PMC-Sierra's Forward Error Correction for 40G/100G OTN Offers 35% Greater Reach

PMC-Sierra announced new Forward Error Correction (FEC) technology that delivers greater optical reach on 40G and 100G Optical Transport Network (OTN) deployments. PMC-Sierra's Swizzle FEC delivers the industry's highest Net Effective Coding Gain (NECG) of 9.45dB, enabling 35 percent greater optical reach than other competing hard FEC technologies based on the seven percent overhead specified in the ITU G.709 standard.



PMC-Sierra said its Swizzle FEC compensates for optical impairments in 40G and 100G OTN links, correcting up to four times as many errors as competitive solutions, maximizing optical spans over the existing fiber infrastructure. Specifically, PMC-Sierra's Swizzle FEC delivers 9.45dB of Net Effective Coding Gain within the lowest OTN overhead of 6.7 percent specified in the ITU G.709 standard, nearly reaching the theoretical maximum defined by the Shannon Limit. For longhaul deployments, the Swizzle FEC architecture delivers 10dB or higher NECG for OTN overhead configurations of greater than the 6.7 percent.



The Swizzle FEC platform is available for demonstration and evaluation.



"Capital spending remains a barrier to entry for mass deployment of 40G and 100G OTN technology," said Babak Samimi, director of marketing of PMC-Sierra's Communication Products Division. "Our Swizzle FEC technology will be a significant contributor in driving the economic viability of 40G and 100G OTN deployments. By maximizing optical reach and reducing the number of optical regenerators required, operators can cost-effectively transition to scalable OTN transport networks."



A whitepaper on PMC-Sierra's Swizzle FEC technology is available on the company's website.http://www.pmc-sierra.com