IP Light unveils optical transport network processor for mobile fronthaul

IP Light Inc. says its new Apodis II-C family of Optical Transport Network (OTN) processors significantly increases bandwidth capacity and utilization of fiber-optic lines in mobile fronthaul applications, enabling new mobile cloud radio access network (C-RAN) deployments.

The patent-pending Apodis II-C line delivers on the promise of superfast broadband mobile, maximizing bandwidth to enable multiple online services simultaneously, from high-speed video to 3D gaming, IP Light asserts.

The new chip addresses LTE-Advanced requirements for the effective transport of Common Public Radio Interfaces (CPRI) and Ethernet signals over mobile fronthaul networks. Carriers can use network equipment with integrated Apodis II-C OTN processors to maximize the utilization of their existing or new fiber-optic networks, deploying broadband wireless services over C-RAN networks quickly and cost-effectively and supporting a wide range of services.

According to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), more than 7 billion mobile devices were already in use at the beginning of 2013. Carriers are going to need to substantially increase their infrastructure investments to keep up with consumers’ demands for high-speed mobile broadband. Next-generation mobile fronthaul networks deploying Apodis II-C processors will help lower the final bill, IP Light asserts.

The company says its Apodis II-C processors support CPRI and Ethernet over OTN transport, meeting stringent requirements for low latency, low jitter, and effective multiplexing with and without forward error correction (FEC). The ICs thus enable high-quality, cost-effective transport over optical networks while increasing density and slashing power consumption.

Apodis II-C processors deliver capacities of 10 Gbps and 20 Gbps, addressing applications with varying traffic loads including remote radio head and baseband unit pool sites.

Apodis II-C processors are microprocessor controlled, and also offer an option for a hardware mode, which does not require external control.

In addition, IP Light’s Apodis Manager software package enables customers to integrate Apodis devices with minimal design effort, according to the company. The software is operating-system agnostic and includes debug tools.

The Apodis EVB is an evaluation board and reference design that currently supports CPRI and Ethernet signals over OTN, for both mobile fronthaul test beds and OEM R&D efforts.

IP Light intends to offer FPGA-based demonstration boards supporting OTU-2c lines in March.

“Carriers need to adapt, and, thanks to the cutting-edge technology and innovative concepts embedded within our Apodis II-C processors we allow them to do it affordably,” said Ruben Markus, CEO of IP Light. “Our processors meet their market challenges with a lower overall infrastructure investment.”

IP Light’s Apodis II-C processors will on display at the upcoming Mobile World Congress, February 24-27 in Barcelona, in the Israel Export Institute booth, Hall 5, Stand 5D81.

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