Picolight introduces 10 Gb/s short-wavelength transponder for high-speed, short-reach connections in optical enterprise networks
Picolight, a provider of vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL)-based optical transceivers, has announced availability of what the company claims to be the first 10 Gb/s 300-pin VCSEL-based short-wavelength optical transponder for 10 Gigabit Ethernet and OC-192 SONET networks.
The 10 Gb/s transponder is a compact and low-power-dissipation solution for very short reach (VSR) applications. Picolight's VCSEL-based transceivers serve the optical enterprise, optical switching and metro/access market segments.
This new high-density transponder technology enables volume production of 10 Gb/s optical modules. Enterprise, switching, and metro/access system manufacturers will be able to implement cost-effective expansion to the networking industry.
Picolight's 10 Gb/s transponder operates at three rates: It complies with the 9.96 Gb/s IEEE 802.3ae 10 Gigabit Ethernet serial short-wavelength specification; the 10.3 Gb/s OC-192 VSR of the OIF; and the 10.6 Gb/s digital wrapper implementation. Picolight claims to be the first company to offer a second generation, multiple use, triple-rate transponder for multiple protocol applications.
The Picolight 10 Gb/s serial short-wave transponder is 2x3 inches and delivers 10 times the data rate of Small Form Factor (SFF) optical transceivers in a footprint only three times larger. The availability of this 10 Gb/s transponder now allows systems providers to use a common port for either local or wide area implementation.
The same port can be used as a 300-meter VSR link or a 10-kilometer WAN network link, providing systems companies with application flexibility.
Picolight's 10 Gb/s serial short-wave transponder is part of a growing family of multi-protocol, VCSEL-based transceiver subsystems for optical switches, enterprise and storage-area networks (SANs), and metropolitan and access applications.
The family includes a Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP) link and a Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC) for SANs, a SFF connector for Ethernet-based switches and hubs, and a 12x2.5 Gb/s Parallel Optical Interconnect module for optical switch applications.
Picolight's 10 Gb/s serial short-wave transponder is available in sample quantities now with volume production scheduled for fourth quarter, 2001. It will be volume-priced below $1,000. The product is being demonstrated in booth No. 2379 at Networld+Interop in Las Vegas, May 8-10.
About Picolight:
Picolight is a venture-backed company that designs and manufactures laser-based, fiber optic transceiver subsystems that deliver multi-Gigabit bandwidth to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of telecom switch, storage area network and enterprise network equipment. For more information, visit www.picolight.com.