Date: 05/03/2012

40 Gbps and 100 Gbps CFP optical transceiver modules for GbE short reach networks

EMCORE Corporation has announced the new 40 Gigabits per second (Gbps) and 100 Gbps Form-factor Pluggable (CFP) optical transceiver modules for 40 and 100 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) short reach applications, respectively. This flexible form-factor supports 40GBASE-SR4 and 100GBASE-SR10 optical interfaces with link distances up to 150 meters over multimode optical fiber and facilitates system design options including Ethernet rack-to-rack, ganged serial links, logic-logic data links, board-to-board and shelf-to-shelf configurations.

The SR4 CFP transceiver module is a 4-channel design with four synchronous 10.3125 Gbps electrical input lanes. The SR10 CFP transceiver module is a 10-channel design with ten synchronous 10.3125 Gbps electrical input lanes. In both modules electrical signals are retimed by a multi-lane data clock recovery unit and then converted to optical signals using a multi-lane laser driver and EMCORE Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) 850 nm wavelength Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) array. The optical signals are converted to electrical signals using an EMCORE GaAs PIN photodetector array, along with a multi-lane transimpedance amplifier and are retimed and delivered to the host.

Both the EMCORE SR4 and SR10 CFP transceivers are hot-pluggable and hot-swappable and have control and monitoring functions that are accessed through the microcontroller via a two-wire serial MDIO (Management Data Input/Output) port. The electrical interface consists of a 148-pin edge-connector compliant with the CFP MSA industry standard.

"These new CFP transceiver modules utilize our latest VCSEL and photodetector technology and are designed to power next-generation capabilities that service providers are demanding," commented Jaime Reloj, EMCORE's Vice President of Business Development. "By leveraging our in-house optoelectronic component capability, we can optimize optical performance and tailor solutions to very specific customer needs. EMCORE will continue to advance the technology for high-performance data and telecommunications and demonstrate the same quality, reliability, on-time delivery and competitive pricing our customers have come to expect."

EMCORE Corporation has also begun sampling customers for qualification of the new micro-Integrable Tunable Laser Assembly (ITLA) and expects to be at full production in the fall of 2012.

The micro-ITLA is based on EMCORE's external cavity laser (ECL) ITLA technology which has been the most widely-used tunable laser source for high-speed 40 and 100 gigabit per second coherent transmission systems, thanks to its narrow linewidth, low noise and excellent frequency accuracy. Additional standard features include a grid-agnostic channel plan, off-grid tuning, and in-operation power and frequency adjustment capability.

The EMCORE micro-ITLA integrates our proprietary cooled ECL technology in a miniaturized package that offers all the benefits of the industry-leading EMCORE ITLA in a form-factor that is three times smaller with 25% less power consumption. The micro-ITLA comes with a standard ITLA RS-232 digital user interface for convenient technology independent control of the product. The smaller form-factor and reduced power consumption enables customers to design higher densities and improved performance into their coherent system.

"Leveraging EMCORE's field-proven ClearLightTM ECL technology in an ultra-small form-factor, the micro-ITLA represents a dramatic next step in tunable laser technology," commented Jaime Reloj, EMCORE's Vice President of Business Development. "EMCORE is the industry leader in ITLA's for the coherent market. By leveraging our in-house semiconductor design and manufacturing, we continue to provide our customers with highly-differentiated tunable laser solutions for high-performance telecom applications, as well as pioneering products that are aligned with future network needs."

EMCORE will be at the 2012 Optical Fiber Conference (OFC) at the Los Angeles Convention Center, March 6-8 in the Corporate Village, suites 2555 and 2557.