3 March 2012

Oclaro delivers first 1x23 WSS with 10x faster switching speeds

In booths 1957 & 2058 at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition/National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference (OFC/NFOEC 2012) in Los Angeles (6-8 March), Oclaro Inc of San Jose, CA, USA is unveiling what it claims to be the first very high-port-count 1x23 wavelength selective switch (WSS) that features switching times of 200ms (an order of magnitude faster than competing solutions). The new 1x23 WSS is currently sampling to network equipment manufacturers.

Very high-port-count WSS solutions are becoming key components in the deployment of high-speed networks carrying 100Gbps signals because they address the needs of next-generation CDC (colorless, directionless, contentionless) ROADMs (reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers) for high node degrees and offer a high level of flexibility in the add/drop portion of the node. Oclaro reckons that, with its new 1x23 WSS, it is well positioned to emerge as a leader in this fast-growing market segment, which analyst firm Ovum expects to grow to $201m by 2016.

“By delivering a very high-port-count solution that doesn’t require compromises in optical performance, we can enable our customers to achieve a competitive advantage with their next-generation ROADMs,” says Gil Cohen, VP of WSS Product Line Management. “Our unique use of liquid-crystal and MEMS technologies and fast time to market with a new and differentiated solution is the type of innovation that our customers have come to expect from Oclaro and we will continue to push the limits on performance and drive improvements in cost and network efficiencies,” he adds.

High-performing networks such as those carrying 100Gbps signals require a new generation of ROADMs that use very high-port-count WSS switches to flexibly route through channels as well as connect each add/drop port to any of the directions connecting a node, and at any wavelength, says Oclaro. A higher-port-count WSS allows for more add/drop ports and/or more degrees to be interconnected, and the fast switching time enables reliable network reconfiguration across multiple nodes. Oclaro says that, to achieve a 10x performance improvement in its new 1x23 WSS, it leveraged its proven optical expertise and unique combination of MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) and liquid-crystal technologies, enabling it to deliver what is claimed to be the fastest WSS in the industry.

Oclaro claims that its WSS is the industry’s fastest-switching high-port-count device and delivers the performance required for next-generation ROADM networks featuring colorless, directionless, and contentionless architectures. It can perform full switching and attenuation reconfiguration within several hundred milliseconds today, and can achieve times of less than 100ms (an order of magnitude less than competing technologies, it is claimed).

The WSS features a unique combination of MEMS and liquid-crystal (LC) technologies that separate the WSS switching and attenuation functions. This approach enables the WSS to scale in size while maintaining critical performance characteristics for insertion loss and port isolation across all ports.

Tags: Oclaro Wavelength selective switch

Visit: www.oclaro.com