Wavelength Switching Solution: Tunable XFP Transceiver

Fiber-Mart is a leading supplier of optical network products, including compound semiconductor-based components and subsystems for the broadband and fiber optics market. Fiber-Mart aims at developing the best technologically feasible and economically available optical components. In order to meet the rapid growth of internet traffic and the proliferation of video services, Fiber-Mart has launched DWDM C-band Tunable XFP transceiver which features with tunable and multi-protocol functions for wavelength switching solution. (Fiber-Mart News)

Wavelength tunable optical transceivers are becoming important as components that enable ROADM (Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer) functionality in next-generation networks. These transceivers have the characteristic that their wavelengths can be switched between different DWDM channels while in use in the network.

Tunable transceivers are only available in DWDM form because the CWDM grid is too wide. Typically these tunable optics are for the C-Band 50GHz. Around 88 different channels can be set with intervals of 0.4nm, which is the 50GHz band. These optics usually start from channel 16 up to 61 but this depends on the manufacturer of the Router/Switch and which channels it supports. Because tunable transceivers employ a special tunable laser (such as SG-DBR laser), they are between two and four times more expensive than the fixed tuned DWDM transceivers.

Advantage of Tunable Transceivers 

Using tunable transceivers can significantly reduce the number of the required hardware ports over an architecture with fixed tuned transceivers, even with a static traffic requirement. Channel switching capability has resulted in a reduction in the number of components and cost in today’s DWDM systems. Large 300pin (MSA standard optical module that uses a 300 pin electrical connector) transponder modules are currently used as the main full band tunable source in such systems. More compact optical transceivers are needed though to make these DWDM systems smaller and more compact in the future. As the cost and capabilities of optical hardware improve, the ability to trade-off additional complexity in optical hardware for a significant reduction in electronic hardware may become extremely beneficial.

Tunable transceivers are typically used as  “spare-optics”, in case of emergency, because you can tune them to the right channel and reduce the amount of spare optics you need to hold in stock.

Fiber-Mart’s Wavelength Switching Solution: 10G DWDM C-band Tunable XFP Transceiver

Fiber-Mart’s tunable 10 Gbps multi-protocol optical XFP transceiver is the integrated fiber optic transceiver that provides a high-speed serial link at signaling rates from 9.95 Gbps to 11.35 Gbps. The module complies with the 10 Gigabit small form factor pluggable (XFP) multisource agreement (MSA). It is designed to be compliant with the ITU-T G.698.1 S-D100S1-2D standard for SONET/SDH, IEEE DWDM 10GBASE-ZR for 80km reaches (Ethernet), and DWDM 10GFC for 80km reaches (Fibre Channel) applications. This module offers the wavelength switching capability and small size that will make it a desirable choice to replace the 300 pin transponders used in many networks. In those networks where fixed DWDM channel XFP transceivers are currently used, changing them to the tunable XFP offers the potential for large inventory stock reduction since all wavelengths can now be covered with one transceiver module.