FEBRUARY 20, 2008 -- Fujitsu Network Communications (search for Fujitsu) has announced multiple enhancements for its FLASHWAVE 7500 reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM). This new release introduces economical and operational enhancements, including new 19- and 23-inch shelves, a two-degree (2D) ROADM configuration, an in-service upgradeable in-line amplifier (ILA), and a 10-Gbit/sec Flexponder SONET ADM-on-a-card unit. This new release is available immediately.
In this release, several enhancements have been made to the existing 19-inch FLASHWAVE 7500 small configuration to allow it to support 40-channel access via wavelength-selective switching (WSS) technology. This new configuration is designed for data center locations where 19-inch shelves are desired. Now, these customers have alternatives to optimize cost and performance, including a 32-channel fixed optical add/drop multiplexer (FOADM), 32-channel ROADM, 40 channel FOADM, or 40-channel WSS-based ROADM.
The new FLASHWAVE 7500 2D ROADM configuration is designed to provide an economical option for locations that require full add/drop and pass-through capabilities for up to 40 DWDM channels, but only have two degrees of network connectivity. The 2D ROADM system can be deployed in protected or unprotected point-to-point, linear, and ring applications across distances up to 1,000 km with no regeneration required. Additionally, the 23 inch 2D ROADM can interoperate in existing networks with the 23-inch standard configuration and the 19 inch small configuration systems with access to all wavelengths.
The FLASHWAVE 7500 Extension configuration allows a remote tributary shelf to be placed away from a 23-inch standard configuration or 19-inch small configuration while supporting access to all 40 wavelengths. With the addition of a new bidirectional single channel amplifier unit, the FLASHWAVE 7500 Extension configuration can be located further from hub nodes (now up to 65 km away), thus allowing greater deployment flexibility for the telecom and MSO carriers who utilize it.
A new 10-Gbit/sec Flexponder unit provides flexible interface and multiplexing/demultiplexing for up to eight client signals in the 23-inch standard configuration, 19-inch small configuration, 2D ROADM configuration, and Extension configuration. The unit supports such traffic management features as non-blocking time-slot assignment (STS-1/STS-3c/STS-12c/STS-48c), ADM on a wavelength, VCAT, and hairpinning. The 10-Gbit/sec Flexponder unit multiplexes up to eight Gigabit Ethernet, OC-3, OC-12, and OC-48 signals into a single 10.7-Gbit/sec optical signal with digital wrapper. ITU-T compliant narrowband optics allow the signal to be mapped to any of 40 channels.
Enhanced amplifiers available in this new release are designed to provide greater flexibility for uncertain traffic patterns. Existing ILA nodes, which provide in-line amplification of DWDM signals and extend the distance the signal can travel before regeneration is required, can now be upgraded in-service to full-featured ROADM nodes. These amplifiers feature an imbedded variable attenuator that enables automatic span loss adjustment without requiring any manual adjustments by its users. This approach to DWDM by Fujitsu simplifies maintenance and reduces operational expenses for its customers.
