23 March 2017

MACOM launches 64Gbaud surface-mount linear modulator driver family to enable 600G on single wavelength for long-haul/metro

In booth #1736 at the Optical Fiber Communications conference & exhibition (OFC 2017) in Los Angeles (21-23 March), MACOM Technology Solutions Inc of Lowell, MA, USA (which makes semiconductors, components and subassemblies for analog RF, microwave, millimeter-wave and photonic applications) has launched the MAOM-00641X series of three surface-mount 64Gbaud linear modulator drivers to enable the next generation of high-capacity coherent transmission systems.

Leveraging existing fiber installations, service providers are challenged to maximize their bandwidth and increase their data throughput-per-fiber. By maximizing the data rate on a single wavelength, operators can increase capacity and reduce the overall cost-per-bit of transmission. The transition to 100G has been enabled by coherent technology, while continued evolutions in PHY (physical layer) technology have provided the pathway to 200G, 400G and beyond.

Due to the shorter-reach requirements, metro networks can use higher-order modulation formats up to 64 QAM at baud rates of 64G, to achieve data rates of 600G on a single wavelength. The next-generation CFP2-ACO optical transceiver with 64G/64QAM capability, currently being standardized by the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF), will therefore enable capacity of 4.8Tbps per RU – a three-fold improvement over existing solutions.

“We have been sampling for several months now… our product is enabling one of our key customers to demonstrate a 64G ACO at OFC,” says Ray Moroney, VP & business line manager for MACOM’s Metro and Long Haul Products. “MACOM’s drivers are shipping in high volume in the current generation of CFP-DCO and CFP2-ACO and we are continuing to work closely with our module and system partners developing the next generation of pluggable coherent modules.”

The MAOM-00641X series of modulator drivers has differential inputs and single-ended outputs for use with indium phosphide (InP) and lithium niobate modulators. They are available in the 14mm x 9mm surface-mount package which was pioneered by MACOM and has since become the de-facto standard for modulator drivers used in the CFP2-ACO. The devices are said to have high bandwidth to support 64Gbaud and excellent linearity to support 64 QAM modulation, while power dissipation can be optimized for the specific type of modulator.

Tags: M/A-COM

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