Luxtera debuts duplex 100G-CWDM2 silicon photonics QSFP transceiver module

Fabless silicon photonics firm Luxtera of Carlsbad, CA, USA is sampling its 100G-CWDM2 QSFP optical transceiver module. The transceiver is multi-rate, offering 10.3125, 20.625 or 25.78125Gbps (per electrical channel). With power of more than 3.5W, reach is over 2000m.

Leveraging the firm’s latest silicon photonics chipset, the LUX45202 transceiver was developed to target 100G build-outs for cloud, enterprise and high-performance computing (HPC) end users. In a QSFP28-compliant module form factor, the LUX45202 offers what is claimed to be superior performance and reliability, at a price point that makes it the leading 100G duplex solution on the market. These benefits are realized by implementing PAM-4 modulation, which allows it to accomplish with two lasers what existing solutions require four lasers to achieve.

“Silicon photonics has long been seen as a critical element for 100G data center systems,” comments Bill Gartner, VP & general manager at Cisco. “Cisco is excited to see Luxtera delivering high-density, low-cost 100G data-center solutions offering disruptive opportunities for our cloud and enterprise customers,” he adds.

“We were the first company to deliver a silicon photonic transceiver to the market… Now, we are the first to announce a 100G-CWDM2 duplex QSFP optical module solution,” claims Luxtera’s president & CEO Greg Young. “Not only does this product provide a competitive solution for 100G networking today, but by successfully integrating wave-division multiplexing and PAM-4 modulation into our silicon photonics chipset it puts into practice key technical developments that will drive Luxtera towards 400G optics and beyond.”

The LUX45202 100G-duplex CWDM2 optical transceiver module is sampling now to select customers, with volume production expected to begin in second-half 2017. Luxtera is exhibiting LUX45202 modules in a private suite at the Optical Fiber Communications (OFC) conference & exhibition in Los Angeles (21-23 March)