Tyco enhances SFP product line/Mindspeed debuts 11.3G chipsets

APRIL 28, 2009 -- Tyco Electronics (search Lightwave for Tyco Electronics) offers a complete small-form-factor pluggable (SFP) product line, including single-port and higher density multiport SFP cages in single row and stacked configurations. Tyco Electronics has introduced new options, including integrated lightpipes for port indicators, connectors with improved signal integrity, enhanced EMI springs for increased EMI suppression, and riding heatsink technology for thermal management.


The pluggable I/O interface includes a standard equipment I/O interface; with the flexibility of pluggable modules and cabling come options of fiber and copper links. It also supports various data rates and protocols including Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and InfiniBand standards. As a result, the integrator can design the cabling structure based on the application needs.

To address market needs for greater density in high-speed pluggable devices, the quad small-form-factor pluggable (QSFP) interface was developed, providing a four-channel, 40-Gbps pluggable interface. As data rates reached 10 Gbps, Tyco Electronics played a role in developing the 10-Gigabit Serial (XFP) standard and the X2 MSA, the XAUI-based 10-Gigabit standards solution. Key proven technologies from XFP were adopted in this design.

Direct-attach cable assemblies are engineered with these pluggable interfaces. Copper cables are cost effective for short-reach applications and are available with passive and active equalization. Active optical PARALIGHT cables are available for QSFP, which eliminate the need for a transceiver/cable interface.

Components of a pluggable I/O interface include:

    a host board connector
    a cage or guide rail, which provides EMI containment and guidance for the mating plug
    a mating plug, which may be in the form of a pluggable transceiver or direct-attach cable assembly. A transceiver requires a mating cable assembly
    accessories include heatsinks, lightpipes, dust plugs, and EMI plugs


APRIL 29, 2009 -- Mindspeed Technologies Inc. (serach Lightwave for Mindspeed) has unveiled chipsets for 10-Gbps serial optical links.

Building on the company's expertise in GEPON and GPON and cultivated by three generations of 10 Gigabit products, Mindspeed's newest offering is designed to provide a complete serial link approach for applications to 11.3 Gbps.

Said Hasnain Bajwa, Mindspeed's senior vice president and general manager, lightspeed connectivity solutions, "Our new chipset includes the world's first dual-rate 1-Gbp and 10-Gbps transimpedance amplifiers, post amplifiers with internal digital controls, and laser drivers with optical modulation amplitude control."

Mindspeed's new 11.3-Gbps product offering includes a high sensitivity multi-rate limiting transimpedance amplifier (TIA), a linear TIA with low total harmonic distortion (THD), linear and limiting post-amplifiers with digital controls, directly modulated laser (DML) and vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) drivers with optical modulation amplitude (OMA) control, and an electro-absorption (EA) modulator driver.

The M02129 TIA supports dual data rates of 1.25 Gbps and 10.3 Gbps, which Mindspeed asserts makes it the industy's first rate-selectable TIA for 1-Gbps/10-Gbps Ethernet. Featuring -21-dBm OMA sensitivity at 1.25 Gbps and -17.5-dbm OMA sensitivity at 10.3 Gbps, the M02129 is suitable for systems requiring backward compatibility.

The M02130 linear TIA is intended for use in equalized systems where low-distortion is required. Featuring less than 4% THD over the range of -17 to +1 dbm OMA, the M02130 passes the stress tests imposed by the 802.3 10GBase-LRM standard.

The 11.3-Gbps post amplifier (M02142) and linear amplifier (M02143) are among the industry's first post amplifiers to have internal digital controls, Mindspeed says. The M02142 features 5-mV input sensitivity with loss-of-signal (LOS) circuitry capable of supporting out-of-band (OOB) signaling. Programmable LOS and output de-emphasis can be accessed via the 2-wire interface, while an analog-only mode may be used in more traditional applications that only require the chip's small size, low power, and sensitivity.

The M02143 is a differential gain amplifier for linear systems with 3.3-mV sensitivity at 11.3 Gbps and a maximum 4% THD. The post amplifiers are available in an industry-standard 3x3-mm quad flat no-lead (QFN) package.

The M02170 DML driver provides up to 85 mA of modulation current and 150 mA of bias current, while the M02171 VCSEL driver provides up to 15 mA of modulation and 15 mA of bias current for VCSEL applications. The M02172 EA modulator driver delivers up to 2.5 Vp-p into a 50-ohm modulator with 0-1 V offset control and up to 150 mA of bias current. All drivers include circuitry to facilitate extensive monitoring and control and are available in an industry-standard 5x5-mm QFN package.

When combined with the M02129 TIA and M02142 post amplifier, the M02170 laser driver and M02171 VCSEL driver provide a total approach capable of supporting the <1-W transceiver power demanded for SFP+ applications, the vendor concludes.

Malarenergi goes gigabit-to-the-home with PacketFront ASR6000/Infinera asks, what's your network efficiency quotient?

Mälarenergi, a Swedish open access network operator with over 31,700 connected homes, has placed an order for approximately 1200 units of PacketFront’s ASR6000 system. The ASR6000 is a Layer 3 Gigabit Ethernet access switch (see “PacketFront intros ASR6000 gigabit-to-the-home platform”).

The ASR6000 units will be deployed over the next 18 months and will upgrade 28,000 ports of the access network in the City of Västerås to support gigabit speed services.

“We are proud of our ability to maintain and operate a large distributed open-access network with a minimum of resources,” said Per Norrthon, CEO of Mälarenergi. “PacketFront’s ASR6000 is a key factor to continue this lean operation as we move to gigabit access. The citizens of Västerås will now enjoy an even wider selection of services and we have a very easy migration process to update the network with the new routers.”

The ASR6000 supports multi-rate operation for both copper and fiber ports, which means that the end-user equipment does not have to be replaced until faster services are purchased. The small form factor of the ASR6000 also allows it to fit into existing installation sites, enabling a “plug’n’play” migration process for Mälarenergi to minimize network down-time when old hardware is replaced, PacketFront says.

“The ASR6000 was designed to make the migration to IPv6 and GTTH [gigabit to the home] as simple as possible, something that Mälarenergi and other customers have stated as a key criteria. We have listened and Mälarenergi’s continued confidence in PacketFront is proof of that fact,” said Johnny Hedlund, CEO of PacketFront Network Products AB.


To promote the benefits of integrated OTN switching and WDM – attributes of its DTN-X platform – Infinera (NASDAQ: INFN) has introduced the concept of a network efficiency quotient (EQ), plus a handy way to measure it.

As the term implies, EQ is a way to describe the efficiency of a network’s architecture and relate that efficiency to total cost of ownership (TCO). Infinera now offers a pair of tools on its website that measure and predict network EQ. The EQ Estimator is a 10-question survey that participants can take anonymously to determine their network EQ as Infinera defines it. The EQ Power Analyzer measures power efficiency across four 100-Gbps network scenarios. If you want more details on how to improve your network’s efficiency, you can discuss it with an Infinera representative via EQ Engagement.

As Infinera Senior Director, Corporate Communications Mark Showalter described it, a network with a high EQ features limited stranded bandwidth enabled via high-speed, high-capacity multifunction transport platforms. Infinera sees OTN switching as the best way to minimize stranded bandwidth; integrating this capability within the transport platform, rather than using a standalone system, saves space, power, and operational expense, the company says.

At least one Infinera customer buys the premise. “Through several years of deploying and maintaining Infinera technology across our optical transport network we have enjoyed the improved network efficiencies enabled by a system that combines OTN switching with Photonic Integrated Circuit-based WDM optics,” said Randy Nicklas, senior vice president and chief technology officer at XO Communications. “By working with Infinera, we’ve been able to realize the benefit of increasing wavelength efficiency while reducing space and power consumption compared to alternative solutions.”

“Our recent “OTN Deployment Strategies: Global Service Provider Survey” showed that 75% of operators plan to deploy OTN switching in their networks and more than half of these desire OTN switching integrated with WDM,” added Andrew Schmitt, principal analyst, optical at Infonetics Research via an Infinera press release. “Operators plan to deploy OTN switching in combination with WDM in order to improve network efficiency and lower network lifecycle costs. I’m pleased to see that Infinera has developed a framework that will help operators evaluate their architectural choices.”

PacketLight Networks enhances video support/IFN taps Ciena for packet-optical upgrade

PacketLight says it has enhanced support for video interfaces in both of its Optical Transport Network (OTN) and transponder-based offerings. The new feature is designed to enable efficient and simple streaming of high-capacity video for broadcast media companies and digital studios over fiber and standards-based OTN networks.

Different copper interfaces for video such as SD-SDI, HD-SDI, 3G-SDI and DVB-ASI are all supported by PacketLight's CWDM/DWDM and OTN product family. Additionally, video signals can be mixed with other data and storage traffic such as 1G/10G Ethernet and 1/2/4/8/10G Fibre Channel.

Use of the PacketLight platforms reduces the number of fibers needed for video and data transport between sites, thus reducing the infrastructure costs as well as enabling carriers to add video services on top of their existing OTN metro or long-distance backbone infrastructure.

PacketLight says its modular approach offers optical-to-electrical and electrical-to-optical conversion in a small footprint, without the need of bulky converters. The platforms also offer SNMP-based monitoring and control management software for the conversion process. The systems can map up to 16 multirate bidirectional video services such as DVB-ASI, SD-SDI, or HD-SDI into aggregated 10G or 20G OTU2 within its 1U carrier grade PL-2000 product, for example.

In addition, PacketLight's product line also supports SFP-based pluggable client video interface modules for the commonly used DVB/SDI signals of up to 2.97-Gbps with embedded re-clockers, cable drivers, equalizers, and monitoring capabilities.


Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN) says Indiana Fiber Network (IFN) will deploy Ciena’s 5430 Packet-Optical Reconfigurable Switching System (RSS) and OneConnect Intelligent Control Plane software to expand the capacity and service flexibility of its backbone network, and provide assured service delivery.

IFN is a statewide fiber-optic network owned by a consortium of 20 independent telephone companies, and comprises more than 2,400 miles of fiber-optic cable that interconnects eight metro ring networks and 23 points of presence serving more than 3,300 on/near-net locations. Customers include enterprise businesses, government entities, educational and healthcare institutions, as well as independent telephone company members, who use the network for the aggregation and transport of residential local and long-distance calls, Internet access, and video services.

The enhanced OTN-switched network will support the aggregation, transport, and management of voice, video, and data services to business and service provider customers. It will also provide differentiated service offerings and simplified service creation capabilities through point-and-click provisioning, therefore creating bandwidth-on-demand services that can be delivered in minutes, Ciena says.

Ciena’s 5430 is a modular packet-optical platform that will serve as aggregation switches, delivering regionalized OTN and Ethernet traffic to key points in IFN’s network with speed and simplicity (see “Ciena intros modular approach to IP/optical networks”). Equipped with OneConnect control plane software, the 5430 switches will also provide IFN with the ability to automate provisioning and management of its network, while mesh restoration will improve network resiliency and service availability.

Combined with Ciena’s 4200 Advanced Services Platform, which has already been deployed in the network, IFN can support customers’ growing broadband demands and data center connectivity requirements via a scalable, dynamic, and reconfigurable infrastructure, Ciena asserts.

Later this year, IFN also plans to deploy Ciena’s 5410 Reconfigurable Switching System to enable efficient aggregation, grooming, and forwarding of multiple traffic types in metro and regional sites.

Ciena Specialist Services is providing solution installation, turn-up and testing, along with migration services.

“Our recent upgrade is designed to create an intelligent, automated network that can adapt to the diverse service requirements of our customer base – including both member companies and businesses – and be monitored, managed and reprogrammed remotely from our network operations center,” said Jerry Haver, planning and engineering manager, IFN.

LUS Fiber launches 1-Gbps service over FTTP network/LION2 Indian Ocean submarine cable now in service

Unless you live someplace like Chattanooga, TN, the folks in Lafayette, LA, can get faster Internet service than you can. LUS Fiber, the telecommunications division of Lafayette Utilities System, has launched a symmetrical 1-Gbps Internet service over its community-owned fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network.

Like the 1-Gbps service offered in Chattanooga (see “EPB Fiber Optics offers 1 Gigabit broadband in Chattanooga via GPON”), the LUS Fiber offering is targeted more at local businesses than homes.

“We have raised the bar in order to make our community a place where technology companies want to locate,” says Joey Durel, city-parish president of Lafayette.

LUS built is FTTP network after overcoming intense opposition from the incumbent telco and cable operator that extended to the Louisiana Supreme Court (see “FTTH Council joins LUS fight in Supreme Court”). Construction on the network began in 2008 and completed in 2010.

“Gigabit service from LUS Fiber is one of the most robust Internet offerings on the market today,” says Terry Huval, director of Lafayette Utilities System and LUS Fiber. “We built this community network with a promise to the people of Lafayette that we will work hard to provide them with new opportunities through this unique, state-of-the-art fiber technology…and that’s just what we’ve done.”




The Lower Indian Ocean Network 2 (LION2) undersea fiber-optic cable system is now in service, according to France Telecom-Orange. LION2 adds Kenya to the LION network.

The original LION cable system, completed in 2009, links Madagascar to the global broadband network via the Réunion and Mauritius islands. LION2 adds connectivity to Kenya via the island of Mayotte.

The LION2 consortium includes France Telecom-Orange; France Telecom subsidiaries Mauritius Telecom, Orange Madagascar, and Telkom Kenya; and Emtel Ltd. of the Republic of Mauritius and Société Réunionnaise du Radiotéléphone of Réunion Island.

Through its landing station at Kaweni (Mamoudzou), LION2 will provide Mayotte, for the first time, with access to a broadband internet network. In Kenya, the LION2 cable is connected through a new landing station that has been built at Nyali, close to Mombasa.

In addition to providing Internet access to the region, the new cable also provides an alternative route for passing secure broadband transmissions through Europe and Asia for all African countries in which the France Telecom-Orange Group is located, says the consortium member.

The construction of the LION2 cable required about 57 million euros, about 38 million euros of which will come from France Telecom SA and its subsidiaries.