ECI uses Microsemi DIGI-G4 OTN processor for Apollo packet-optical transport platform

Microsemi Corp. (NASDAQ: MSCC) has announced a design win for its DIGI-G4 Optical Transport Network (OTN) processor chip with ECI. The systems house will use Microsemi's OTN processor within its Apollo packet-optical transport platforms.

ECI is a longstanding customer for Microsemi's DIGI OTN processors, which the chip vendor acquired when it bought PMC-Sierra (see "Microsemi wins competition for PMC-Sierra"). Use of the OTN processor family will simplify the lives of ECI designers, save costs, and speed time to market by enabling ECI engineers to leverage a single software development across multiple end-market hardware configurations, Microsemi asserts. This flexibility includes support of secure packet transmission from 10 to 400 Gbps for applications in core, metro, and data center interconnect networks.

Microsemi suggests the OTN processors could enable such applications as:

• Dense 100G and 400G capacity client and line-side cards for the Apollo
• Multi-terabit OTN and packet/MPLS switching
• Cost-optimized, fabric-less switching for the metro
• Dense 100G transponders and muxponders
• Wavelength and sub-wavelength level encryption support.

"ECI has chosen Microsemi as our primary OTN processor provider because it has allowed us to standardize a single hardware and software solution for the Apollo platform," said Jimmy Mizrahi, executive vice president of portfolio business at ECI. "Our collaboration with Microsemi enables us to quickly introduce multiple system architectures and a wide portfolio of line cards to market, without the need to significantly increase our R&D investment, while delivering an uncompromised set of features for all the markets we serve."

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