Infinera introduces flexible grid 500G super-channel ROADM

Infinera has unveiled a flexible grid, reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) to complement its DTN-X optical networking platform.

An example showing the impact of a 500G super-channel ROADM node. Source: Infinera

"The FlexROADM will open up the Tier-1 operators in a way Infinera has not been able to do before," says Dana Cooperson, vice president, network infrastructure at market research firm, Ovum. "The DTN-X was necessary but not sufficient; the ROADM is the last piece."

Click to read more ...

Amplifiers come to the fore to tackle agile network challenges

The growing sophistication of high-speed optical transmission based on 100 Gigabit-plus lightpaths and advanced ROADMs is rekindling interest in amplifier design.

Raman is a signature of the spread of 100 Gig but also the desire of being upgradable to higher bit rates

Per Hansen, II-VI

For the last decade, amplifier designers have been tasked with reducing the cost of Erbium-doped fibre amplifiers (EDFAs). "Now there is a need for new solutions that are more expensive," says Daryl Inniss, vice president and practice leader, components at market research firm, Ovum. "It is no longer just cost-cutting."

Click to read more ...

Ericsson and Ciena collaborate on IP-over-WDM and SDN

Do company partnerships work? Ericsson and Ciena certainly think so, and provide a compelling argument for their collaboration in the areas of IP-over-WDM and software-defined networking (SDN). More such partnerships should also be expected.

Jan Häglund

Ericsson and Ciena have signed a global strategic agreement that provides Ericsson with Ciena's optical networking technology, while Ciena benefits from Ericsson's broader service provider relationships.

Click to read more ...

ClariPhy samples a 200 Gigabit coherent DSP-ASIC

ClariPhy Communications has entered the 100 Gigabit coherent merchant chip market after announcing first samples of its LightSpeed-II devices. 

The family of coherent digital signal processing ASICs (DSP-ASICs) is manufactured using a 28nm CMOS process. "We believe it is the first 28nm standard product, and leaps ahead of the current generation [DSP-ASIC] devices," says Paul Voois, co-founder and chief strategy officer at ClariPhy.

Click to read more ...

Transmode adopts 100 Gigabit coherent CFPs

Transmode has detailed line cards that bring 100 Gigabit coherent CFP optical modules to its packet optical transport platforms. 

We can be quicker to market when newer DSP-based CFPs appear

Jon Baldry

Click to read more ...

X-Celeprint brings printing technology to silicon photonics

X-Celeprint's micro transfer printing technology. Source: X-Celeprint

• X-Celeprint has a printing process that places individual 'chiplets' of III-V material onto silicon 
• The micro transfer printing technique can be used to make silicon photonics circuits
• X-Celeprint will work with silicon photonics companies interested in licensing its technology

Click to read more ...

Xtera demonstrates 40 Terabit using Raman amplification

Feature: 100 Gig and Beyond. Part 2

• Xtera's Raman amplification boosts capacity and reach
• 40 Terabit optical transmission over 1,500km in Verizon trial
• 64 Terabit over 1,500km in 2015 using a Raman module operating over 100nm of spectrum  

Herve Fevrier

Optical transport equipment makers continue to research techniques to increase the data carried long distances over a fibre without sacrificing reach. The techniques include signal processing of the transmit signal to cram data-carrying channels closer in the C-band, advanced soft-decision forward error correction (SD-FEC) and receiver signal processing to counter transmission impairments.

Click to read more ...