ECOC 2015: Showcase of 400G and networking solutions

01 Oct 2015

Visitors flock to Valencia to discover latest developments in next-gen optical networking.

This year’s ECOC exhibition and conference – Europe’s largest annual event for the fiber optic communications industry – has been taking place this week in Valencia, Spain. As well as showcasing the latest products and services it has provided an opportunity for the industry to meet and network with key suppliers.

Industry conference sessions included eleven Market Focus presentations, covering such hot topics as: mass-market broadband access, data center opportunities, and optics applications in cloud computing

At least 5,500 visitors attended in 2014 in Cannes, a figure that was expected to have increased again this year. In 2015, more than 300 specialist suppliers exhibited at the Feria Valencia, showcasing their latest product developments, services and solutions. Here, optics.org presents a sample of some of the key new products, with the most notable trend the widespread availability of new 400G network solutions.

The Ethernet Alliance, a global consortium dedicated to the continued success and advancement of Ethernet technologies, hosted a discussion of the organization’s 2015 Ethernet Roadmap and Ethernet’s new optical modules. After a brief overview, the discussion panel focused on future optical modules for 200GbE and 400GbE protocols, as well as discussing the growing array of optical technologies for Ethernet, including Micro Quad Small-Form-Factor Pluggable, Double Density QSFP, CFP8, and the Consortium of On-Board-Optics.

Scott Kipp, president, Ethernet Alliance saidd, “Ethernet is in an exceptional period of evolution and advancement, including the development of six new speeds over the next five years. As Ethernet branches out, the optical industry is innovating to improve thermal management to increase density of modules. Modules are also being designed to support 50Gbps lanes. Optical modules are essential to supporting Ethernet’s new speeds, so recognizing where these pockets of opportunity lie is vitally important.”

New from Finisar are the 400GE CFP8 module, next-generation 25GE LR SFP28 transceivers enabling 10 km links over single mode fiber, QSFP28 SR4 and SFP28 SR transceivers without FEC for low latency applications, and new WaveAnalyzerTM software with enhanced capabilities.

The 400GE CFP8 module is a first-generation optical transceiver form factor for 400G Ethernet applications. Already being defined by the CFP MSA, CFP8 enables 6.4 Tb/s on a 1RU host system card. With physical dimensions similar to a CFP2 module, it is currently the only form factor that supports both multimode and single mode applications at this link speed, as well as both CDAUI-16 (16x25G) and CDAUI-8 (8x50G) electrical I/O.

NeoPhotonics announced a suite of products and technologies designed to support 400G and beyond optical transport across multiple network segments, including long haul, metro and data center interconnects (DCI).

This suite includes high-speed indium phosphide-based waveguide photodetectors for coherent receivers with higher baud rate transmission, ultra-narrow linewidth lasers for higher order installations such as 16QAM and 64QAM, dual output lasers for dual carrier architectures, and small form factor coherent components for high density line cards and pluggable coherent optics.

NeoPhotonics’ 400G product and technology suite addresses each of the approaches for increasing transport bandwidth. Conceptually, the most straight forward path to increasing the bandwidth is to increase the symbol rate by increasing the raw speed of the optical system. NeoPhotonics’ indium phosphide-based high speed waveguide photo-detectors can be incorporated in both monolithic and hybrid integrated coherent receivers and are capable of supporting symbol rates of 64Gbaud, which is twice the standard 32Gbaud in current 100G systems.

Lumentum highlighted the latest solutions from its optical communications portfolio including: TrueFlex Route & Select Super Transport Blade; Lumentum has completed qualification and is currently ramping volume production of multiple linecards for network equipment manufacturers. The linecards are at the heart of the next-generation of TrueFlex colorless directionless and contentionless reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer architectures and support 100G metro upgrade deployments.

Lumentum said its single-slot TrueFlex Super Transport Blades enable "unparalleled networking flexibility, scalability, and performance to ensure that the CDC ROADM infrastructure supports network evolution beyond 100G". In addition, Lumentum is showcasing network-ready, rack-mountable 1RU ROADM whiteboxes that can be used for the construction of a modular and dynamic network infrastructure ready to support Software Defined Networking (SDN).

In early 2016, Lumentum is to release to production its extended operating temperature range (-5C to +85C) Tunable SFP+. Lumentum said it remains focused on advancing the performance and functionality of its Tunable XFP portfolio with the release to production of an extended operating temperature range (-5C to +85C) product.

II‐VI, a developer of solutions for next generation optical networks, showcased its new 1W 980 nm pump laser product as well as the new OTDR+ product platform.

Dr. Sanjai Parthasarathi, VP Product Marketing and Strategy, Optical Communications Group, said, “Optical networks are the backbone of the global, regional and local communication infrastructure. Our 1W 980 nm Pump Laser is the most advanced commercially available pump laser technology in terms of high laser conversion efficiency and low power consumption. Furthermore, our OTDR+ Platform is the first commercially available OTDR specifically designed for embedded monitoring applications in long‐haul and regional optical network equipment.”

Santec introduced the latest in its range of high-performance tunable lasers, the TSL-550. The TSL-550 features wide, high resolution, mode-hop free tuning with an output that combines both high power and high signal-to-noise ratio. Wavelength ranges are 1260-1360 and 1500-1630nm, with high output power of +10dBm; signal-to-noise ratio of 90dB/0.1nm and high wavelength accuracy.

Also shown was Santec’s programmable wavelength and bandwidth-tunable filter, the OTF 980. This is a versatile programmable optical tunable filter that allows simultaneous and independent tuning of center wavelength and bandwidth over C & L bands. The OTF-980 is built with novel free-space optics combined with an ultra-fine tuning mechanism to ensure precise filter control and a flat-top passband shape. Wavelength range: C&L-band 1525-1610nm; bandwidth adjustable range: 0.03-3.0nm; and flat-top filter shape with steep filter slope: 1000dB/nm.

Fujikura Europe showcased its latest fiber splicing technology. The 22S – the latest addition to Fujikura’s splicer range – is designed for high-end FTTH splicer applications in FTTx and Data Center, LAN and Access Networks and offers an active V-groove alignment single fibre splicer for reliable and improved splicing performance for a range of different fibers, such as SMF, MMF, DSF, and NZDSF.

The 70S – Fujikura’s "gold standard" single fiber splicer – was also on show. Specifically designed for speed, durability and ergonomics, the 70S is the fastest splicer on the market, with a splicing time of just six seconds and an improved shrink time of nine seconds.

Neil Bessant, Fusion Splicer Divisional Manager at Fujikura Europe, said, “We have designed the 70S to be ergonomic, fast and to have great durability whilst reducing splicing time to just seven seconds, and the 22S delivers high-quality splicing without a higher price tag.”

About the Author

Matthew Peach is a contributing editor to optics.org.