MEF sets sights on Network-as-a-Service

MEF published a Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) Industry Blueprint designed to help service providers develop, market, and deliver the next generation of NaaS offerings. The blueprint leverages MEF’s existing body of work, while providing a common framework for understanding and defining NaaS for enterprises as well as Service Providers.

"The MEF NaaS Industry Blueprint provides a foundation for the industry to build on as it develops the NaaS ecosystem," said Nan Chen, President, MEF. "By providing a common framework for understanding and defining NaaS, the blueprint will help service providers develop and deliver innovative offerings and enable enterprises to make informed decisions about which are right for them. We are confident that the MEF NaaS Industry Blueprint will play a major role in driving the growth of the NaaS market and helping businesses achieve their digital transformation goals."

MEF defines NaaS as on-demand connectivity, application assurance, cybersecurity, and multi-cloud-based services across a standards-based automated ecosystem.

Specifically, the blueprint will:

• Define NaaS and its core components and capabilities,
• Propose primary building blocks of NaaS solutions, including services, automation platforms, ecosystem, and certifications,
• Reference available MEF service and Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO) automation API standards and other industry tools for building and delivering NaaS services,
• Present initial NaaS use cases in the areas of on-demand transport, SD-WAN, SASE, and multi-cloud.

The blueprint was shared this at MEF’s inaugural Global Network-as-a-Service Event in Arlington, Texas. It can be downloaded from the MEF website.

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ECOC23: Coherent unveils 140 GBaud optical subassembly for 800G

Coherent unveiled  its 140 GBaud integrated coherent transmitter-receiver optical subassembly (IC-TROSA), the industry’s first to enable 800G QSFP-DD and OSFP digital coherent optics (DCO) pluggable transceivers for high-speed datacenter interconnects and metro networks. The IC‑TROSA is a highly integrated coherent optics subassembly with embedded optical amplification that can deliver high transmitter output power with low power dissipation, enabling DCO modules that can plug directly into routers.

Coherent’s IC-TROSA was combined with the Orion digital signal processor (DSP) from Marvell to successfully demonstrate the performance capabilities of a complete transceiver solution for 800 Gbps transmission. 

The 140 GBaud IC-TROSA is a complete coherent optical engine that includes a wavelength-tunable laser, optical amplifiers, modulators, drivers, a coherent mixer, a photodiode array, and transimpedance amplifiers. It features an embedded microcontroller, DAC/ADCs, and a simple digital communication interface for all control and monitoring. The module supports symbol rates of up to 140 GBaud and multiple modulation formats, including QPSK, 8QAM, 16QAM, 32QAM, and 64QAM. It is designed to meet the requirements of the OIF IC-TROSA Implementation Agreement (Type-2 version). Alpha samples of the 140 GBaud IC-TROSA are available now and the product will be generally available in mid-2024.

This solution lowers the total cost of network ownership for hyperscalers and service providers by eliminating an entire layer of transponder equipment.

“This 140 GBaud IC-TROSA follows the 64 GBaud IC-TROSA introduced in March 2020, which was also an industry first,” said Matthias Berger, Vice President, Coherent Technology, at Coherent Corp. “We continue to advance the state of the art of optical transmission in core networks by leveraging the inherent capabilities of our indium phosphide technology platform. Indium phosphide photonic integrated circuits are differentiated by their high output power, which enables disruptive use cases such as IP-over-DWDM in metro networks.”

“Marvell’s close collaboration with Coherent has enabled us to showcase the power of the combination of technologies from two leading companies,” said Samuel Liu, Sr. Director, Product Line Management, Coherent DSP at Marvell. “Together, the 140 GBaud IC-TROSA and the Orion coherent DSP enable pluggable transceivers for 800 Gbps with more than 500 km reach, allowing datacenter interconnects to scale network capacity quickly and economically so as to accommodate the surging traffic from AI/ML and other distributed, data-intensive workloads.”

https://www.coherent.com/news/press-releases/coherent-unveils-industry-first-140-gbaud-optical-subassembly

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ECOC23: Source Photonics, Broadcom, Keysight demo 800G 4x200G LR4 OSFP

Source Photonics, along with Keysight and Broadcom, demonstrated 800G 4x200G LR4 OSFP transceivers ,marking a critical milestone for the development of next generation 200G/lambda based 800G and 1.6T optical transceivers.

The 800G LR4 OSFP optical modules incorporate the high power single lambda 200G PAM4 EML lasers assisted with 3D hybrid electro-optical on-board packaging for superior RF characteristics and with a LAN-WDM grid, low-loss package interconnect design and a WDM multiplexer, exceeding the wavelength requirements for the telecom-grade LAN-WDM. The receiving end consists of a highly integrated PIN+TIA receiver array combined with the high-performance start-of-the-art 5nm CMOS DSP equalization algorithm, and the transmission distance can reach up to 10km.

Compared with the first generation using a single lambda 100G PAM4 EML lasers, the 800G LR4 optical modules reduce the number of lasers by 50%, effectively reducing costs, simplifying manufacturing processes, and improving production yield.

800G optical modules as the default configuration of choice for the latest generation of optical transmission systems, have projected huge market application potential. At the same time, in order to satisfy the strong desire for low-cost, low-latency and low-power consumption by next-generation telecom metro applications, the 800G 4x200G LR4 10km direct detection solution has attracted more attention from operators, equipment manufacturers and optical module vendors over the corresponding coherent solutions.  The industrial supply chain of single-lambda 226Gb/s high-speed optical chips, DSPs and electrical chips, and RF packaging technologies related to the direct detection solutions has gradually matured.

https://www.sourcephotonics.com/news/source-photonics-demonstrates-industrys-first-800g-4x200g-lr4-osfp-transceivers-at-ecoc2023/

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ECOC23 Award winners

At ECOC23 Exhibition in Glasgow, the following award winners were announced:

Most innovative Product – Hybrid PIC/Optical Integration Platform Award finalists: Lightwave Logic

Data Centre Innovation/Best Product Award finalists: Marvell for Marvell Nova PAM4 electro-optics Digital Signal Processor (DSP) platform

Best Fibre/Fiber Component Product Award winner: RAM photonics for Medusa

Most innovative Product Award – Innovative Test Equipment finalists: Keysight for Keysight G800GE-02: 800GE Layer1 BERT, KP4 FEC and Layer 2 Packet Blast multiport test solution

Most innovative Product Award – Chip-Scale Packaging/Optical Sub Assembly finalists: Infinera for ICTR-64 TROSA

Most Innovative PON/5G/FTTx Product Award finalists: Huawei Technologies for Huawei FTTR Solution

Most innovative Product Award – Innovative Test Equipment finalists: Keysight for Keysight G800GE-02: 800GE Layer1 BERT, KP4 FEC and Layer 2 Packet Blast multiport test solution

Most innovative Product Award – Innovative Photonics Component finalists:  Coherent for Coherent’s new 200Gbps PAM4 DFB-MZ chip

Most innovative product Award – Pluggable Transceiver/Co-Packaged Module finalists: Ciena for WaveLogic 6

Optical Transport Award finalists: China Mobile for Single-carrier 138-GBd DP-QPSK 32Tb/s DWDM System Covering 12-THz C+L Band

https://www.ecocexhibition.com/home/2023-highlights/

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Vertical Systems: Mid-2023 U.S. SD-WAN Technology LEADERBOARD

 Cisco tops Vertical Systems Group’ first U.S. SD-WAN Technology LEADERBOARD, which ranks Technology Suppliers based on share of total Carrier Managed SD-WAN sites in the U.S. powered by their SD-WAN equipment. The following five Technology Suppliers have attained a position on this initial benchmark (in rank order based on site share): Cisco, VMware, Fortinet, Versa Networks, and HPE Aruba. Each of these Technology Suppliers has 5% or more of the total number of U.S. Carrier Managed SD-WAN customer sites installed and billable as of June 30, 2023. For this analysis a site is counted once per supplier, regardless of the amount of SD-WAN equipment installed at the customer location.

“Our new benchmark measures market presence across the technology suppliers empowering enterprise-grade SD-WAN solutions in the U.S. Carrier Managed segment. As migration to managed SD-WAN solutions accelerates, technology suppliers are actively enhancing their products to keep pace, while vying to integrate SASE and SSE capabilities,” states Rosemary Cochran, Principal of Vertical Systems Group.

These leading technology companies and others are the key suppliers of SD-WAN equipment deployed by the service providers ranked on Vertical Systems Group’s Mid-2023 U.S. Carrier Managed SD-WAN LEADERBOARD - AT&T, Comcast Business, Verizon, Hughes, Lumen, and Windstream - as well as to service providers cited in the Challenge and Market Player tiers.

SD-WAN Technology Research Highlights

• Vertical projects that the number of Carrier Managed SD-WAN sites in the U.S. will surpass one million by 2027. These sites are managed by a network operator, utilize an SDN architecture, enable dynamic optimization of site connectivity, and provide centralized network control with visibility end-to-end.
• For this analysis, SD-WAN solutions for Cisco include Meraki MX and Cisco SD-WAN. VMware offers SD-WAN by VeloCloud, and Fortinet offers FortiGate. Versa’s solution is Secure SD-WAN, and HPE Aruba offers EdgeConnect SD-WAN.
• Technology suppliers providing SD-WAN equipment to service providers may also supply SASE and SSE solutions. A SASE Service Framework (MEF 117) was finalized by MEF in October 2022. There is no accepted industry standard for SSE.
• Some service providers deploy SD-WAN with their own internally developed SD-WAN platforms, including Hughes and Aryaka.
• Security integration was cited as a top challenge in 2022 for Managed SD-WAN service providers offering two or more different SD-WAN platforms. Based on our mid-2023 research, this challenge is more problematic both technically and operationally, with some providers now integrating security across as many as five or more different SD-WAN solutions.
• MEF 3.0 SD-WAN Technology Certification has been attained by the following four LEADERBOARD companies: Cisco, Fortinet, VMware and Versa.

Market Players in this U.S. SD-WAN Technology segment include all other companies with site share below five percent (5%) of total U.S. Carrier Managed SD-WAN customer sites. For mid-2023, the Market Player tier includes the following companies (in alphabetical order): Adaptiv Networks, Arista, Barracuda, Cradlepoint, Ecessa, Extreme Networks, FatPipe, Forcepoint, GFI Software, Huawei, Juniper Networks, Lavelle Networks, Mushroom Networks, Netscaler, Nuage Networks from Nokia, Oracle, Palo Alto Networks, Riverbed, Teldat, WatchGuard, and others.

https://www.verticalsystems.com/

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ECOC23: Quantifi presents Oscilloscope for testing optical interconnects

Quantifi Photonics introduced a new line of digital sampling oscilloscopes to launch in 2024 for manufacturers of next-gen optical interconnects.

The new DSO-1000 Series targets applications across 100-800G and 1.6T Ethernet, emerging Co-Packaged Optics and In-package Optical I/O, and computer interfaces such as PCI Express and USB.  

Quantifi says its DSO-1000 Series will enable high density, parallel testing for high-volume manufacturing, and can be easily integrated into existing assembly and alignment equipment used to manufacture next-generation interconnects.

Dr. Andy Stevens, CEO of Quantifi Photonics says, “The missing link in high-volume testing and manufacturing for optical and electrical interconnects has been an accurate oscilloscope platform that is scalable. This class of instruments needs to meet a strict set of requirements and we believe Quantifi Photonics is the first company to deliver this with the DSO-1000 Series. We are working closely with lead customers on final specifications and will be releasing our first models with additional capabilities in 2024. These products have the potential to be a true game changer for the industry by substantially reducing the total cost of ownership for oscilloscopes.”

Dr. Klaus Engenhardt, Director of Broadband Products at Quantifi Photonics says, “Testing presents significant cost and technical obstacles for high-volume manufacturers of modern interconnect devices with few commercially attractive test solutions available to the industry. We have been working hard to develop a robust and high-performance platform that helps our customers design and implement efficient test systems that fundamentally change the throughput versus cost ratio, and we are very excited to provide a preview of the capabilities of our new oscilloscope platform at ECOC.”

https://www.quantifiphotonics.com/

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ECOC23: Openlight samples its 2x FR4 Photonic ASIC

OpenLight announced sampling of a fully integrated 2x FR4 Photonic Application Specific Integrated Circuit (2xFR4 PASIC). 

The 2xFR4 PASIC, an 800G photonic integrated circuit (PIC) is designed for data center and AI cluster connections. It harnesses the power of heterogeneous integration, seamlessly combining lasers and electro-absorption modulators for unparalleled performance and versatility with the cost and reliability of traditional silicon photonics. 

OpenLight says one of the standout features of the 2xFR4 PASIC is its integration of all essential components into a single chip, replacing up to 16 individual components that would otherwise require assembly steps with disparate parts and complex back end manufacturing processes adding cost and large capital equipment expenditures. This results in simplified supply chain logistics and straightforward manufacturing processes that drastically reduce power consumption and overall costs compared to other solutions.

“With our revolutionary integration of lasers and electro-absorption modulators, 2xFR4 PASIC epitomizes our dedication to simplifying complexity, reducing costs, and setting new standards in efficiency,” said Dr. Adam Carter, CEO of OpenLight. “We're providing our customers with a validated reference design that not only accelerates their time to market but also empowers them to take control of their destiny in the supply chain.”

https://openlightphotonics.com

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ECOC23: OpenLight teams with Spark Photonics on design layout

OpenLight has formed a strategic partnership with Spark Photonics, an end-to-end integrated photonics design services firm. 

Spark Photonics will now offer design and layout services using the OpenLight process design kit (PDK) with the Luceda IPKISS design layout and simulation software suite. The expansion of design services increases the number of designs OpenLight can support at any one time on the Tower Semiconductor PH18DA process, reducing time to market for photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and expanding the silicon photonics industry’s reach to drive advancements across applications.

“Today marks an important step forward in our company’s journey. With the integration of industry-leading expertise and resources from OpenLight and Luceda coupled with best-in-class design services from Spark, we are fostering a new era for customers to tape in MPW engineering and production wafer run designs directly to Tower,” said Dr. Adam Carter, CEO of OpenLight. “This partnership empowers our customers to address distinct design needs, diversify their design portfolio, and resolve compatibility challenges.”

The OpenLight PDK incorporates both active and passive components, enabling advanced access to silicon photonics with heterogeneous integration. Mutual customers now have an array of choices from an EDA tool perspective to ensure first-time success in design verification and implementation.

https://openlightphotonics.com

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ECOC23: MACOM extends copper cable reach for 1.6T with 227 Gbps Equalizers

MACOM expanded its portfolio of active copper cable equalizers, with the first 227 Gbps per lane copper cable equalizer device that extends twinax copper cable reach. 

Traditionally, Direct Attach passive copper Cable (DAC) transmission at 227 Gbps per lane has been limited to about one meter in length. MACOM’s new linear equalizers more than double the reach of copper cables, enabling longer 1.6 Tbit copper cable assemblies used in intra-rack connectivity for high-performance Ethernet, InfiniBand, Fibre Channel and proprietary interconnect applications.

Emerging AI and high-performance computing clusters demand high bandwidth and low latency connectivity serviced by eight-lane octal small form factor pluggable (OSFP) and quad small form factor double density (QSFP-DD-based) cables. By utilizing un-retimed, linear equalization techniques, lower power and lower link latency is achieved compared to DSP retimed copper cables. These are critical parameters in high-performance computing and AI high density cluster applications. 

The two MACOM products supporting this solution are MAEQ-40904, a small form-factor die solution and MAEQ-40914, the packaged version of the part. The devices’ small size and low power consumption make them ideal for implementation in small form factor cable connectors, such as two channel DSFP, four channel QSFP and eight channel QSFP-DD and OSFP.

https://ir.macom.com/news-releases/news-release-details/macom-extends-copper-cable-reach-16-terabit-applications-new-227

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Teledyne to acquire Xena Networks for Ethernet test tools

Teledyne Technologies agreed to acquire Xena Networks ApS, a provider of high-speed Terabit Ethernet validation, quality assurance, and production test solutions based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Xena Networks test tools offer in-depth Ethernet link training and auto negotiation test capabilities, which next generation Terabit Ethernet products need to ensure that expected performance is achieved.

“The Xena Networks acquisition will further establish our leadership in the protocol test market, extending our reach to Ethernet system validation engineers, quality assurance labs, and production lines for test, evaluation, and acceptance of Ethernet components and systems,” said Robert Mehrabian, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Teledyne. 

“The acquisition of LeCroy in 2012 provided a healthy and growing portfolio of protocol test businesses focused on PCI Express, USB as well as storage and networking technologies. Since then, we expanded Teledyne LeCroy’s protocol test business with multiple acquisitions, including Quantum Data (for video), Frontline (for Bluetooth and WiFi) and OakGate (for storage devices test solutions). Xena Networks will be a powerful addition to this strong and growing protocol test portfolio.”

 “Combining the traffic generation and network emulation capabilities of Xena Networks with the protocol analysis functionality of Teledyne LeCroy will deliver a unique value proposition in support of semiconductor and network equipment manufacturers, network service providers, and hyperscale and cloud computing providers,” said Kevin Prusso, Vice President and General Manager of Teledyne LeCroy.

Jacob Vestergaard Nielsen, Xena Networks Chief Executive Officer, said, “We’re excited to join Teledyne LeCroy and leverage its wide coverage of protocols technologies. In particular, Teledyne’s network protocol analysis solutions complement well our traffic generation, physical layer, and network emulation products with support of up to 800Gbps Terabit Ethernet data rates, to the benefit of our customers.”

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Ciena announces two executive promotions

 Ciena announced the promotion of Dino DiPerna and Brodie Gage to its Executive Leadership Team, reporting to President and CEO Gary Smith. 

DiPerna becomes Ciena’s Senior Vice President of Global Research & Development (R&D). In this role, he will direct the development of the company’s portfolio of Converged Packet Optical, Network Control and Planning, and Routing and Switching products and solutions. DiPerna most recently served as Ciena’s Vice President of R&D for the company’s optical product portfolio.

Gage becomes Ciena’s Senior Vice President of Global Products and Supply Chain. He will oversee several critical functions, including Product Line Management, Global Supply Chain, and Solutions, Engineering, and Introduction (SE&I). Gage most recently served as Ciena’s Vice President of Product Line Management and Solutions.

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#ECOC23: Orange tests quantum over optical with Adtran

Adtran and Orange are collaborating on a lab trial of quantum key distribution (QKD) technology over an optical network.  

The trial featured Adtran’s FSP 3000 with OpenFabric technology for efficient encryption key distribution and optimized link performance. Leveraging a coherent 400Gbit/s DP-16QAM channel, the platform transported a QKD-secured data stream across two trusted nodes and three links, spanning 184km of standard, single-mode dark fiber. 

Both the Layer 1 encryption and hybrid key exchange used in the trial are enabled by Adva Network Security’s ConnectGuard solution.

The companies said one of the trial’s key achievements was overcoming data loss and distance constraints while transporting significant volumes of quantum-secure data alongside the quantum channel. The trial introduced a hybrid key exchange, blending classical asymmetric methods with QKD, creating a robust dual layer of security. While classical key exchange ensures immediate data protection in line with current cryptographic standards and governmental approval, QKD offers future-proof security, resilient against future computational advancements. 

“As we navigate the opportunities and challenges that quantum computing presents, it’s clear we’re at the beginning of a new era in network security. Our successful lab trial with Adtran highlights the magnitude of industry collaboration required to harness the full potential of quantum technology and secure our digital future,” said Gilles Bourdon, VP of wireline networks and infrastructure at Orange. “The synergy between Adtran’s FSP 3000 open optical transport technology, Adva Network Security’s ConnectGuard encryption, Toshiba’s latest QKD systems, and our expertise in network integration sets a formidable benchmark for quantum-resistant communications across Europe.”

“By utilizing a QKD trusted-node configuration provided by our technical partner Toshiba Europe/Japan, we’re showcasing some of the practical applicability of this technology in today’s networks. At Adtran, we’ve always been at the forefront of quantum security advancements, consistently applying the latest developments in QKD and post-quantum cryptography. This trial further underscores our dedication to pushing boundaries in this field,” commented Christoph Glingener, CTO of Adtran. “We’ve also always been committed to championing interoperability, promoting and contributing to open standards, such as the ETSI interface for QKD key delivery. Our latest collaboration with Orange emphasizes that an open, cooperative approach in the design and implementation of QKD solutions is indispensable to propel this vital technology at the speed we all require. Together, we’re setting the stage for a future where our data remains secure, irrespective of the challenges coming over the horizon.”

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#ECOC23: Source Photonics intros 800Gbps SR transceivers and active cables

Source Photonics announced the availability of 800Gbps short reach multimode (MMF) transceivers and active cables for AI cluster connectivity. The devices are powered by the latest 5nm DSP technology and Linear Direct Drive implementation.

The 800G OSFP and 400G QSFP112 optical transceivers, active optical cables and active copper cables are fine engineered to exceed both the standard 800GbE and InfiniBand NDR performance requirements. 

The new offerings enable the datacenter connectivity speeds scaling to 800Gbps faster, using conventional cost-effective VCSEL technology while accelerating time-to-market deployment of plug-and-play pluggable optics.

“Source Photonics’ global engineering and manufacturing footprints have been helping our current customers massively deploy robust 400G network infrastructures worldwide with our market leading single mode transceiver products empowered by in-house EML lasers. Our continuous efforts working with industry partners to reduce the Cost-per-Gigabit and Power-per-Gigabit will lead AI/ML cluster connectivity more affordable and less power cost in operation”, said John Wang, CEO of Source Photonics, “The introduction of 800G short reach optics and cables covers well the 1m to 100m connectivity needs, and will significantly improve our customers’ time-to-market AI/ML clusters deployment.”

 www.sourcephotonics.com

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#ECOC23:ColorChip demoes 800G DSP and Linear Drive

ColorChip is demonstration 800G based on DSP, including additional 800G Single-Mode (SM) and Multi-Mode (MM) product lines, as well as its internally developed SystemOnGlass technology.

ColorChip is also showcasing its collaborative effort with leading silicon suppliers to release 800G LPO based transceivers consuming 4W (MM) and 7W (SM).

In addition, ColorChip Group said it is in advanced stages of developing an interposer platform solution that enables standardized Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) solutions. The interposer utilizes its SystemOnGlass technology, thus lowering power consumption and minimizing optical loss.

ColorChip has established a new Sales Organization in North America, led by CEO Yigal Ezra and VP Bryan Hall, along with Sr. Director of PLM Sharon Wang, Ph.D.

https://www.color-chip.com 

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#ECOC23: AEPONYX shows Waveguide Isolator for PIC integration

 AEPONYX is showcasing its isolator waveguide (IWG) technology that guarantees precise alignment without the need for complex and costly lens alignments.

AEPONYX is also displaying its Silicon Nitride (SiN) based telecom and datacom product lines alongside its Tunable Optical Filtering/Switching (TOF/S) platform and Resource Optical Configuration System.

“AEPONYX is excited to return to ECOC and present the advances we have made in our hybrid integration platform. These advances now allow AEPONYX to release a new disruptive technology: the isolator waveguide (IWG). Bulky optical isolators are now a thing of the past!" explained Philippe Babin, the Chief Executive Officer of AEPONYX.

AEPONYX is based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

https://www.aeponyx.com

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Intel to spin out Programmable Solutions Group under Sandra Rivera

Intel will separate its Programmable Solutions Group (PSG) operations into a standalone business effective 01-January-2024. The independent business will be headed by Sandra Rivera, who currently heads Intel’s Data Center and AI Group (DCAI. Shannon Poulin has been named chief operating officer (COO) of PSG.

Intel said it will consider inviting minority investors in the independent PSG business while contemplating an eventual IPO for the new firm.

The two companies will remain strategically aligned, including continuing PSG’s relationship with Intel Foundry Services (IFS), as they work together to address key areas of the FPGA market. Building on PSG’s highly successful Supply Resilience program pilot, the relationship with IFS will also uniquely enable PSG to give customers greater predictability of supply aligned to their needs, ensuring a more resilient supply chain.

“Our intention to establish PSG as a standalone business and pursue an IPO is another example of how we are consistently unlocking more value for our stakeholders. This will give PSG the independence it needs to keep growing share in the FPGA market, differentiating itself with capacity and supply resilience from IFS, and allowing Intel product teams to focus on our core business and long-term strategy,” said Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger. “Sandra has proven herself by reinvigorating DCAI, placing it on a path for success. I am confident she will bring PSG that same dedication, energy and customer commitment.”

“This is an incredibly exciting day for me and the PSG team. Reestablishing PSG as a standalone business will enable us to unleash our full potential as we drive for leadership in this demanding and essential part of the semiconductor industry,” said Rivera. “Our strategic relationship with Intel will continue to be an advantage as it gives us maximum flexibility in how we address fast-growing markets like automotive and data center and communications.”

• In 2016, Intel acquired Altera, a specialist in FPGAs, for $16.7 billion.

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Broadcom debuts 200G/lane PAM-4 DSP PHY

Broadcom announced shipping of its 5nm 200G/lane optical PAM-4 DSP PHY featuring 200G/lane serial optical interfaces, which enable 800G and 1.6T pluggable optical transceiver modules.

The new Sian BCM85822 is optimized for the 1.6T OSFP-XD transceiver module design and would effectively enable 51.2T switching capacity in a 1RU rack to improve bandwidth density in hyperscale data centers. Further, the adoption of 200G/lane optical interfaces lays the foundation for the eventual deployment of 1.6T and 3.2T solutions with 200G/lane electrical interfaces, which are needed for cloud providers to support next generation switches and scale AI workloads.

Highlights

• Monolithic 5nm 800G (8:4) PAM-4 DSP with integrated laser driver
• Delivers best-in-class module performance in BER and power consumption
• Proven interoperability with Broadcom’s 200G EML
• Compliant to all IEEE and OIF standards, capable of supporting MR links on the chip to module electrical interface
• Supports optical modules from 800G to 1.6T
• Supports IEEE compliant (128,120) Hamming Inner Code

“This latest generation of DSP operating at 200G/lane extends Broadcom’s leadership in high-bandwidth PHY and enables the lowest power optical modules in the industry,” said Vijay Janapaty, vice president and general manager of the Physical Layer Products Division at Broadcom. “This, in turn, lays the foundation for next generation switching platforms for AI/ML clusters and networks.”

https://www.broadcom.com/blog/200g-lane-optical-solutions-drive-next-generation-networks

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#ECOC23: DustPhotonics unveils 800G Silicon Photonics chip

DustPhotonics introduced a single-chip 800G PIC (Photonic Integrated Circuit) for DR8 and DR8+ applications, providing 8 optical channels independently modulated at 100Gb/s for an aggregate bandwidth of 800Gb/s. 

The chip is designed into a compact 7.5mm x 7mm package, enabling it to be used in industry standard QSFP and OSFP style form factors.  The PIC includes on-chip lasers, incorporating DustPhotonics' patented L3C (low-loss laser coupling) technology, whereby off-the-shelf lasers from a variety of different manufacturers can be integrated with the PIC.

The device is suitable for reaches up to 2km in applications including hyperscale data centers and AI and Machine-Learning clusters.

At ECOC,, DustPhotonics is demonstrating this device in multiple configurations including a traditional 800GBASE-DR8 application, an immersion cooling application, and a reduced reach application. The immersion cooling demo showcases how this chip is suited to be immersed in a liquid coolant, since there is no free-space interface between the laser and PIC or at the fiber attach interface at the optical output of the chip.

For the reduced reach application, DustPhotonics is demonstrating a second, cost optimized version of the product suitable for transceivers or AOCs (Active Optical Cables) up to 100m, or for LPO (linear-drive pluggable optic) applications.

"We are seeing a lot of customer traction for this 800G application, and we are excited to showcase the broad range of applications that we support," said Ronnen Lovinger, CEO of DustPhotonics. "We are well-positioned for the next phase of the company which is to scale into high-volume manufacturing."

The device is sampling to customers today and is expected to be in production by the first quarter of 2024. 

www.dustphotonics.com

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#ECOC23: Avicena demos microLED transceiver in 16nm finFET CMOS

At this week's ECOC in Glasgow, Avicena is demonstrating its LightBundle multi-Tbps chip-to-chip interconnect technology.

Currently, high-bandwidth memory (HBM) modules must be co-packaged with GPUs because the GPU-memory electrical interconnect is limited to just a few millimeters in length. Conventional optical interconnects based on VCSELs or Silicon Photonics (SiPh) promise to extend the interconnect reach. However, they are challenged by the power, bandwidth density, latency, and cost requirements. 

Avicena says its microLED-based LightBundle interconnects provide much lower power and latency, much higher bandwidth density, and can achieve very low costs.

The LightBundle interconnect architecture is based on arrays of GaN microLEDs that leverage the microLED display ecosystem and can be integrated directly onto high performance CMOS ICs. Each microLED array is connected via a multi-core fiber cable to a matching array of CMOS-compatible PDs.

“As generative AI continues to evolve, the role of high bandwidth-density, low-power and low latency interconnects between xPUs and HBM modules cannot be overstated”, says Chris Pfistner, VP Sales & Marketing of Avicena. “Avicena’s innovative LightBundle interconnects have the potential to fundamentally change the way processors connect to each other and to memory because their inherent parallelism is well-matched to the internal wide and slow bus architecture within ICs. With a roadmap to multi-terabit per second capacity and sub-pJ/bit efficiency these interconnects are poised to enable the next era of AI innovation, paving the way for even more capable models and a wide range of AI applications that will shape the future.”

“We have previously demonstrated microLEDs transmitting at > 10Gbps per lane and a test ASIC in a 130nm CMOS process running 32 lanes at less than 1pJ/bit,” says Bardia Pezeshki, founder and CEO of Avicena. “Now we are bringing up our first ASIC in a 16nm finFET process with over 300 lanes and an aggregate bandwidth of over 1Tbps bi-directional at 4Gbps per lane. The ASIC measures less than 12mm2 and contains the circuitry for the optical Tx and Rx arrays, as well as a high-speed parallel electrical interface and various DFT/DFM functions like BERT, loopbacks, and Open Eye Monitoring (OEM). All key ASIC functionality has been verified and we are currently working on yield improvements for manufacturing scalability.”

Avicena plans to advance its LightBundle platform to enable interconnects with high-bandwidth density of multi-Tbps per mm2 in advanced CMOS process nodes. The low power, high density, and low latency of LightBundle is well matched to chiplet interfaces like UCIe, OpenHBI, and BoW, and can also be used to enhance system architectures that are limited by the reach of existing compute interconnects like PCIe/CXL, and HBM/DDR/GDDR memory links.

https://avicena.tech

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#ECOC23: Lumentum intros InP-Based 130+ GBaud Smart TROSA, 800G ZR

At this week's ECOC in Glasgow, Lumentum is showcasing its latest solutions, including:

• 800G ZR+ and 0dBm 400G ZR+ Transceivers: Lumentum 800G ZR+ and 0dBm 400G ZR+ compact transceivers, which are crucial components for connecting data centers, enable IP over DWDM by directly plugging into switches and routers. These transceivers, available in QSFP-DD and OSFP form factors and utilizing Lumentum's new 130+ GBaud Smart TROSA, offer high output power and extended reach for metro and regional networks. Sampling of the transceivers will begin in December 2023, with official release expected in calendar year 2024.
  
  
  
• InP-based 130+ GBaud Smart Transmitter Receiver Optical Sub-Assembly (TROSA): This advanced optical component enables data rates of up to 800Gbps on a single wavelength, allowing for a seamless transition to faster network architectures that can support increasing data traffic from emerging AI and ML applications. Lumentum will showcase this innovative technology within the Lumentum 800G ZR+ demo at their stand. This product is available for sampling now, complementing the nano-iTLA, CDM and ICR optical components that are already available and are currently being operated by multiple customers at up to 150 Gbaud.
• M11 Series, Uncooled 980 nm Pump Modules: These modules are compact, have low power consumption, comply with Telcordia GR-468-CORE standards, and offer wavelength selection for optimal spectrum control with high power output. They are well-suited for small form factor and pluggable Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifiers (EDFA), high bitrate and high channel-count EDFAs, and CATV distribution. The M11 series pump modules are now available for purchase.
• CPO/ELS Technology: Lumentum's ultra-high power, 1310 nm distributed-feedback laser (DFB) will be demonstrated at over 400 mW optical power ex-fiber at 25°C. These new ultra-high power 13xx lasers will enable higher bandwidth for AI and ML applications by using co-packaged optics and external laser source solutions, as well as silicon photonics transceivers for the next generation of data centers.
• OIF 400ZR+ Interoperability and CMIS demonstrations: At the OIF booth, Lumentum is participating in OIF's 400ZR Interoperability demonstration through the integration of its 400ZR+ QSFP-DD and OSFP transceivers. These transceivers enable high-speed data transmission over long distances. The demonstration aims to show how optical module manufacturers are reducing power consumption and complexity in data center interconnects, while promoting interoperability. 


"As the technology landscape evolves at a breakneck pace and the relentless need for data-intensive applications persists, we’ve designed our products to support the increased level of efficiency and performance that’s essential in this new era," emphasized Wupen Yuen, President, Cloud and Networking at Lumentum. “At ECOC, we’re showcasing cutting-edge innovations that draw upon our decades of photonic expertise, with solutions that empower our customers to stay at the forefront of this dynamic environment."

In addition to the solutions on display, Brian Smith, Lumentum Senior Principal Engineer, will deliver a Market Focus presentation on October 4 from 13:20 – 13:35 entitled “The 6th Generation of Fiber Optic Communications: Carrier and Spatial Division Multiplexing (CSDM).” Smith will provide his insights on the next era of optical networking, which Lumentum introduced at its LITE 2023 Investor Event in March of this year. 

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