Oclaro sampling combo CLR4/CWDM4 QSFP28 optical transceiver

Oclaro, Inc. (NASDAQ: OCLR) says it has begun sampling a QSFP28 optical transceiver that can support both CWDM4 multisource agreement (MSA) and CLR4 Alliance specifications. The 100-Gbps optical module also complies with the IEEE 802.3bm CAUI-4 electrical interface specification, the optical components and subsystems company adds.

The optical transceiver, which the company demonstrated at OFC this past March, features consumption of 3.5 W and leverages Oclaro's internal uncooled 1310-nm 28Gbps DML technology. The company expects the device to play in data center switches as well as client-side interfaces for high-end routers and packet-optical transport systems.

Part of last year's wave of optical module MSAs aimed at data center 100-Gbps requirements from 500 m to 2 km, the CWDM4 and CLR4 specifications are very similar (see "CWDM4 MSA releases initial specifications for 4x25G 100 Gigabit Ethernet transceivers" and "Intel, Arista launch 100G CLR4 Alliance for mid-reach data center links"). The primary difference is that the CLR4 does not include support for forward error correction (FEC); the lack of FEC reduces latency.

Therefore, according to Oclaro Product Marketing Director Robert Blum, system houses and users likely will operate the device in the CLR4 mode in applications in which low latency is essential.

Blum did not address CWDM4 operation, but it would be logical to assume that that the CWDM4's FEC boost would prove beneficial for greater reach or when transmitting over challenging links.

Oclaro says production of the transceiver "is expected to ramp gradually throughout 2016." While the company isn't forecasting a precise date for when the transceiver will first reach general availability, Blum said almost certainly will have begun by the first quarter of next year.

For more information on optical transceivers and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer's Guide.