JANUARY 14, 2009 -- Narda Microwave-East (search for Narda Microwave-East), an L-3 Communications company, today announced a low-cost, high-performance lithium niobate modulator driver that the company claims delivers exceptional performance in 300-pin MSA transponders employed in DPSK long-reach 40-Gbps lightwave communication systems.

The FO-MDA-40-25G-1 combines monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs), developed by Narda specifically for modulator driver applications, along with proprietary fabrication techniques. The result, say company representatives, is a three-stage modulator driver that produces an exceptional eye pattern and has a 3-dB bandwidth of 85 kHz to 40 GHz; gain of 29 dB; input and output return loss of 12 dB; RMS additive jitter of only 550 ps; rise and fall times (20 to 80%) of 10 ps; and output power up to 8 Vpp with an input voltage of 450 mVpp.

The FO-MDA-40-25G-1 operates at a maximum data rate of 43 Gbps, features electronic eye-crossing control of 40% to 70%, and has variable amplitude from 0.5 to 8 Vpp. Power requirements include +3.3 VDC and +5.0 VDC, and operating temperature range is from 0 ° to +70 ° C. The FO-MDA-40-25G-1 is housed in a package measuring only 1.1 x 1.1 x .34 in. and uses GPPO connectors.

The FO-MDA-40-25G-1 joins Narda's growing family of products for lightwave systems, including clock oscillators, phase-locked oscillators, electro-absorptive and lithium niobate modulator driver amplifiers, and pulse carver drivers.

Engineering samples of the FO-MDA-40-25G-1 are now available, and production is scheduled for Q1 2009.