TOSA/ROSA multisource agreement targets 40-Gbps XLMD2

Five companies from the module and semiconductor world have created a multi-source agreement (MSA) for transmitter optical subassembly (TOSA) and receiver optical subassembly (ROSA) devices targeted at serial 40-Gbps pluggable modules such as the CFP MSA optical transceiver. Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Oki Semiconductor Co. Ltd., Opnext Inc., Renesas Electronics Corp., and Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. say the MSA will define common mechanical dimensions, footprint, pin functions, and performance of the TOSAs and ROSAs in an effort expected to take a year.

The ROSAs will combine PIN photodiodes with transimpedance amplifiers (PIN-TIA) to serve reach requirements beyond 10 km.

The MSA members note that the advent of the CFP MSA heralds a transition from 300-pin modules based on the XLMD MSA to pluggable optical modules. These smaller modules will require more compact transmit and receive assemblies than their 300-pin predecessors.

“The TOSA/ROSA agreement will leverage the 40-Gbps market to achieve compact, low-power-consumption pluggable modules, which will provide advanced 40-Gbps serial solutions to high-capacity network and storage systems,” said an MSA committee spokesperson.

The MSA also expect to define specifications that consider future technologies such as 1310-nm light source devices and directly modulated lasers.

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