10 April 2012

GigOptix samples MZM quad driver with GPPO outputs for 100G and beyond

GigOptix Inc of San Jose, CA, USA (which supplies semiconductor and optical components including modulator and laser drivers and transimpedance amplifier ICs based on III-V materials) has started engineering sampling of its GX62452, a surface-mounted technology (SMT) Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) quad driver designed with integrated GPPO outputs for 100G DWDM metro and long-haul optical transmitters.

Key features of the GX62452 include:

• a data rate up to 32.5Gb/s for use in 100G (dual-polarity quad phase-shift keying) DP-QPSK;
• coplanar differential inputs compatible with industry-standard surface-mounted 100G multiplexers (MUXes);
• GPPO-connectorized outputs compatible with market-leading 100Gbps DP-QPSK MZMs;
• low RMS jitter degradation;
• single-ended output from 7Vpp;
• integrated temperature sensor and bias -T networks; and
• adjustable output amplitude and eye cross point.

“This driver development was completed at the request of and in close cooperation with tier-1 customers to simplify their system designs,” says chief technology officer Andrea Betti-Berutto. The solution integrates GigOptix’s high-performance 100G quad driver and an SMT-to-GPPO transition into a single small-form-factor solution. “The coplanar differential inputs maintain excellent high-speed electrical signal integrity between the MUX and the driver, while the single-ended GPPO connector ensures optimal coupling of the amplified electrical signals with the optical modulator,” he adds. “This multi-function integration within the GX62452 not only optimizes signal performance but also significantly simplifies the customer’s design, shrinking the system size and reducing the labor required to manufacture the system hence lowering costs,” says Betti-Berutto. “Moreover, due to the excellent performance of this innovative SMT package, we now expect to use it for future generations of 400Gb/s and 1Tb/s driver solutions.”

In a recent market report, Ovum identified 100G as one of the fastest-growing optical market segments and forecast the 100G market to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 107% to 2016.

Tags: GigOptix MZM quad driver

Visit: www.gigoptix.com