Champion ONE uTune Director locks tunable XFP channels

Champion ONE has announced availability of the uTune Director, an appliance that tunes the company’s tunable XFPs to the desired wavelength and locks it into place. The device enables operators to enjoy the sparing benefits of tunable XFPs for systems that aren’t built to tune such optical transceivers.

Tunable XFPs have been on the market for some time. While there has been discussion about in-network tuning, the devices primarily are used to limit the number of spare optical transceivers an operator must keep in inventory. Rather than store spare optical transceivers for each wavelength, the tunable XFP (and, soon, tunable SFP+ transceivers) enables operators to stock and use the same module, which can be tuned to the desired wavelength. The tunable XFP means operators can store a smaller number of transceivers while having to keep track of significantly fewer part numbers.

However, say sources at Champion ONE, not every system has the necessary intelligence to tune these modules to the proper wavelength. The patent-pending uTune Director extends the benefits of tunable XFPs to these systems by doing the tuning for them. The module is placed into the uTune Director, through which the proper channel is selected and locked. The module is removed from the appliance and installed into the optical transmission system as if it were a fixed-wavelength device. The Champion ONE modules also can be retuned if requirements change.

The uTune Director operates with Champion ONE’s own tunable XFPs, which can support either 50-GHz or 100-GHz spacing. A uTune Director and a single Champion ONE tunable DWDM XFP cost less than $7,000. The company plans to support tunable SFP+ devices as they become available.

“The ability to utilize a uTune Director in one’s sparing operations has an instantaneous return on investment for the service provider customer. Also by maintaining a pair or more of tunable DWDM optics, service providers will enable faster customer turn-ups and improve their competitive positioning,” said Charlie Weinberger, Champion ONE’s president.

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