Acacia heralds the era of terabit-plus optical channels

Acacia Communications has unveiled the AC1200-SC2 that delivers 1.2 terabits over a single optical channel. 

The SC2 (single chip, single channel) is an upgrade of Acacia’s high-end AC1200 module. The AC1200 too is a 1.2-terabit module but uses two optical channels, each transmitting a 600-gigabit wavelength. The SC2 sends 1.2 terabits using two sub-carriers that fit within a single 150GHz-wide channel.

Each line is a data rate. Shown is the scope of how the baud rate and the modulation scheme can be varied and its impact on channel width, reach and data rate. Source: ADVA.

“In the SC2, we take care of everything so the user configures a single channel that is easier to manage in their network,” says Tom Williams, vice president of marketing at Acacia.

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WaveLogic 5: Packing a suitcase of ideas into 7nm CMOS

• Ciena’s WaveLogic 5 coherent digital signal processor family comprises the Extreme and Nano chips
• The WaveLogic 5 Extreme maximises optical capacity and transmission reach while the Nano is targeted at compact, power-conservative applications

Advancing coherent optical transmission performance to benefit its platforms; targeting the emerging coherent pluggable market opportunity; selling modules directly, and being more vertically integrated. All these aspects were outlined by Cisco to explain its intention to buy the coherent optical transmission specialist, Acacia Communications; a deal set to be completed in the spring of 2020.      

But this also fits the strategy being pursued by Ciena with its next-generation WaveLogic 5 family of coherent DSPs.

Kim Roberts

The WaveLogic 5 continues Ciena’s tradition of issuing a coherent digital signal processor (DSP) family approximately every three years: Ciena announced the WaveLogic 3 in 2012 and the WaveLogic Ai in 2016. 

Ciena has managed to maintain its three-yearly cadence despite the increasing sophistication of each generation of coherent DSP. For example, the WaveLogic 5 Extreme will support 800 gigabits-per-wavelength, double Ciena’s WaveLogic Ai that has been shipping for nearly two years. 

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