At the Optical Transport Conference News, a 100G Party

At the OFC/NFOEC (Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition/National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference) conference in Anaheim, California this week several vendors have competing 100G technology announcements, fueling the ability to drive big data through ultra-fast networks.

Juniper launches small supercore and 100G routing interface.  Juniper Networks (JNPR) announced the new PTX3000 Packet Transport Router.  Featuring a 10.6 inch depth design, it can rapidly scale up to 24 terabits per second (Tbps), which allows it to simultaneously stream HD video to as many as three million households. The router follows Juniper's 2011 introduction of the Converged Supercore, a new architecture to bring together the packet and transport worlds. Additionally Juniper announced an integrated packet-transport physical interface card (PIC) with two-ports of line rate 100 Gigabit forwarding for the entire PTX family, which will now enable service providers to cost-effectively interconnect sites more than 2000 kilometers (1,243 miles) apart.  "To effectively deliver advanced services and remain competitive, service providers need a core network solution that will help streamline their business and reduce operational costs," said Rami Rahim, executive vice president, Platform Systems Division, Juniper Networks. "The Converged Supercore is an innovative platform that enhances service provider economics while providing greater value to their subscribers. Following on the heels of the revolutionary PTX5000, the PTX3000 extends these benefits to new markets and geographies with a solution that is tailored for their specific needs."

Kotura launches 100G with WDM in dense package.  At the OFC/NFOEC event Kotura demonstrated its Optical Engine in a Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable (QSFP) package. Kotura is the only photonics provider to demonstrate WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) in a 100 gigabits per second (Gb/s) 4x25 QSFP package with 3.5 watts of power. “The QSFP package enables our customers to fit 40 transceivers across the front panel of a switch, providing 10 times more bandwidth than CFP solutions,” said Jean-Louis Malinge, Kotura president and CEO. “Because we monolithically integrate WDM and use standard Single Mode Fiber duplex cabling, our solution eliminates the need for expensive parallel fibers. No other silicon photonics provider can offer WDM in a 3.5 watt QSFP package.”

Applied Micro Launches stand alone OTN processor. Applied Micro (AMCC) announced the TPO215 processor, a standalone OTN processor that enables 10 x 10G line cards for OTN cross connect and Packet-Optical Transport System (P-OTS) applications. Delivering advanced framing, mapping and multiplexing, the TPO215 doubles the capacity of existing OTN framers while providing advanced security features. The product supports 10 x 10G channels for a total capacity of 100G. “AppliedMicro continues to pioneer technologies that will drive a new generation of networking equipment for telecommunications, data center and cloud connectivity,” said George Jones, vice president and co-general manager, Connectivity Products, at AppliedMicro. “The desire to transition to packet-aware optical transport networks requires network equipment vendors to partner with semiconductor companies that have established expertise in the latest optical networking solutions. This processor helps enable the required infrastructure for dramatically improved user experiences.”

Broadcom enables higher density 100G long haul.  Broadcom (BRCM) announced a fast CMOS transmitter PHY for long-haul, regional and metropolitan data transport. The BCM84128 100G transmitter achieves an aggregate data rate of 128 Gbps at a low power draw of only two watts. Using 40 nanometer CMOS process technology it provides a full-rate clock output at 32 GHz and paves the way to 100G long-haul networks. "The BCM84128 high performance transmitter PHY reflects the industry-leading innovation we are known for, allowing OEMs to leverage 100G PHYs developed in standard CMOS process technology with its inherent advantages of lower power and reliability," said Lorenzo Longo, Broadcom Vice President and General Manager, Physical Layer Products (PLP). "Today's introduction provides Broadcom with the opportunity to participate in a new market segment and pave the way for 100G optical transport."