Broadcom announces CMOS 40G PHY

Jan. 5, 2011
Broadcom Corp. (NASDAQ: BRCM) has announced availability of its next-generation physical layer transceiver (PHY) chipset, designed to address the need for higher bandwidth and lower power in optical transport networks.

Broadcom Corp. (NASDAQ: BRCM) has announced availability of its next-generation physical layer transceiver (PHY) chipset, designed to address the need for higher bandwidth and lower power in optical transport networks. The company claims that the new chipset supports 40-Gbps long-haul transmission while consuming about 2.3 W, roughly 50% less power than previous parts.

The company believes that the new 40G PHY chipset is the industry's first to leverage CMOS technology for 40G optical transmission using DQPSK modulation, providing high reliability, lower power consumption, and shorter production cycle time.

Broadcom's 40G PHY chipset comprises the BCM84141 Demux for receiving data and the BCM84142 Mux for transmission. The demux chip receives two lanes at 23 Gbps and outputs data on an SFI-5.1 electrical interface, while the mux chip does the reverse.

The BCM84141 Demux features:

  • 2x23 Gbps to SFI-5.1 demux provides two receivers for data recovery on I and Q channels
  • Automatic or manual alignment of I and Q channels fully integrated
  • Serial control/serial peripheral interface (BSC/SPI) port for status monitoring

The BCM84142 Mux features:

  • Fully integrated multiplexer and precoder to accept SFI-5.1 data
  • Deskew channel for multiplexing to 2x23 Gbps
  • Two transmit data streams operating from 21.5 to 22.8 Gbps
  • Source centered clock with frequency of 21.5 to 22.8 GHz or divided-by-2
  • Skew control capability between the I and Q channels and high-speed clock output
  • Internal phase detector for clean-up phased lock loop (PLL) implementation

Lorenzo Longo, vice president and general manager, high speed interconnect products, Broadcom, said, "Our new CMOS 40G PHY chipset is a key breakthrough for optical transport networks and is the first in a new generation of high-speed PHYs for 40G/100G applications in our product pipeline. The increasing demand for higher-bandwidth content continues to push the industry rapidly toward 40G and beyond. At the same time, optical transport network suppliers face increasing pressure to deliver products that offer higher bandwidth and better reliability while consuming less power."

The BCM84141 and BCM84142 are now available in production release status with multiple customers.

For more information on chip sets and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.


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