Infinera describes device for Terabit nets
The work is far in advance of today’s mainstream communications now moving from Gbit to 10 Gbit channels for 100 Gbit/s Ethernet. Many engineers are preparing to shift to 25 Gbit/s channels for a more cost-effective second generation of 100G Ethernet based on 4x25G channels rather than the 10x10G channels used today.
Infinera principal engineer Peter Evans will detail the use of narrow line-width lasers and dual states of polarization to achieve a data rate of 112 Gbits/s per channel. In a demo of the device, Infinera claims it showed error-free transmission was achieved for all ten channels.
Infinera would not say when the prototype device could be made into a commercial product. Infinera’s 500 Gbit/s PIC is planned to be commercially available in Infinera systems next year. Infinera plans to deliver systems based on PICs with 1 Tbit/s capacity or greater in future systems.
Terabit PICs will enable networks to scale to capacities up to 25Tbits/s, Infinera said. The company claims its FlexChannels technology provides a more cost effective approach to such high throughp0ut channels than competing alternatives.
The integration of large numbers of lasers and other optical components into PICs reduces the cost-per-bit of reaching high levels of fiber and system capacity compared to using conventional discrete-based optical networks, the company said.
“As we collapse layers in the network, PICs are the technology that enables us to deliver a digital optical network with unconstrained bandwidth throughout the network, pervasive, integrated switching, and the capability to deliver additional packet features cost-effectively,” said David Welch, Infinera co-founder and chief strategy officer.
For further information: www.infinera.com.
