ClariPhy 200G coherent DSP chip reaches production
Communications IC supplier ClariPhy has solidified its lead in second-generation merchant DSP devices by announcing that its LightSpeed-II CL20010 coherent system-on-a-chip (SoC) has reached production. The device, which ClariPhy announced at OFC this past March had reached the sampling stage, will support both 100 Gbps via DP-QPSK as well as 200 Gbps using 16-QAM.
It also will support 40G via BPSK.
Two optical transceiver companies, Civcom and Oclaro, have acknowledged use of the CL20010. Civcom is leveraging a version of the device in a series of 100G modules based on the OIF MSA. Oclaro is demonstrating its analog coherent CFP2 at 200G at ECOC this week alongside the ClariPhy device (listen to "Oclaro details 100G transceiver advances" for more details). ClariPhy’s Paul Voois, co-founder and chief strategy officer, says that the company has shipped the SoC to a wide variety of customers, including systems houses for line card designs. He says that the 200G capability can support creation of 400-Gbps dual-subcarrier superchannels as well as 200G links. In fact some of his customers are using the device in 400G line cards and muxponders, Voois reported.
Voois also sees the device as an enabler of multi-rate, multi-modulation format capabilities in a software-defined networking (SDN) environment.
The CL20010 has only one WDM port, so it can't use its 200G capabilities to drive a pair of 100G CFP2 modules, Voois added.
While NEL dominated the supply of merchant coherent DSPs for the first generation of coherent modules based on the OIF MSA, ClariPhy has gotten the drop on its main competitor by being first to reach production with a second-generation device (NEL announced this week that its new NLD0640 has reached the sampling stage) and by supporting 200-Gbps operations. As currently described, NEL’s new device, which it is co-developing with Broadcom, will support 100G only.
For more information on communications ICs and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.
Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher
Stephen Hardy has covered fiber optics for more than 15 years, and communications and technology for more than 30 years. He is responsible for establishing and executing Lightwave's editorial strategy across its digital magazine, website, newsletters, research and other information products. He has won multiple awards for his writing.
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