News

11 September 2009

 

GigOptix launches SMT 40Gb/s DQPSK modulator driver for metro and long-haul transponders

GigOptix Inc of Palo Alto, CA, USA, which designs optical modulators, drivers and transimpedance amplifier (TIA) ICs based on III-V materials, has made available samples of the GX6261, a 40Gb/s differential quadrature phase shift keying (DQPSK) modulator driver in surface-mounted technology (SMT) for metro and long-haul optical transponders.

Because of its spectral efficiency and tolerance to various dispersion mechanisms over long reaches, GigOptix says that DQPSK modulation is slated to become the dominant format as 40G line cards become common in long-haul and metro networks.

“The GX6261 represents a significant addition to GigOptix’s growing high-speed driver portfolio,” says Padraig O’Mathuna, director of product marketing. “Our early-engagement customers have indicated that competitor parts consume 50% more power than the GX6261 and require 40% more real estate on the circuit board,” he claims. “Both savings are significant, since each 40G transponder requires two of these drivers and this enables our customers to design much lower-power transponders, and the smaller form factor is more convenient for compact transponder design.”

O’Mathuna also added that the GX6261 is important in GigOptix’s strategy of providing the lowest-power solutions for optical links, as the firm covers both ends of the link with power-efficient products. A 40G DQPSK transponder not only requires two drivers such as the GX6261 on the transmit side but also a linear TIA such as GigOptix’s GX3220 (launched at the end of July) on the receive side. GigOptix claims that the GX6261/GX3220 combination is the lowest-power and smallest chipset solution for a 40G DPQSK transponder implementation.

“Higher-bandwidth links are needed to satisfy the explosive growth in demand for network capacity,” comments Daryl Inniss, VP & practice leader of Communications Component at market research firm Ovum. “40G is a reality today, with systems being deployed by many operators. We predict it will grow quickly over the next few years as technology innovation enables it to be as cost effective as 10G,” he adds. “The introduction of lower-cost, lower-power and smaller-size SMT devices all contribute to enabling 40G transponders to begin to effectively compete with 10G designs and thereby facilitate mass adoption.”

Ovum’s most recent wide-area network (WAN) optical components market forecast projects that the volume of 40G optical transmitters will grow a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 71% from 20,000 units in 2009 to 183,000 in 2013, with DQPSK being the fastest-growing segment of the 40G telecom market.

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