Oclaro unveils tunable 100G DWDM CFP transceiver

Oclaro, Inc. (NASDAQ: OCLR) has introduced what it claims is the industry’s first tunable 100G DWDM CFP transceiver. Aimed at the metro and regional markets, the new module represents an alternative to coherent 168-pin MSA transponders to address less demanding shorter reach applications in a more cost-efficient manner, the company says.

The tunable, pluggable 100G transceiver module uses 4x28G wavelengths to deliver a 2.5X improvement in spectral efficiency over competing 10G products, according to Oclaro. Spectral efficiency, which refers to the amount of optical spectrum required to transmit at a given data rate, has become increasingly important in metro, point-to-point, and data center applications where high-capacity network links are needed for reaches up to 600 km. The new Oclaro tunable CFP transceiver, which is being unveiled at next week's OFC/NFOEC show, not only provides the performance boost customers need in spectral efficiency, but also meets the low cost and power consumption requirements of these applications, the company claims.

The new CFP transceiver is based on a direct-detection optical duobinary (ODB) modulation format. Direct detection, which utilizes standard low cost components, delivers significant reductions in cost and power consumption and is ideally suited to address the needs of the growing 100G metro and regional markets, Oclaro claims.

The new transceiver is available as a grid-tunable device and as a fully tunable device for maximum flexibility. Oclaro says it is also planning to offer MLSE (maximum likelihood sequence estimation) on the receiver as a configuration option to enhance the performance of the module by extending chromatic dispersion tolerance and widening the input range of the receiver.

Oclaro plans to sample to key customers in mid-2012, with a production launch scheduled for the end of 2012. The product will be on display at OFC/NFOEC in the Oclaro booth #1957 & 2058.

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