Optic2Connect unveils silicon photonics optical modulator design software

June 6, 2014
Singapore-based company Optic2Connect Pte Ltd. (O2C) says its new optical design software simplifies optical modulator design, shortens product time-to-market and reduces the development costs of silicon modulators.

Singapore-based company Optic2Connect Pte Ltd. (O2C) says its new optical design software simplifies optical modulator design, shortens product time-to-market and reduces the development costs of silicon modulators.

Silicon photonics has become increasingly popular as a way to more efficiently address such data center network issues such as bandwidth, density, weight, and energy efficiency. However, silicon modulator designs can be complex, O2C points out. It therefore has developed an end-to-end software design and simulation tool for silicon photonics-based optical modulators that the company asserts accelerates prototype manufacturing and lowers production costs.

O2C says that design software typically reflects the strengths of their providers, which are usually either predominantly electrical or optical. But silicon photonics requires expertise in both domains.

"We provide software solutions that address this challenge," said Dr. Jason Png, CEO for Optic2Connect. "We are able to accurately map simulations from one domain to another, e.g., electrical to optical. O2C's technology overcomes error-prone and detail-oriented simulation setups. We have demonstrated the ability to map without losing any fidelity in the simulation files."

O2C says its tools simulate device processes directly from the beginning, from electrical device performance to the final high-speed optical eye diagram. This differs from what the company describes as the usual method, representing operation using simplified transfer functions. O2C says its design flow uses the same tools and processes from the semiconductor industry that are fully compatible with the CMOS fabrication process used in the silicon microelectronics industry.

As a result, O2C says its tools offer accelerated time to market and reduced design cost. Additionally, O2C says its modeling and simulation software, running on either cloud or standalone systems, circumvents the traditional roadblocks of insufficient servers/licenses, especially during periods of peak demand.

For more information on design software and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyers Guide.

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