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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Acacia unveils its 400G coherent module portfolio

Acacia Communications has unveiled a full portfolio of 400-gigabit coherent optics and has provided test samples to customers, one being Arista Networks.

Delivering a complete set of modules offers a comprehensive approach to address the next phase of coherent optics, the company says. 

Tom WilliamsThe 400-gigabit coherent designs detailed by Acacia are implemented using the QSFP-DD, OSFP and CFP2 pluggable form factors.

Collectively, the pluggables support three performance categories: the 400ZR standard, OpenZR+ that is backed by several companies, and the coherent optics specification used for the Open ROADM multi-source agreement (MSA). 

“These are challenging specifications,” says Tom Williams, vice president of marketing at Acacia. “Even the 400ZR, where the objective has been to simplify the requirements.” 

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Nokia buys Elenion for its expertise and partnerships

Nokia will become the latest systems vendor to bolster its silicon photonics expertise with the acquisition of Elenion Technologies. 

The deal for Elenion, a privately-held company, is expected to be completed this quarter, subject to regulatory approval. No fee has been disclosed.

Kyle Hollasch

“If you look at the vertically-integrated [systems] vendors, they captured the lion’s share of the optical coherent marketplace,” says Kyle Hollasch, director of optical networking product marketing at Nokia. “But the coherent marketplace is shifting to pluggables and it is shifting to more integration; we can’t afford to be left behind.”   

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The 50th anniversary of light-speed connections at OFC

The 50th anniversary of two key optical developments will be celebrated at the upcoming OFC show to take place in San Diego starting March 8th. 

Back in 1970 the first low-loss fibre and the first room-temperature semiconductor laser were demonstrated.

Jun Shan Wey“The low-loss fibre had a loss of 16 decibels-per-kilometre,” says Jun Shan Wey of ZTE and the OFC programme co-chair. “Without such optical fibre, there would be no chance of any long-distance communication.” 

The advent of a semiconductor laser operating at room temperature was another development of key importance, she adds.

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