- "World´s first" 1310nm VCSEL-based Fibre Channel transceiver module
24 September 2003 Rimini, Italy / Munich, Germany Lightwave Europe -- Infineon Technologies has announced a new 4 Gigabit Fibre Channel transceiver in a small form factor pluggable module with digital diagnostics.
These intelligent SFP (iSFP) modules, using Infineon's low cost 850nm and 1310nm VCSEL diodes, offer multi-rate capability to allow for use in both Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel (FC) applications.
Infineon's 4GFC modules offer rate-select, auto-negotiation capability from 1x to 2x and 4x FC to ensure backward compatibility with existing Fibre-Channel-based equipment, providing system designers with an easy migration path to next generation standards for Storage Area Network (SAN) applications.
"As one of the first companies to offer 4GFC modules and the industry first to demonstrate a solution using 1310 nm VCSELs, Infineon underlines its leadership in technology and and cost-effective manufacturing of highly reliable Fibre Channel networking and backbone devices," said Erwin Wolf, VP and General Manager of Infineon's Fiber Optic Business Unit.
"We are helping our customers to meet the increasing demand for SAN solutions, which according to recent reports from market research firm, iSuppli, is one of the fastest growing segments in the Fiber Optics market."
The new high-speed modules provide multi-rate compliance and high EMI and jitter margins for applications like Fibre Channel Fabric and Director Switches, Host Bus Adaptors (HBA) and Redundant Array of Independent Disk (RAID) systems.
Fully compliant with the Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) multi-source agreement (MSA), the 4GFC iSFP modules provide an enhanced digital diagnostics monitoring interface, based on the SFF-8472 specification for real-time access to such operating parameters as laser bias current, transmitted optical power, received optical power, internal transceiver temperature and supply voltage. The iSFP modules also feature an advanced release mechanism for ease of pluggability.
The company is currently shipping sample quantities of the 850nm VCSEL-based modules with mass production expected by mid-year 2004 and 1310nm VCSEL-based transceiver samples scheduled for Spring 2004. The 4GFC modules are competitively priced and will soon be in the same range of today's 2GFC modules.
About Infineon
Infineon Technologies offers semiconductor and system solutions for the automotive and industrial sectors, for applications in the wired communications markets, secure mobile solutions as well as memory products. With a global presence, Infineon operates in the US from San Jose, CA, in the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore and in Japan from Tokyo.
In fiscal year 2002 (ending September), the company achieved sales of EUR 5.21 billion with about 30,400 employees worldwide.