Avago Technologies offers 120 Gbps parallel optics in CXP, MiniPOD formats

Avago Technologies (NASDAQ: AVGO) has announced production of pair of products designed to support 120 Gbps multichannel parallel optic applications. The products include the AFBR-81uVxyZ and AFBR-82uVxyZ transmitter and receiver MiniPOD modules for “inside-the-box” data center applications and the AFBR-83PDZ CXP pluggable transceiver.

The MiniPOD modules are an outgrowth of Avago’s successful MicroPOD products. Both the transmit and receive modules support 12 unidirectional channels, each of which can accommodate 10.3125 Gbps via 64b/66b encoding. They are compatible with 9x9 MegArray interface specifications. According to Sharon Hall, product line manager at Avago, the modules should see application for proprietary intra-chassis links, mid-plane, and backplane designs, among others. The MiniPOD approach offers 36 times the density of designs based on standard SFP+ optical transceiver modules, she adds.

The MiniPOD modules are available in two package options to support either flat ribbon or round fiber jumper cables.

Both the MiniPOD modules and CXP transceiver can transmit data up to 100 m over OM3 fiber and up to 150 m over OM4. They are compliant to 802.2ba 100-Gigabit Ethernet specifications (100GBase-SR10 and nPPI) as well as the QDR Infiniband standard. They are based on Avago’s VCSEL laser arrays operating at 850 nm for the transmitters and the company’s PIN diode array for the receivers. They also require only 33% of the power per 10 Gbps of an SFP+ transceiver.

An evaluation board for the MiniPOD modules (AFBR-800EVK) is available at a single-unit price of $2500 each. In 100-unit sample quantities, the AFBR-81uVxyZ transmitter module and AFBR-82uVxyZ receiver modules sell for $649 per transmit/receive pair. An evaluation board (AFBR-83EVK) is available for the AFBR-83PDZ CXP pluggable transceiver at a single-unit price of $3500. The module itself sells for $749, also in 100-unit sample quantities.

For more information on optical modules and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.