Components and Subsystems

Pentair with its Schroff brand and Radisys have collaborated on an open source rack-level hardware system specifically designed to meet the next-generation requirements of the telecom industry. The resulting open source hardware design leverages Open Compute Project (OCP) principles, with optimisations for telco central offices and service provider-oriented data centres. Their joint design innovations have been accepted by the OCP as the CG-OpenRack-19 specification.

Components and module developer NeoPhotonics has announced a low power consumption 28GBaud externally modulated laser (EML) with an integrated driver IC, which is designed for data centre and client-side optical transceivers at data rates of 100G, 200G and 400G.

With a power consumption of under 3.5W, the CMOS-drivable EML is the first EML to meet the strict power consumption requirement for QSFP28 modules, the company claims.

US Conec, a developer of high-density optical interconnects, has released its next-generation PRIZM LightTurn mechanical-optical interface (MOI) 25+ Gbps, which has been optimised for embedded module applications based on 25Gb/s vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs).

The PRISM LightTurn MOI contains an array of collimating lenses to couple light between the board-mounted active components and a detachable fibre-optic connector, such as US Conec’s PRIZM LightTurn connector, which uses expanded-beam lensed ferrule technology.

VI Systems has introduced the R50-1300 receiver optical subassembly (ROSA), which it claims is the first to provide data rates of up to 50Gb/s for multimode-fibre-coupled receiver modules. The target applications are short-reach optical transceivers and systems inside data centres.

Optical components and subsystems developer NeoPhotonics has initiated sampling of its coherent CFP-DCO module as the latest member of its ClearLight family of pluggable coherent modules.

Using the latest advances in 16nm digital signal processor (DSP) chips, the ClearLight digital coherent optics (DCO) platform integrates all the necessary elements to form a complete coherent transceiver that can be plugged into any client port to extend the range and capacity of optical transmission.

Optical components developer VI Systems has launched an ultra-high speed fibre-coupled photodetector module designed for test set-ups when developing advanced short-reach optical interconnects.

The D50-1300M module will support data rates of up to 50Gb in non-return-to-zero (NRZ) modulation or pulsed amplitude modulation (PAM) formats. The photodetector operates over an input wavelength range from 840nm to 1550nm, making it compatible with a variety of different protocols and technologies.

Arrayed Fiberoptics has developed what it claims is the world's first non-contact multi-fibre push-on (NC-MPO) optical fibre connector. The patent-pending design could replace the traditional MPO connector in data centre cabling systems, joining ribbon fibres containing 4–24 fibres.

Semiconductor IC developer GigPeak, formerly GigOptix, is now sampling the GX32222, a 32Gb/s dual-channel linear trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) for use in high-speed optical receiver modules operating at 100Gb/s, 200Gb/s and beyond.

Ovum projects that 100G port shipments will continue growing with accelerated compound annual growth rate of 25–30 per cent over the next four years till 2020, while being augmented with next generations of higher-speed coherent single wavelength ports, for both line cards and pluggable modules.

Semiconductor company Broadcom has unveiled a new generation of gearbox PHY IC devices, the BCM82332, BCM82793 and BCM82864, designed for modern data centre and enterprise networking applications.

With the general availability of switch chips that have flexible, multi-speed port interfaces supporting 10G, 40G, 100G and emerging Ethernet speeds, new gearbox PHY solutions are needed to ensure robust signal integrity and optimise port adaption.

MaxLinear, a provider of radio frequency and mixed-signal integrated circuits for communications applications, has unveiled the MxL9207, a quad-channel lithium niobate (LiNbO₃) Mach-Zehnder (MZ) modulator driver IC for next-generation 100Gb/s optical networks.

The MxL9207 supports complex modulation schemes for coherent transmission in ultra-long-haul networks, which have the most challenging system requirements. With a 19mm x 13mm SMT package, the device is suitable for both new and legacy 100Gb/s coherent system designs.