Optical switch systems provider CALIENT Technologies, Inc. has decided to package its MEMS-based optical switch technology in subsystem form and offer it to the market. The company has launched the new initiative with a pair of optical circuit switch subsystems for use in routing and reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) platforms.
The new subsystems are based on the technology behind CALIENT’s 320-port S320 Optical Circuit Switch and include the MSM-320 optical switch and the OMM-320 optical power-monitoring module. The MSM-320 is a 320x320-port optical switch module that includes a 3D MEMS switching core, mirror driver circuitry, and a redundant Linux-based control processor. The processor manages all system functions including switching and real-time insertion loss optimization, Calient says.
The OMM-320 320-port optical power-monitoring module leverages scanning mirror technology to monitor power levels on up to 320 optical fibers. The module is designed to provide feedback to the MSM-320’s control processor to adjust mirrors on all 320 connections to minimize optical insertion loss. The OMM-320 also can be deployed in other optical networking applications where low-cost, high-port-count power measurements are required, CALIENT adds.
The subsystems are designed for easy integration with element and network management platforms from OEM vendors via standard APIs including TL1 and SNMP. An OpenFlow API is also available for software-defined networking (SDN) applications. The subsystems can be used separately or together as a complete optical circuit-switching platform and are available now, CALIENT says.
CALIENT has considered breaking into the optical switching subsystem space for some time, including under previous management (see “Calient adds 3D MEMS module, ‘white box’ efforts to product offers”). The company clearly feels the time is now right. “We’re experiencing breakthrough demand for our optical circuit switching systems because they allow data center operators and service providers to dramatically lower network costs while adding considerable flexibility,” said CALIENT’s Chairman and CEO Atiq Raza. “The new OEM subsystems will make that capability more widely and conveniently available for customers through large system vendors and will help CALIENT to expand the market for this solution.”
For more information on ROADM subsystems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.
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