Singapore-based Rain Tree Photonics (RTP) and MaxLinear announced the availability of a silicon photonics-based solution for 400G-DR4 optical modules for hyperscale data centers.
Rain Tree Photonics’ proprietary photonics engine leverages the company's silicon photonics integration technology and offers high yield and volume scalability. It is also developed to be ready for Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) architectures, while maintaining compatibility with pluggable module architectures.
MaxLinear’s MxL93542 Telluride PAM4 DSP is a key component in the development of high-speed, mega-scale data centers based on 100Gbps single lambda optical interconnects. This SOC and others in the Telluride family are the world’s first DSPs with integrated electro-absorption modulated laser (EA-EML) drivers for 100/400Gbps optical interconnects and breakout mode clocking support for 400Gbps DR4 optical modules.
The RTP1908, RTP’s 400G-DR4 silicon photonic engine, integrates multiple photonic devices allowing all 4 channels to fit into a tiny chip footprint. Each channel also features RTP’s energy-efficient modulator which is directly driven by the MxL93542’s integrated EA-EML driver. The entire photonic circuit is optimized for low optical insertion loss and features large mode-field-diameter fiber couplers that ensure high yield with standard packaging lines.
The MxL93542 16nm CMOS PAM4 DSP SoC consumes an extremely low 6.7W of power, which includes the integrated EA-EML driver power dissipation. The minimal power consumption of the MxL93542 meets the stringent power constraints of 400Gbps optical module form-factors, including QSFP-DD, OSFP and COBO devices.
“MaxLinear’s MxL93542 PAM4 DSP with integrated quad-channel EML drivers provides outstanding cost benefits for 400G-DR4 optical module customers. Driver integration also simplifies the module design, which together with RTP’s fabless++ approach, improves NPI cycle-time for customer adoption,” said Dr. Huang Ying, Co-founder at Rain Tree Photonics. “The MxL93542’s integrated drivers also work well with the high-efficiency, low-drive silicon photonic modulators in the RTP1908, achieving excellent TDECQ and OMA performance.”
“We are pleased with the successful pairing of the MxL93542 with Rain Tree Photonics’ RTP1908 silicon photonics engine to provide a compelling integrated solution for 400G-DR4 modules,” said Will Torgerson, Vice President and General Manager of MaxLinear’s High-Speed Interconnect Group. “The highly integrated Telluride DSPs offer superior link-margin performance and industry-leading power consumption.”
