ADVA Demos PAM4 100G Direct Detect with Corning SMF-28

ADVA Optical Networking and Corning demonstrated a 100 Gbit/s direct detect solution based on PAM4 technology using the newly expanded ADVA FSP 3000 CloudConnect platform and Corning SMF-28 ULL fibre. The demo showed how direct detect signals can be transported over 100 km while adhering to stringent optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) requirements.

ADVA noted that through extending the reach of direct detect signals, ICPs and CNPs can use the technology to cost-effectively address DCI bottlenecks as well as to enable the relocation data centres to lower cost locations.

The joint demonstration specifically used ADVA's recently announced direct detect optical layer, featuring its new SmartAmp and PAM4 technology, which is designed to provide ICPs and CNPs with an open and cost-effective DCI solution that is lower cost than alternative coherent options.

By combining Corning's ITU-T G.652-compliant SMF-28 ULL fibre with the ADVA FSP 3000 CloudConnect it is possible to extend the reach of PAM4 direct detect transmission beyond 100 km, leveraging the ultra-low loss performance of the fibre. Corning's SMF-28 ULL fibre, typically delivering performance of ≤0.16 dB/km at 1550 nm, is claimed to offer the lowest attenuation of any terrestrial fibre, which helps enable enhanced OSNR across greater distances than previously attainable.

In addition, ADVA 100 Gbit/s direct detection solution, integrated with the FSP 3000 CloudConnect DCI platform, is designed to provide error-free transmission at a lower cost per bit than coherent solutions.

In a separate demonstration, ADVA partnered with Inphi to show how disaggregated direct detect technology can be used to develop flexible 100 Gbit/s transport systems. The demonstration involved its FSP 3000 CloudConnect equipped with direct detect OLS with SmartAmp technology and Inphi's ColorZ 100 Gbit/s PAM4 solution in a QSFP form factor. The demonstration showed transport 3.6 Tbit/s of bidirectional data across 80 km of fibre.

Regarding the demonstration, Dr. Bernhard Deutsch, VP, PLM, optical fibre and cable at Corning Optical Communications, said, "Corning SMF-28 ULL fibre provides more than a 3 dB improvement in loss budget over 100 km compared to a link constructed with generic single-mode fibre… this enables a practical DCI link with workable margin to be installed over longer distances, interconnecting data centres spread over a larger territory".

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