Nokia targets 400G era with PSE-V coherent DSP launch

Nokia has unveiled its latest coherent digital signal processor (DSP) family, its fifth-generation Photonic Service Engine dubbed the PSE-V. 

Kyle HollaschTwo devices make up the family: the high-end super coherent PSE-Vs and the compact PSE-Vc for use in pluggable modules.

The PSE-Vc chip is already sampling, the PSE-Vs will sample later this year. 

The PSE-Vs, operating at a 90 gigabaud (GBd) symbol rate, supports transmission distances from local data centres to ultra-long-haul and sub-sea networks while the 64GBd PSE-Vc implements the OIF’s 400ZR standard, ZR+ and beyond.

Nokia has also expanded its coherent optics strategy having completed the acquisition of Elenion Technologies. It is now vertically integrated and is offering coherent optics and its DSPs to partners that include module makers and contract manufacturers.

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NeoPhotonics talks 400ZR, 600G, 800G and Lidar

Many companies that prepared for the OFC show in March had their plans thwarted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

OFC did take place in San Diego despite all the hardships. But company withdrawals meant technology demonstrations were scrapped, press releases went unissued and stories left untold.

Ferris Lipscomb

Intel and Ranovus, for example, planned to fanfare their first co-packaged optics designs at OFC. Demonstrations to interested parties did occur but at their offices instead.

Equally, 800-gigabit coherent technologies from Ciena and Infinera would have been showcased at the show, as would industry organisations' interoperability demonstrations. 

NeoPhotonics announced in January that it was sampling 400-gigabit coherent pluggable offerings in the CFP2 and OSFP form factors.

At OFC it was to show a QSFP-DD module implementing the 400ZR OIF coherent standard, thereby completing its 400-gigabit coherent portfolio. 

“A lot of the planned demos involved inter-operation in customer switches with other modules,” says Ferris Lipscomb, vice president of marketing at NeoPhotonics. “Many of these demos are now being done in San Jose [its HQ in California] for customers coming individually.”

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Ranovus outlines its co-packaged optics plans

Part 2: Odin technology

Ranovus has tested a chiplet that combines electronics and silicon photonics. Dubbed Odin 8, the monolithic design is targetting the co-packaged optics opportunity, enabling silicon chips to communicate optically.

The company is developing two such chiplets: the 800-gigabit Odin 8 and the higher-capacity Odin 32 that supports 3.2 terabits of traffic. 

Hamid Arabzadeh 

The first use of Odin 8 will be for 800-gigabit client-side modules. “We already have three lead customers for our 800-gigabit module business,” says Hamid Arabzadeh, CEO of Ranovus.

The 800-gigabit pluggable modules using the Odin 8 are expected to be generally available from late 2021.

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Inphi unveils first 800-gigabit PAM-4 signal processing chip

Inphi has detailed what it claims is the industry’s first digital signal processor (DSP) chip family for 800-gigabit client-side pluggable modules. 

Dubbed Spica, the 4-level pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM-4) DSP family is sampling and is in the hands of customers.

Source: Inphi

The physical-layer company has also announced its third-generation Porrima family of PAM-4 DSPs for 400-gigabit pluggables. 

The Porrima DSP with integrated laser driver has being made using a 7nm CMOS process; until now a 16nm CMOS has been used. Fabricating the chip using the more advanced process will reduce the power consumption of 400-gigabit module designs. 

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Optical supply chain set to withstand the COVID-19 crisis

The optical supply chain will not experience any lasting damage as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. So argues LightCounting in a research note.   

John LivelyThe market research company notes how the experience of the Coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the many benefits of the digital economy.

And the jolt the world is experiencing will if anything, strengthen it.

“All kind of things are happening as a result of the pandemic,” says John Lively, principal analyst at LightCounting and author of the research note. “Telecommuting, telelearning and telemedicine have all been used before, but never on a scale like this.”  

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Infinera’s ICE6 sends 800 gigabits over a 950km link

Infinera has demonstrated the coherent transmission of an 800-gigabit signal across a 950km span of an operational network.

Robert ShoreInfinera used its Infinite Capacity Engine 6 (ICE6), comprising an indium-phosphide photonic integrated circuit (PIC) and its FlexCoherent 6 coherent digital signal processor (DSP). 

The ICE6 supports 1.6 terabits of traffic: two channels, each supporting up to 800-gigabit of data. 

The trial, conducted over an unnamed operator’s network in North America, sent the 800-gigabit signal as an alien wavelength over a third-party line-system carrying live traffic.

“We have proved not only the state of our 800-gigabit with ICE6 but also the distances it can achieve,” says Robert Shore, senior vice president of marketing at Infinera.

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Intel combines optics to its Tofino 2 switch chip

Part 1: Co-packaged Ethernet switch 

The advent of co-packaged optics has moved a step closer with Intel’s demonstration of a 12.8-terabit Ethernet switch chip with optical input-output (I/O).  

Source: Intel.

The design couples a Barefoot Tofino 2 switch chip to up to 16 optical ‘tiles’ - each tile, a 1.6-terabit silicon photonics die - for a total I/O of 25.6 terabits.

“It’s an easy upgrade to add our next-generation 25.6-terabit [switch chip] which is coming shortly,” says Ed Doe, Intel’s vice president, connectivity group, general manager, Barefoot division. 

Intel acquired switch-chip maker, Barefoot, seven months ago after which it started the co-packaging optics project.

Intel also revealed that it is in the process of qualifying four new optical transceivers - a 400Gbase-DR4, a 200-gigabit FR4, a 100-gigabit FR1 and a 100Gbase-LR4 - to add to its portfolio of 100-gigabit PSM4 and CWDM4 modules.

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