Previewing OFC 2019 demos

This week's OFC in San Diego, which is expected to draw over 15,000 attendees, will feature several live multivendor interoperability and technology demonstrations including FlexE (Flex Ethernet), 400ZR, 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE), 25GbE, 50GbE, 100GbE, 400GbE; Open Source Open ROADM SDN Controller; pluggable CFP2-ACO and CFP2-DCO modules; and Common Electrical I/O (CEI)-112G.

“The exhibit floor at OFC is the ideal venue for vendors and open source community representatives to demonstrate the interoperability of their technologies and how they can be implemented into network and data center operators’ infrastructure,” said Jörg-Peter Elbers, ADVA Optical Networking SE, Germany, and OFC General Co-Chair. “The technologies being demonstrated by these groups represent the latest advancements and their interoperability is vital to driving our industry forward.”

Coherent Transceiver Demo, Booth #6421

This demonstration will show live interoperability of pluggable CFP2-ACO and CFP2-DCO modules from multiple vendors (Acacia, Fujitsu Optical Components and Lumentum) operating at 100Gbps. The modules will be plugged into a white box switch from Edgecore, and transmit and receive HD-FEC coded 100Gbps DP-QPSK optical signals traversing optical fiber over distances covering data center interconnects. This demonstration is being coordinated by NTT Network Innovation Laboratories.

Ethernet Alliance Ethernet Demo, Booth #4749

The Ethernet Alliance will display an interoperable multivendor next-gen technology demo that will encompass 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE), 25GbE, 50GbE, 100GbE and 400GbE technologies and solutions from 18 companies, ranging from interconnect providers, to switches and routers, to test and measurement equipment. The Ethernet Alliance will also showcase a live 400GbE infrastructure connecting multiple booths on the show floor. The Ethernet Alliance is also celebrating the success of those companies winning the Ethernet Alliance Holy Cup Challenge, for their successful first public demonstration of transmitting 100GbE per lambda. Join the celebration at a Wednesday afternoon social in their booth.

OIF Demos, Booth #6215

This year’s OIF booth will feature live multi-vendor interoperability demonstrations showcasing its work in the industry’s hottest areas - Common Electrical I/O (CEI)-112G, FlexE (Flex Ethernet) and 400ZR. The live demos with 13 system vendors, component vendors and test equipment vendors will demonstrate critical insight into how key technologies interoperate within the industry’s ecosystem.  Amphenol, Cisco Systems, Credo Semiconductor (HK) LTD, Finisar, Inphi, Juniper Networks, Keysight Technologies, Molex, Spirent Communications, TE Connectivity, VIAVI Solutions, Xilinx and YAMAICHI ELECTRONICS will demonstrate the interoperability of their products and technologies in OIF’s booth, #6215.

400ZR Demo
OIF’s 400ZR project is critical in facilitating the reduction of cost and complexity for high bandwidth data center interconnects and promoting interoperability among optical module manufacturers. Currently in progress, the project will result in an implementation agreement for 400G ZR and short-reach DWDM multi-vendor interoperability. The 400ZR demo consists of real-time Error Vector Magnitude measurements demonstrating the maturity of the methodology used for transmitter specifications. In addition, a hardware-based 400ZR installation will show how participants communicate a typical application case.

CEI-112G Demo
OIF is taking a lead role in moving the industry to the next generation with its development of electrical interface specifications for 112 Gbps per differential pair. Multiple live demonstrations featuring interoperability clearly prove the key role OIF provides. The CEI-112G demonstrations in the OIF booth will feature multi-party silicon supplier interoperability over mated compliance board channels and direct attach copper cable channels, all demonstrating the technical viability of 112 Gbps operation, along with multiple industry form factors including OSFP and QSFP-DD.

FlexE Demo
OIF continues to lead in FlexE aggregation architectures through its newest FlexE 2.1 project for FlexE over 50GbE PHY applications, an extension to its FlexE 2.0 Implementation Agreement (IA). The FlexE 2.0 demo will show off the bonding, subrating, and channelization features that allows FlexE-enabled hardware to support non-standard Ethernet rates over standard Ethernet optics. Realistic multi-vendor deployment scenarios, client rate reconfiguration, and in-band messaging features will be demonstrated on a network built from a variety of Ethernet optics and interconnecting the OIF and Ethernet Alliance booths.

OIF is celebrating 20 years of advancing new technologies and interoperability work effecting progressive change in the industry.

Open ROADM MSA SDN Demos, Booth #6139

This demo will use an open optical layer (Open ROADM MSA compliant) to turn up a wavelength with an Open Source Open ROADM SDN Controller, transfer a large number of Virtual Machines from one data center to another data center over this wavelength using a master orchestrator and turn down the optical connection afterwards. The demo is a collaboration of the University of Texas, Dallas, with Ciena, Fujitsu, Orange and AT&T. It will also demonstrate other Open ROADM MSA compliant hardware from ECI, Infinera and Juniper.