ClariPhy announces volume shipments of LightSpeed, industry’s first single-chip 40G coherent SoC

ECOC 2011, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND: ClariPhy Communications Inc., a leading developer of ultra-high speed mixed signal, digital signal processing (MXSP) system-on-chip (SoC) solutions for coherent optical networks, announced that it has achieved volume shipments of its industry leading LightSpeed CL4010 Coherent SoC.

The LightSpeed CL4010 is the industry’s first single-chip CMOS solution targeting the highly anticipated deployment of 40 gigabit per second (40G) networks based on coherent technology. It offers significantly lower power and higher integration than competing solutions. Oclaro, Inc., an investor in ClariPhy and a tier-one provider of optical communications and laser solutions, recently announced volume shipments of its first 40G MSA coherent module, the MI 5000XM, which integrates the LightSpeed CL4010 SoC from ClariPhy.

Service providers worldwide are facing a surge in bandwidth requirements driven by cloud computing, IPTV, streaming HD video and an explosive growth in bandwidth intensive smart phone applications. The emergence of coherent optical transmission technology, enabled by advanced DSP-based modulation techniques, represents a paradigm shift in optical networking that promises to dramatically increase both the reach and capacity of fiber networks.

ClariPhy's LightSpeed CL4010 is the world’s first application specific standard product (ASSP) for coherent optical transmission, enabling module suppliers and OEMs to address the surging demand from operators for 40G coherent deployments. The CL4010 ASSP also delivers a proven the MXSP platform that ClariPhy uses to provide custom SoCs to its OEM partners who wish to deploy internally developed technology, with low risk and fast time to market, by leveraging ClariPhy’s proven IP and ASIC design flow.

The LightSpeed CL4010 is the industry’s first single-chip coherent SoC manufactured in 40nm CMOS technology. It is a full-duplex transceiver with unprecedented integration, combining a DSP with advanced modulation (Dual Polarization DQPSK), analog to digital converter (ADC), high-speed transmitter, OTN framer, and SFI-5.1 interface. It offers more than 30 percent power savings compared to competing solutions, enabling OEMs to maximize the number of 40G slots per system. The CL4010 can transmit over 3000km of non-compensated fiber because of its industry-leading chromatic dispersion tolerance of 55,000ps/nm.

The LightSpeed CL4010 is also offered in a higher speed variant, the LightSpeed CL5018, which delivers line rates up to 50G, thereby accommodating the high performance forward error correction codes used in submarine deployments. As previously announced, ClariPhy and Cortina, provider of the most widely deployed 40G OTN Processor solutions, have achieved interoperability between ClariPhy’s LightSpeed CL4010 and Cortina’s CS604x and CS600x 40G/10G Optical Transport Network (OTN) Processor families supporting strong Forward Error Correction capabilities.

The unmatched density and power consumption of ClariPhy's LightSpeed CL4010 SoC enable module suppliers such as Oclaro to develop 40G coherent solutions that rival the cost of 40G direct detection solutions while also delivering the significant cost and performance benefits associated with coherent technology. Service providers can reap the rewards of coherent-based technology, which enables the deployment of flexible and future-proof networks that can be easily and cost effectively scaled from 10G to 40G to 100G, and drives substantial CAPEX savings for green field deployments.

“Mass deployment of 40G coherent solutions is on a steep rise. ClariPhy is uniquely positioned to address this ramp in operator deployments with the industry’s first single-chip 40G coherent SoC” said Nariman Yousefi, CEO, ClariPhy. “Oclaro's achievement of volume shipments for its 40G coherent transponder based on our LightSpeed CL4010 SoC is a testament to our successful partnership.”

“The availability of ClariPhy's 40G SoC is an important milestone in the development of a coherent ecosystem that will accelerate commercial 40G deployments,” said Terry Unter, president and GM, Optical Network Solutions, Oclaro Inc. “ClariPhy's successful execution on the CL4010 with its innovative mixed-signal and DSP design was a critical enabler for ramping Oclaro's 40G coherent transponder solution to production.”