 1550nm, respectively. These new wide-bandwidth laser modules are designed and optimised for analogue wireless and distributed antenna systems (DAS) applications.

Components and subsystems developer NeoPhotonics will demonstrate its pluggable coherent CFP2-ACO module designed for single-wavelength transmission at 400G and beyond at OFC 2017 in Los Angeles, on 21–23 March.

II‐VI has announced an uncooled 980nm pump laser module in a compact 3-pin micro-format package designed to meet the stringent reliability and power-efficiency requirements of ultra-compact amplification in current and next-generation high-bit-rate optical transceivers.