Finisar Demos New 400G Transceivers at OFC 2018
Finisar has introduced what it believes is the industry's first 400G QSFP-DD LR8 and FR8 transceivers, a 400G QSFP-DD active optical cable, a 100G serial QSFP28 transceiver, and two 50G SFP56 transceivers supporting a variety of next generation Ethernet applications. The products were introduced and demonstrated at OFC 2018 in San Diego, California (USA).
Finisar said that these new form factors and data rates represent the latest advances in networking technology, geared toward the next generation of optics that will operate at 50 and 100 Gb/s per lane. The 50G and 100G lanes use PAM4 encoding instead of the traditional non-return-to-zero (NRZ) format, and are crucial to enable hyperscale data centers, service providers and enterprises to meet tomorrow's voracious bandwidth demands. The QSFP-DD (Quad Small Form Factor Pluggable Interface Double Density) is the latest module form factor targeting 400G data rates. The design provides an eight-lane electrical interface, compared to traditional single or four-lane interfaces, thereby increasing bandwidth, channel capacity and port density. Defined by the QSFP-DD MSA Group, this module addresses the need for high-density, high-speed networking solutions in a backward compatible form factor.
400G QSFP-DD LR8 and FR8 Transceivers
Finisar unveiled the industry's first demonstration of a 400G QSFP-DD LR8 transceiver, whose 10 km reach is a critical requirement for service provider applications. Using 50G PAM4 technology, the demonstration was planned to show an optical module transmitting data over 10 km of duplex single mode fiber (SMF). In addition to the 10 km LR8 module being demonstrated, a 2 km FR8 variant of this module is planned to be available from Finisar, primarily for intra-data center applications. Both the LR8 and FR8 modules leverage DML transmitter technology, providing a low power, low risk, cost-effective solution for 400G.
400G QSFP-DD Active Optical Cable
Finisar said it is also extending leadership by offering the industry's first 400G active optical cable (AOC) in the QSFP-DD form factor. Leveraging VCSEL technology to achieve the lowest power dissipation and lowest cost structure, this product provides a desirable alternative to copper cables, which cannot scale to the required cable lengths at these high data rates. In a joint collaboration, Finisar is demonstrating the 400G QSFP-DD AOC running traffic through a Cisco demonstration switch.
"We are pleased to partner with Finisar in this exciting joint demonstration of Cisco's 36 Port QSFP-DD Demo Platform and 400G QSFP-DD optical module at OFC," said Ray Nering, Product Line Manager at Cisco. "This demonstration effectively quadruples the aggregate switch bandwidth while maintaining port density, which is critical to support the continuing growth in network bandwidth demand and data center traffic. Cisco expects that QSFP-DD will become the de facto standard for 400G just as other QSFP form factors have done so at 40G and 100G."
"Today, we have established a number of industry first optical modules that will enable Finisar to maintain its leadership position for the next generation of products," said Rafik Ward, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing at Finisar. "Building upon 30 years of success, we are gearing up for a new era of optical interfaces that will be built on 50G and 100G PAM4 technology. This will enable us to deliver unprecedented bandwidth to customers in form factors that are backwards compatible with industry established footprints."
