News: Optoelectronics
28 July 2020
NeoPhotonics and Inphi complete first interoperability demonstration of 400ZR over 120km
Inphi Corp of Santa Clara, CA, USA (a provider of high-speed mixed-signal ICs for communications, computing and data-center markets) and NeoPhotonics Corp of San Jose, CA, USA – a vertically integrated designer and manufacturer of silicon photonics and hybrid photonic integrated circuit (PIC)-based lasers, modules and subsystems for high-speed communications – have completed what they say is the industry’s first interoperability demonstration of OIF 400ZR Implementation Agreement (IA)-compliant coherent transceivers, operating across the C-band over 120km of optical fiber.
Transceiver pairs consisting of Inphi’s COLORZ II QSFP-DD with its Canopus 7nm Coherent DSP and NeoPhotonics 400ZR ClearLight OSFP were successfully linked. Both 400ZR coherent optics transceivers carried error-free traffic over a typical data-center interconnect (DCI) link configuration (amplified over 120km of fiber) at several wavelengths across the C-band using Arista 7060 data-center switches.
Interoperation of NeoPhotonics and Inphi 400ZR transceivers demonstrates the availability of interoperable coherent transceivers for the 400ZR ecosystem, a key step in enabling the next generation of DCI links, the firms say. 400ZR pluggable transceiver modules significantly reduce the cost and power consumption of DCIs by eliminating the transport network equipment layer.
“This demonstration proves the readiness to deliver the flexibility of high-bandwidth DWDM connectivity between data centers with the ability to rapidly scale capacity and meet our customers’ demands for standards-based pluggable coherent solutions,” says Josef Berger, AVP of marketing, Optical Interconnect at Inphi.
“NeoPhotonics has worked closely with Inphi to combine their Canopus DSP with our high-performance laser and coherent optics into a standards-based ClearLight OSFP and QSFP-DD transceiver modules that can meet the needs of our hyper-scale customers,” says Marc Stiller, VP of Coherent Modules at NeoPhotonics. “Supporting the interoperable CFEC standard, as defined by OIF, has been a critical part of our design effort, and we’re very pleased to announce this milestone as we continue to work with customers to implement this game-changing technology.”
Inphi’s COLORZ II is said to be the industry’s first 400ZR QSFP-DD pluggable coherent transceiver that enables large cloud operators to connect metro data centers at a fraction of the cost of traditional coherent transport systems as well as enable switch and router companies to offer the same density for both coherent DWDM and client optics in the same chassis. For end users looking for performance beyond 400ZR, Inphi’s Canopus 7nm coherent DSP is claimed to be an industry first, offering a multitude of reach and data-rate options for metro and long-haul performance.
NeoPhotonics’ ClearLight 400ZR transceiver family, including QSFP-DD and OSFP for Cloud and Ethernet applications and the CFP2 form factor for telecom networks, offers what is claimed to be industry-leading coherent optical transmission performance in low-power, pluggable form factors compatible with switch and router platforms. These modules utilize NeoPhotonics’ coherent optical components including its silicon photonics coherent optical subassembly (COSA) and low-power-consumption, ultra-narrow linewidth Nano-ITLA (integrated tunable laser assembly). These components further enable operation over the full 6THz Super-C band transmission window.
Inphi sampling first 400ZR QSFP-DD transceiver for cloud data-center interconnects
