Inphi Corp. (NYSE: IPHI) had added a companion to its COLORZ pluggable transceiver line for data center interconnect and related applications. The COLORZ-Lite 100-Gbps DWDM QSFP28 module targets campus and data center interconnect applications that don't require the reach the original COLORZ supports.
The company developed the COLORZ in collaboration with Microsoft (see "Inphi offers 100G PAM4 QSFP28 for 80-km data center interconnect"). It debuted at OFC 2017 as a PAM4-based 100G optical module that could provide direct connection of routers and switches over a distance of 80 km without the need for separate optical transport platforms (see "Production ramps for Inphi ColorZ pluggable optical transceiver for DCI").
The 4.5 W COLORZ-Lite tackles similar requirements, although as what Inphi describes as "a cost optimized solution" for distances up to 20 km. The device leverages Inphi's PAM4 technology, linear drivers, and transimpedance amplifiers, as well as DWDM optics. The company says the output of 40 COLORZ-Lite optical transceivers can be multiplexed onto a single fiber as a replacement for such grey optics interfaces as 100-Gbps LR4, eLR4, and ER4.
"The ability to provide high bandwidth DWDM connectivity across data centers in a campus environment enables cloud operators to rapidly scale their capacity," said Timothy Doiron, principal analyst, Intelligent Networking practice at ACG Research. "In a recent study, we concluded that COLORZ-Lite lowered the total cost of ownership by up to 68% in a distributed campus versus grey optics when considering the cost of leased fiber."
Inphi is demonstrating the COLORZ-Lite at ECOC 2017 in Gothenburg, Sweden, in combination with an optical line subsystem from II-VI Inc. (NASDAQ: IIVI) in Stand 337.
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