2 March 2012

Oclaro launches first family of intra-node amplifiers for next-gen ROADM network architectures

Oclaro Inc of San Jose, CA, USA has announced what it claims is the first family of amplifiers targeted directly at off-setting losses inside the nodes of next generation ROADM (reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer) network architectures that will carry 100Gbps, 400Gbps and 1Tbps channels.

Losses inside the node have steadily increased as node architectures have evolved in complexity, and Oclaro claims to be the first firm to target this problem with a family of intra-node amplifiers, which are built on its OASIS platform. The amplifiers are aimed at maximizing overall network performance while also meeting the stringent space and power constraints of next-generation node designs.

Next-generation networks will bring increased agility and asset utilization through architectures that enable high degrees of colorless, directionless and contentionless routing of wavelengths in the optical domain, says Oclaro. These increased demands on optical routing and connectivity within the node are creating losses that affect the overall network performance and can lead to significant limitations in the size of the optical network that can be supported without regeneration. Oclaro says that, by using its new intra-node amplifiers, network equipment manufacturers can maintain the network performance and allow installation on existing fiber plants while minimizing footprint, power consumption and heat dissipation.

“With the broadest portfolio of products targeted directly at the core optical network, Oclaro is able to leverage its expertise to address critical design challenges posed by the more complex node architectures required for higher-bit-rate networks,” claims Dr Terry Unter, president & general manager of the Oclaro Optical Networks Solutions business unit. “By using these new amplifiers, our customers can now integrate amplification within the node, where space and power are at a premium, to enable higher-bit-rate wavelengths without compromising overall network performance,” he adds.

“Oclaro continues to deliver the technology innovation for the core optical network that will help drive the growth of the 100Gbps market, which we expect to be a nearly $2bn market by 2016,” comments Daryl Inniss, VP & practice leader of Components Telecoms at market research firm Ovum. “These higher-bit-rate networks have become increasingly complex as manufacturers continue to add more features while expanding the capacity,” he adds. “Such complexity results in higher node losses, which limit the network performance and may prevent installation on existing fiber plants. We think these amplifiers will be important tools to offset these higher losses while fitting onto the very dense line-cards that we see today.”

Oclaro’s new family of intra-node amplifiers is leveraging the firm’s vertical integration strategy by using its recently announced uncooled compact pumps and dual-chip 980nm pump lasers. The uncooled 980nm pumps offer up to 500mW of output power from a 10-pin butterfly package. The dual-chip pumps feature a single 14-pin package that replaces two 600mW discrete pumps, significantly lowering the total module power consumption. These pump lasers hence allow for simplified control electronics and reduced component count, while also reducing the space and power required by the optical amplifiers.

In the OASIS intra-node amplifier family, Oclaro’s first two family members (a small form-factor single-channel amplifier and a compact arrayed multi-channel amplifier) are built on Oclaro’s proven OASIS platform, which has been deployed in volume with customers worldwide. The single-channel amplifier is a very small form-factor booster or pre-amplifier designed specifically for transponder applications. Pre-amplifier features include expanded input power ranges and ultrafast optical transient control, which enhance the robustness and performance of high-bit-rate direct detection and coherent receivers. Booster amplifiers are optimized for single-wavelength amplification of amplitude- and/or phase-modulated signals. The arrayed amplifier is a space- and power-efficient amplifier targeted at off-setting losses of multiple parallel connections in add/drop cards or between line interface cards.

Of Oclaro’s 980nm dual-chip and 980nm uncooled pump lasers, the 500mW uncooled pump delivers a significantly smaller form factor with a SFF 10-pin butterfly package that can also be used in existing 14-pin slots. With 500mW of kink-free power, the laser delivers the lowest power consumption of any such pump solution in the industry, it is claimed. The 2x600mW dual pump is designed for dual-stage, arrayed and mid-stage access amplifiers, as well as ROADM and amplifier-based line-cards. The pump features two dynamically independent co-packaged lasers that are individually addressable and stabilized, delivers negligible cross-talk, and offers the full functionality of traditional discrete 14-pin pumps. Both pumps feature Oclaro’s OC2 alignment and package platform, which has been field proven since 2004 and meets the most stringent reliability requirements.

Tags: Oclaro

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