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21 December 2017
CWDM8 MSA Group releases 400G 10km optical interface specification for data-center optical links
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The CWDM8 MSA (8-wavelength Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing Multi-Source Agreement) Group has released a new technical specification for 400Gb/s optical links up to 10km over duplex single-mode fiber (SMF), available for download at www.cwdm8-msa.org.
The new specification represents the industry’s first 400G 10km interface specifically targeted for implementation in next-generation optical module form factors such as QSFP-DD or OSFP for high-density data-center networking equipment. The new 10km-reach specification joins the 2km-reach 400G specification that the MSA Group released in November. These 400G CWDM8 optical interfaces were developed to support a wide range of high-bandwidth networking applications in data-center, campus, enterprise, and metropolitan area networks.
The CWDM8 MSA Group is now open to accepting new contributor member companies.
The CWDM8 MSA was formed to meet the bandwidth and expansion needs of modern data centers and to support deployment of 12.8T Ethernet switches and other advanced networking equipment with 50G SerDes. MSA participants are developing optical link specifications that will enable cost-effective, low-power-consumption 400G duplex single-mode optics using 50G per wavelength optical NRZ modulation, while maintaining full compatibility with standard 50G PAM4 electrical interfaces. These optical interfaces can be implemented in next-generation module form factors such as QSFP-DD, OSFP and COBO, and are believed to have significant time-to-market and performance advantages compared with other approaches. MSA participants expect to address industry needs by advancing unique technologies to create a diverse and competitive supply chain, while providing products that are optically compatible and interoperable.
Current members of the CWDM8 MSA are Accton, Applied Optoelectronics, Barefoot Networks, Credo Semiconductor, Hisense, Innovium, Intel, MACOM, Mellanox, Neophotonics, New H3C Technologies, and Rockley Photonics.
CWDM8 MSA Group formed to support deployment of 400G 2km and 10km optical links in data centers
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