Oclaro unveils CFP and CFP2 100-Gbps optical transceivers

Oclaro, Inc. (NASDAQ: OCLR) will demonstrate a pair of new 100-Gbps optical transceivers next week at ECOC. The 100GBase-LR4 optical transceiver modules include a second-generation 100-Gbps CFP optical transceiver that offers lower power consumption than first-generation devices and a first-generation CFP2 100-Gbps optical transceiver. The optical modules are interoperable, an industry first that Oclaro plans to demonstrate at the show.

The new CFP consumes 30% less power consumption (16 W versus 24 W) compared with Oclaro’s previous CFP modules, with which it is interoperable. The optical transceiver uses a CMOS-based gearbox IC. (Perhaps not coincidentally, Inphi just announced full availability of such a device.)

The CFP2 module conforms to recent specifications from the CFP MSA that results in a transceiver half the size of a standard CFP. This includes using a 4x25-Gbps electrical interface and removing the gearbox device from the transceiver package.e smaller size of the CFP2 transceiver is achieved by reducing the number of electrical lanes from 10 to 4 by applying a 25Gbps electrical interface per channel instead of 10Gbps and hence removing the GearBox from the module.

Both optical transceivers are in the sampling stage, with general availability expected early next year. Oclaro positions the interoperability of the modules as a major competitive advantage for its customers in that it streamlines the transition toward higher line card densities without forcing all the line cards in a system to move to CFP2 devices.

“Today’s announcement is another milestone in the advancement of 100G networks, where Oclaro continues to lead the market with the broadest set of components, modules and subsystems that offer the price, performance and power consumption that customers need for high-volume 100G deployment,” said Tadayuki Kanno, CO, Oclaro Japan Inc., and general manager of the Modules & Devices Business Unit of Oclaro, Inc. “Our customers can now deploy lower-cost CFP/CFP2 solutions that pack backward-compatible interface and functionality onto lower-power consumption and smaller form factors. These solutions also offer the interoperability and standards-compliancy that is required from the major telecom and datacom operators.”

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