Smart SFP first offering from OE Solutions, AimValley collaboration

Optical module vendor OE Solutions and Dutch technology services company AimValley have announced the Smart SFP, which features integrated operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) functions within the transceiver. The Smart SFP is the first publicly released product derived from a collaboration between the two companies announced this past December (see “OE Solutions, AimValley partner for optical transceiver development”).

The integrated OAM capabilities will simplify service turn-up and SLA assurance in Carrier Ethernet networks, the companies say. They also will lower capital and operational expenditures. The OAM features are enabled via an FPGA integrated into the SFP transceiver. While a smart transceiver is part of JDSU's recently announced PacketPortal initiative (where intelligence on the transceiver gathers data for processing by a suite of applications), this is the first such transceiver available on the market, sources at OE Solutions tell Lightwave.

“The Gigabit Ethernet Demarcation OAM Smart SFP, which Alcatel-Lucent developed in collaboration with Aim Valley, extends our 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS) solution offering,” said Sam Bucci, vice president and general manager, Terrestrial Optics Product Unit, Alcatel-Lucent. “The Alcatel-Lucent 1830 PSS with Smart SFP provides customers service visibility at the network edge demarcation in applications like mobile backhaul, business Ethernet, and carrier wholesale, and is essential for rapid service commissioning and revenue generating SLAs.”

The Smart SFP is designed to provide instant support for Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM). In addition to EFM Link OAM IEEE 802.3ah, the Smart SFP offers Connectivity Fault Management (CFM) of end-to-end Service OAM IEEE 802.1ag and Y.1731 Performance Management.

The Smart SFP is available in a range of transceiver types, including dual-fiber, single fiber BiDi, single-wavelength & single-fiber BiDi, and CWDM in both dual-fiber and single-fiber. The Smart SFP can support Gigabit Ethernet reaches up to 80 km over the industrial temperature range of -40 to ~85^oC.

The transceiver technology will be on display at the OE Solutions booth #1847 at OFC/NFOEC in Los Angeles, March 6-8.

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