Semtech ships first 100G CFP MSA-compliant Gearbox IC platform for 100G optical networks

CAMARILLO, USA: Semtech Corp., a leading supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors, announced its first shipments of its high-bandwidth, 100Gbps gearbox chipset for 100Gbps CFP MSA applications.

The CFP (100G Form-factor Pluggable) transceiver MSA (Multi-Source Agreement) defines a hot-pluggable optical transceiver form-factor for 100Gbps, high-speed Ethernet applications for data and telecommunication networks. Semtech’s Theta SR SMI10021 multiplexer (MUX) and SMI10031 demultiplexer (DEMUX) gearbox ICs provide bandwidth of up to 113Gbps to support 100GbE and the Optical Transport Network (OTN) systems.

Data center and commercial network operators are accelerating the adoption of 100GbE connectivity and transport to meet the bandwidth explosion driven by rich services like online video, gaming, peer-to-peer (p2p), and social networking.

With global IP traffic set to quadruple in the next three years, Semtech’s gearbox platform provides the best performance for 100GbE in the industry. 100GBase-LR4 running 10km is well on its path for mass adoption and deployment as the most effective solution for expanded broadband transport, from a cost, performance and power perspective.

Today, an overwhelming majority of the 40G traffic running globally is powered through Semtech solutions. Semtech’s leadership in 40G solutions provides the basis for launching solutions for the 100G space. As 100G adoption accelerates, Semtech is well positioned with the gearbox platform to continue powering the majority of 100G traffic around the world.

“Semtech is the only supplier of MUX and DEMUX commercial solutions for the 100G market, with products that support the major MSA topologies, including both CFP for client applications and OIF DP-QPSK-based MSA168 for coherent long-distance transmission,” said Dharmesh Jani, director of Product Marketing for Semtech’s Transport and Data Communication Group.

“Our Theta SR CFP gearbox ICs are an essential block in 100G CFP-compliant transponders and with samples now shipping to several regions of the world, 100Gbps systems designers can shorten their design cycles and reduce costs for widespread 100GbE deployment via CFPs.”

Semtech’s Theta SR devices form a 10x4 gearbox with user-enabled single- or dual-polarization DQPSK precoder/decoder functions for use in CFP-compliant transponders. On the line-side, the SMI10021 10:4 multiplexer translates 10x10Gbps lanes of electrical data and maps the lanes to 4x28.3Gbps lanes. On the client-side, the SMI10031 4:10 demultiplexer translates 4x28.3Gbps electrical lanes of data and maps it back to 10x10Gbps lanes. Both devices feature CAUI/MLD-compatible client-side interfaces, SPI control interfaces and temperature-sense output voltage.

The SMI10021 includes high-speed differential clock outputs for highly stable clock-data skew and low jitter, along with reference clock clean-up PLL circuitry. The SMI10031 includes quad on-chip clock and data recovery units (CDRs), along with an optional line-side deskew function for CAUI or MLD applications and an optional preskew mode that is compatible with the OIF-defined SFI-S interface.

Both devices operate from +1.2V, +1.5V and +2.8V power supply voltages and come in a low-cost, surface mount, full BGA-style (ball grid array) package.

Theta SR gearbox IC evaluation kits are available now, priced at $50,000. Engineering samples of the Theta SR SMI10021 MUX and SMI10031 DEMUX devices are available now, and scheduled to enter volume production in the fourth quarter of 2011.