PMC-Sierra’s breakthrough technology enables volume deployments of 40Gb/s coherent networks

SUNNYVALE, USA: PMC-Sierra Inc. announced the industry’s most advanced 40Gb/s System-on-Chip (SoC) solution for coherent optical networking. The PM6373 POLO 40G’s innovative technology enables volume deployments of 40Gb/s coherent for metro, regional and longhaul network buildouts.

This advanced SoC architecture doubles line card density and reduces power consumption by more than 50 percent when compared to 40G non-coherent network deployments. The POLO 40G allows Carriers to address the enormous growth in video and mobile data traffic and enables them to reduce capital and operating expenses by deploying 40Gb/s bandwidth using existing fiber plant.

PMC-Sierra’s unique combination of high-performance mixed-signal, digital signal processing (DSP), analogue to digital convertor (ADC), OTN framing and Swizzle Forward Error Correction (FEC) SoC architecture digitally compensates for optical impairments and improves optical performance by more than 2dB for an additional 25 percent fiber reach extension, which dramatically lowers the cost of transmission.

“Carriers are choosing coherent deployments because it is the most effective technology to increase fiber transmission rates and build all-optical networks,” said Andrew Schmitt, directing analyst of Optical at Infonetics Research. “Coherent technology is one of the fundamental technologies of what I call the Optical Reboot: the optical network architecture transformation that will take place this decade.”

PMC-Sierra’s POLO 40G has elevated coherent networking to an unmatched level of integration to meet industry demand for increased fiber transmission rates beyond 10Gb/s. POLO 40G allows Carriers to dramatically lower capital costs by eliminating widely deployed optical equipment such as dispersion compensation management (DCM), dispersion compensated fiber (DCF), and the extensive hands-on operational cost of tuning and managing this equipment.

With this solution, OEM line cards can transition from today’s two- or three-slot implementations to single-slot. As a result, Carriers can more than double faceplate density and reduce power consumption by 50 percent, as line card tuneable dispersion compensators (TCMs) are no longer required.

“With the explosion of bandwidth demand driving the need to upgrade existing metro, regional and longhaul fiber infrastructures to 40Gb/s and beyond, POLO 40G will be a key enabler to make the optical buildout a reality,” said Daryn Lau, vice president and general manager of PMC-Sierra’s Communication Products Division. “PMC-Sierra has significant experience in delivering innovative products to enable evolving Carrier network requirements. Our POLO 40G is uniquely positioned to provide the combination of bandwidth per unit, power and cost when compared to existing multi-slot coherent solutions even in cost-sensitive Carrier Ethernet service point-to-point and metro deployments.”