Precision OT P4AR QSFP28 optical transceiver pushes 100G PAM4 40 km without DCMs

Precision OT has unveiled the PAM4 Access Reach (P4AR) optical transceiver. The optical module, the company’s first to leverage an in-house design, is a bidirectional QSFP28 DWDM switch-pluggable transceiver that can support transmission of PAM4-based 100G wavelengths up to 40 km without the assistance of dispersion compensation modules (DCMs).

The P4AR transceiver gives network operators another alternative when pondering how to accommodate 100G requirements over 40 km, says the company. QSFP28 devices that leverage a direct-detect NRZ format have trouble with 100G DWDM. A coherent approach will accommodate 100G DWDM but suffers from high costs and isn’t currently available in a QSFP28 format.

“We’re really excited to launch our P4AR product line, which was built specifically to meet the evolving needs of our customers,” says Chris Page, CTO at Precision OT. “Compared to existing 100G and DWDM 100G solutions, P4AR is in another league altogether. While there are a few other products in this space, the P4AR, with its 4-Tbps max capacity, 40-km reach without external equipment, QSFP28 form factor, and bidirectional capabilities, is the only product that checks off all of the boxes. Because the QSFP28 form factor is so important to our customers, we wanted to develop a product that would leverage this standard while offering a combined reach and capacity that other offerings cannot match. It’s never been done before.”

Precision OT expects the P4AR optical transceiver to find use in access networks bringing fiber to the edge, data center interconnect, dark fiber applications, and other scenarios in which network operators seek to future-proof their fiber networks. The company expects to offer demonstrations of the optical module during the latter part of the first quarter of 2021.

“Never before have network operators and service providers had so much power in one type of transceiver,” added David Halladay, president and CEO of Precision OT. “Our Advanced Engineering Group has worked incredibly hard to create a product that allows our customers to leverage 40 channels of 100G DWDM to handle up to 4Tbps of traffic simultaneously – all using existing switches, routers and QSFP28 ports. We believe this will be a game changer for the optical networking industry as our customers gear up to meet the demands of 5G, edge/cloud computing and the Internet of Everything.”

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