March 21, 2003--Alcatel Optronics has extended its 300-pin transponder family with two new versions of the Alcatel 1964 TRX, dedicated to SONET/SDH metro and long-haul 10-Gbit/sec DWDM markets. The first version integrates an electro-absorption-integrated laser modulator (EA-ILM) allowing a reach of 80 to 800 km. The second version reaches 800 to 3,000 km, thanks to an 8-channel tunable locked CW source associated with a Mach-Zehnder lithium niobate modulator.
Packaged in a compact standardized module, both versions integrate an Alcatel Optronics laser using integrated laser locker technology, which achieves the high wavelength stability required for 50-GHz spacing. At the receiver side, decision threshold adjustment and highly sensitive detectors provide "excellent" optical performance in both amplified and non-amplified lines.
"By extending our high performance transponder family, we now cover all 10 Gbit/s applications, from 25 to 3,000 km," explained Philippe Bregi, COO of Alcatel Optronics. "With our EA-ILM-based 300-pin transponder, we push the low-cost capability far beyond the classical 100-km barrier. To achieve a step function improvement in distances reached, we can provide our tunable module based on CW source and Mach-Zehnder modulator, always at the best cost."
Alcatel 1964 TRX WDM devices are optical transponders that transmit and receive optical data from 9.953 Gbits/sec to 10.709 Gbits/sec (with forward error correction) according to the ITU 50-GHz grid. Both versions offer a choice of variants, with PIN preamp or APD preamp detectors, with or without an integrated variable optical attenuator (VOA). They offer up to 3-dBm and 7-dBm output power respectively, with power consumption typically 5 W and 7 W.