Inphi Corp. (NYSE: IPHI) says it has built upon its previous work in 50- and 100-Gbps PAM4 devices to create a platform for 400 Gigabit Ethernet (400GbE) CFP8 optical transceivers (see "Inphi unveils second-generation PAM4 chipset for 50/100/400 Gigabit Ethernet"). The chipset includes the IN015025-CD PAM4 digital signal processing (DSP) PHY IC that supports the IEEE P802.3bs 400 Gigabit Ethernet standard, the IN2834SZ quad linear 28Gbaud driver, and the IN2864TA quad linear 28Gbaud transimpedance amplifier (TIA).
The IN015025-CD DSP device, which the company first discussed at OFC 2016 this past March, will interface with host ASICs that have 25G NRZ electrical interfaces and bridge to 28Gbaud PAM4 optics. It features the company's InphiNity DSP Engine that features a mixed-mode architecture that Inphi says supports high-performance, low-power applications that require adaptability and configurability. It offers multiple programmable forward error correction (FEC) options with varying levels of pre-FEC BER performance for distances beyond 10 km. It also possesses several diagnostic and monitoring features. The DSP is sampling to lead customers.
Inphi says it has designed the IN2834SZ PAM4 driver to provide excellent linearity, high bandwidth, and adjustable gain. The chip features two high frequency bias Ts, one for the driver to reduce the power consumption, the other for EML bias voltage. Meanwhile, the IN2864TA TIA offers wide dynamic range and excellent signal integrity, Inphi asserts. It also offers the low power and small form factor CFP optical modules will require. Inphi did not offer availability information on these two devices.
"The move to higher speed and low-latency connectivity for core networking applications such as cloud-scale data centers, wireless, and service provider is a significant trend," said Cliff Grossner, Ph.D., senior research director for data center, cloud, and SDN at IHS Markit. "In a recent IHS Markit survey, service provider respondents signaled the use of 100G Ethernet fabric ports connecting to DCI [data center interconnect] equipment is expected to nearly double in the next two years, which will drive the need for 400G throughout these core networking applications. No doubt easy to deploy, high-density, and low-cost 400G PAM4 solutions will be in high demand."
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