Opnext delivers world's first ultra-high speed SMT mux IC for 100G coherent transponders

FREMONT, USA: Opnext Inc., a global leader in state-of-the-art laser technology and high speed optical communications, has developed the world’s first ultra-high speed Surface Mount Technology (SMT) multiplexer Integrated Circuit (IC) for 100Gbps applications.

The SiGe (Silicon Germanium) 0.13µm process technology chip was designed in-house to be used inside Opnext’s leading edge coherent 40Gbps and 100Gbps transponder modules and subsystems.

The 128Gbps multiplexer IC transmits the data in 32Gbps lanes suitable for transmission using the DP-QPSK modulation scheme, as documented in the OIF 100G Ultra Long Haul DWDM Framework, for 100GbE and OTU4 transmission in the Wide Area Network (WAN). The multiplexer IC employs Ball Grid Array (BGA) technology to allow standard SMT manufacturing processes. This enables higher density transponder designs with ICs mounted directly onto the PCBs.

“One of the major challenges of increasing 40G production was the manufacturability, quality and performance consistency of the hardware,” said Roberto Marcoccia, vice president of R&D for Opnext’s subsystems business unit. “This SMT IC eliminates the radio frequency (RF) connectors and coaxial cabling, a major source of these volume manufacturing issues.”

Opnext continues to employ selective vertical integration on components like this new SMT IC with the goal of delivering the lowest cost and highest performance 100Gbps OIF MSA compliant solution to its OEM partners.