10 November 2003 Munich, Germany Lightwave-- Xignal Technologies AG, an IP solutions provider for the communications semiconductor industry, today announced the release of its XT16700 10-Gbit/sec vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) driver. The product, which offers the lowest power consumption in the industry, according to the company, enables the first-ever single-package VCSEL/VCSEL-driver hybrid design.
The XT16700 VCSEL-driver design is ideal for a number of applications, including 10-Gbit/sec very short reach optical modules, intra-system links, 10-Gigabit Ethernet, 10-Gigabit Fibre Channel and optical backplanes. By integrating the CMOS-based driver into the VCSEL housing, the device removes design constraints and improves signal integrity, thus allowing for longer link distances and reduced manufacturing and equipment design costs.
"Xignal is proud to announce a driver which allows the creation of a new class of active optical devices," said Holger Hoeltke, vice president of marketing at Xignal. "We are committed to continuing to release highly sophisticated, yet easy to integrate designs representing the best of breed in the industry."
The Xignal XT16700 product is a serial 10-Gbit/sec driver designed to match VCSEL diodes with different input impedances. It exhibits a power consumption of only 50 mW if connected to a VCSEL diode. Due to the highly programmable nature of the product, the XT16700 ensures an optimized optical output signal at a number of common anode and cathode type VCSELs. The VCSEL driver is available as a single channel as well as a four-channel version upon the customer's request.