Inphi introduced and has begun sampling its "Porrima" Gen2 Single-Lambda Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM4) platform with integrated laser drivers for enabling sub-10 watt 400Gbps QSFP-DD optical transceiver modules for wired network infrastructure, including hyperscale cloud data center, service provider and enterprise networks. The new device, which is based on Inphi's first gen Porrima chipset, enables client optics module deployment for both 400Gbps and 4x100Gbps applications with breakout mode support. Porrima Gen2 DSP also has an integrated laser driver with direct-drive capability, which reduces the total cost of ownership and module power consumption.
Inphi's Porrima Gen1 platform, which introduced at OFC 2018, includes PAM4 DSP, Linear TIA and Driver. Leveraging six generations of DSP development, Inphi has developed optical platform expertise and an API-based DSP software suite that achieves quick time-to-market with the right trade-offs in power and performance for data center optical interconnects.
"Inphi’s excited to launch the Porrima Gen2 platform with integrated complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) driver capability for hyperscale data center and cloud networks,” said Siddharth Sheth, SVP, Networking Interconnect at Inphi. “Absorbing driver functionality into the DSP saves our customers BOM cost and power for their 400G DR4 and FR4 solutions, as we prepare for the upcoming 12.8T ecosystem production ramp.”
Key attributes
- Low power consumption for next-generation module applications, enabling <10w and="" dr4="" ieee="" li="" modules="" msa="" optical="" per="" standards="">
- Integrated 56Gbaud laser driver with direct-drive capability
- Enables DR1/FR1 optical modules for legacy 3.2/6.4T switches while offering an upgrade path for 12.8T switches
- Field proven error-free interoperability on the host interface with merchant ASICs and ASSPs
- Optimally designed DSP and TIA receive chain for power-performance trade-offs
- Enables customers to develop a 400Gbps / 4x100Gbps optical interconnects in a compact form factor for applications with up to 10km
- Supporting IN566x Linear TIA provides packaging flexibility for excellent linearity, high bandwidth, adjustable gain to optimize the PAM4 system performances and wide dynamic range to meet the different performance and link requirements for optical applications
- Implemented in small form factor and power efficiency on proven, high-volume 16nm process technology node, ensuring fastest time to production
Porrima Gen2 product family:
Porrima PAM4 DSP IC provides a full bi-directional interface with host ASICs that have 28GBaud PAM4and NRZ electrical interfaces while bridging to 56GBaud optics with breakout support. The product family can support PAM4 or NRZ signaling, and both Retiming and Gearbox functionality with packaging specifically designed for the following optics modules:
- Porrima 400G – 8x56Gbps PAM4 <-> 4x100Gbps PAM4 for QSFP-DD/oSFP
- Porrima 100G – 4x25Gbps NRZ <-> 1x100Gbps PAM4 for QSFP
- Porrima 100G – 2x50Gbps PAM4 <-> 1x100Gbps PAM4 for QSFP/uQSFP/SFP-DD
