Transmode introduces pluggable 100G coherent optics

Feb. 17, 2014
Transmode Systems AB  has launched CFP-based all-pluggable 100G optical modules for metro networks with support for coherent optics. The new products support both Layer 1 WDM transport and Layer 2 packet-optical applications, a capability the company asserts is unique.

Transmode Systems AB has launched CFP-based all-pluggable 100G optical modules for metro networks with support for coherent optics. The new products support both Layer 1 WDM transport and Layer 2 packet-optical applications, a capability the company asserts is unique.

To address the specific challenges of the metro network environment, Transmode's new metro 100G offering includes three plug-in units for the company’s TM-Series packet-optical transport platform. The new units include a 100G Transponder, a 100G Muxponder and a 220G Layer 2 Ethernet Muxponder (EMXP).

"This is a significant development milestone for Transmode and we are delighted to be bringing this kind of new solution to the industry," Sten Nordell, Transmode's chief technology officer. "Not only is quick implementation of the new coherent CFP units important but extending their use to both Layer 1 and Layer 2 applications is greatly significant. The metro P-OTS market is the fastest growing segment of the optical networking industry and one that Transmode already serves well. We are the largest vendor of metro edge P-OTS in EMEA and we support customers across the globe with highly sophisticated packet-optical networks. We can now extend these to 100G while also extending our existing TM-2000 based Layer-1 100G capabilities deeper into metro networks."

The range of new units will become available from Q2 this year, says Transmode. They will bring better economics to metro 100G applications as well as greater flexibility as 100G CFP technology evolves, and simplified sparing and operations, the company adds. Furthermore, the use of new coherent CFPs greatly reduces power consumption and increases density, the company claims. For example, the new 100G transponder draws 75 W, including the optics, and all three modules are dual-slot units that enable up to eight units to be supported in the 11U-high TM-3000 chassis.

The new units support complete flexibility on all 100G CFP ports enabling operation with shorter reach SR10, LR10, or LR4 optics or longer-reach coherent 100G CFP units that can deliver applications up to 800 km. The units can be deployed in existing TM-Series networks and can be deployed in networks supporting any lower-speed wavelengths such as 2.5G, 10G, 40G, or other protocol-specific rates such as 16G Fibre Channel.

Rick Talbot, principal analyst at Current Analysis, said, "As applications that call for metro 100G transport, such as data center interconnection and interconnection of core routers, increase, and the overall traffic within metros rises unabated, operators continue to look for more cost-effective 100G metro solutions. Transmode's 100G solution not only addresses 100G costs, but its 100G pluggable technology provides flexibility to support the various 100G transmission formats being deployed for metro and regional applications."

The 100G Transponder and 100G Muxponder use Optical Transport Network (OTN) multiplexing to transport 100G or 10x10G services across optical networks, including Transmode's ROADM-based flexible optical networks. The new Ethernet Muxponder, the EMXP 220 IIe, supports the same suite of Ethernet and MPLS-TP software as the rest of the EMXP family. The unit has 12x10G ports and one 100G and a central 220G switch giving wire-speed switching. Each port contains optional OTN transport capabilities meaning the unit is effectively 13 transponders and a transport-optimized switch in a single two-slot unit.

The new EMXP is part of Transmode's family of EMXP units that combines the best of the optical and Ethernet worlds including MEF Carrier Ethernet 2.0 (CE2.0) services, MPLS-TP, and OTN transport. Transmode asserts the EMXP family provides industry-leading transport performance with ultra-low latency and zero jitter to ensure high service performance and scalability. The family now supports 1G, 10G, and 100G Ethernet capabilities and spans applications from the customer premises to the core network.

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