Transmode touts 4-nanosecond low latency transport

JUNE 10, 2010 -- In response to growing interest in low-latency transport, Transmode says its TS-Series and TM-Series Transparent 2.5G and 10G Transponders provide between 4 and 10 ns of latency per transponder pair, depending on the protocol speed.

Recent changes at the application level such as the introduction of algorithmic trading within the financial community have changed the performance requirements for optical networking platforms from "low enough to support synchronous Fibre Channel" to "as low as practicably possible," Transmode says. Thus, the ability to offer services with latency lower than that of competitors creates a competitive advantage and enables carriers to win deals where latency is critical.

As discussed in the June 2010 issue of Lightwave, latency in optical networks is driven by three main components: the latency of the fiber, which is largely driven by the route the operator has chosen, at approximately 5 microseconds per km; the dispersion compensation technology employed; and the latency inherent within with the WDM and other optical systems and their associated opto-electronics.

Transmode says the 4 and 10 ns of latency, respectively, supported by the TS-Series and TM-Series Transparent 2.5G and 10G Transponders is equivalent to adding only 1 to 2 m of fiber to the overall route. Units that require data processing, such as Integrated Layer 2 Ethernet devices, will have more latency; however, Transmode says its Layer 2 Ethernet muxponder has less than 2 microseconds latency and close to zero jitter. This latency performance is at least 2 to 3 times better than comparable Ethernet switches, the company asserts.

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