Fujitsu introduces 100GbE CFP transceiver for 40km transmission

Fujitsu Optical Components Limited will release a 100GbE transceiver that supports the ER4 standard (40km transmission with singlemode fiber) on May 1st, 2011. The product will help facilitate high-performance 100Gbps optical network equipment for use in IP networks between the datacenters and metro-core networks.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standardized next-generation 100 Gigabit Ethernet under the 802.3ba Task Force in June 2010. The CFP MSA group released the updated hardware and firmware specification documents defining the hot-pluggable optical transceiver form factor to enable 100GbE that same month. 100GbE CFP transceivers supporting the LR4 standard (10km transmission) have already been released into the market. Due to technical difficulties, however, a 100GbE CFP transceiver supporting the ER4 standard has not been released into the market until now, says a company spokesperson.

Fujitsu Optical Components Limited has commercialized the world’s first 100GbE CFP transceiver supporting the ER4 standard, according to the spokesperson.

Key technologies include:
Optimal control technology for semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA)
The receiver front end includes SOA to overcome the link budget for 40km transmission. Stable receiver sensitivity characteristics over a wide input dynamic range were achieved by monitoring the input power to control the gain of the SOA. The SOA also has the ability to monitor the input power of each individual CWDM input wavelength.

High density/High reliability optical device technology
The size, shape, and performance of each optical device (i.e., TOSA), ROSA, WDM couplers, and the SOA) have been optimized to provide the best possible overall combination for performance characteristics and spatial efficiency.

High density mounting technology
Technology was developed to mount many optical devices with high reliability within an extremely limited space.

Fujitsu Optical Components Limited is also releasing a 100GbE CFP transceiver supporting the LR4 standard at this same time. Common parts and production methods for both the LR4 and ER4 transceivers will be used to help in reducing delivery time and cost.

Fujitsu Optical Components Limited plans to display samples of these products at OFC/NFOEC 2011, taking place from March 8 to 10 in Los Angeles, Calif.