Kaiam Corp., which leverages hybrid photonic integrated circuit (PIC) technology to create optical components and modules, says it will demonstrate a new 100-Gbps DWDM CFP transceiver at OFC/NFOEC 2012 in Los Angeles March 6-8. The CFP transceiver has all the capabilities of 10 DWDM EML-based XFPs on a 100-GHz-spaced ITU grid and includes a first-stage wavelength multiplexer and demultiplexer, according to the company.
The DWDM CFP is designed for customization. On the transmitter side, the output wavelengths can be modified by selecting different subcomponents to match user requirements in banded architectures. Meanwhile, by switching from PIN diodes to APDs on the receiver side, the modules can be made fully compatible with the 40-km specification of the 10x10 MSA. Linear TIAs on the receiver can be useful in applications where EDC on the host card extends the reach to beyond 80 km, the company adds.
The 100-Gbps module follows on from the 40-Gbps QSFP+ LR4 transceiver Kaiam showed at last year’s OFC/NFOEC, which is in volume production and shipping to multiple customers, the company adds. The CFP uses the same optical alignment technology as the 40G device. The 10 channels are tuned to the ITU grid at 100-GHz spacing using a thermo-electric cooler.
The use of a CFP module saves about two-thirds the space of 10 XFPs and offers significant cost savings, Kaiam asserts. The modules are now available as samples; volume production is planned for July 2012.
Kaiam Vice President of Engineering Thomas Schrans said, “For many applications, DWDM XFPs or even the newly introduced DWDM SFP+ have too much granularity, are too big, and are too costly. Our DWDM CFP, on the other hand, adds 10 channels at a time with higher density and at lower cost. Four different units can be combined with a band-mux to give 400 Gbps in the fiber, making it fully compatible with the presently deployed 10-Gbps infrastructure. With only four part numbers, tunability is not critical for managing inventory.”
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