Demand for data traffic across the network is growing rapidly, and this is driving the need for 100Gbit/s (100G) interfaces. The cost of 10Gbit/s optics has come down significantly with the widespread deployment of 10Gbit/s interfaces. The use of 40Gbit/s interfaces is well established in both long-haul and data center systems using four 10Gbit/s lasers per interface. The move to 100G interfaces presents two key challenges to vendors and telecom equipment manufacturers: reducing the cost to significantly less than ten times 10 Gbit/s and increasing port density toward that achieved at 40 Gbit/s and 10 Gbit/s.
We are now seeing the introduction of second-generation 100G solutions with cost-effective 10x10Gbit/s optical modules and production-ready 4x25Gbit/s optical modules. Coherent receivers and DP-QPSK modulation is the key to long-haul 100G link performance. There are now multiple vendors with 40G and 100G optical modules and the physical layer devices (PHY) for long-haul, enterprise and data center applications.
The 100G market is divided into three distinct areas: long haul, metro and enterprise, and data center. The industry is developing three distinct 100G technologies – one for each of these three areas. Coherent receivers with DP-QPSK modulation have been adopted by the OIF for long-haul networks and are the focus for all long-haul equipment manufacturers. Many are using DP-QPSK with coherent receivers for 40G long haul, as well. 100GBase-LR4 Ethernet will be the dominant technology for the metro and enterprise applications, with 10GBase-ER4 used for longer links. In the data center, 10GBase-SR10 Ethernet and InfiniBand will be the dominant 100G interconnects for some time to come. The alternative 10x10 MSA solution, with 2km, 10km, and 40km options, will see some use in the interim but is unlikely to be a long-term solution.
With six different 100G module form factors defined or in discussion, the industry is already preparing a roadmap that will reduce the cost and increase the density for 100G interfaces. Photonic integration, higher-speed serial links and greater integration will all play a role in delivering on these plans. The responses to the survey covered in this report show that 100G interfaces will play a major role in future networking systems. The companies that will be successful in this area must be able to deliver the 100G performance required for long-haul, metro or data center applications and drive a development strategy that will bring the cost reductions the industry has already seen at 10Gbit/s to 40Gbit/s and 100Gbit/s.
100G Components User Survey: 2012 Market Outlook analyzes the current and projected use of 100Gbit/s optical modules and PHY semiconductor components by telecom equipment manufacturers, based on the results of an exclusive worldwide survey. The responses to our survey make it clear that these devices are critical components in many types of networking equipment, from long haul to the access edge, data center and core of the network.
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Companies mentioned in this report include: Applied Microsystems Corp. (AMC); Avago Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: AVGO); Broadcom Corp. (Nasdaq: BRCM); Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO); ClariPhy Communications Inc.; CoreOptics Inc.; Cortina Systems Corp.; Finisar Corp. (Nasdaq: FNSR); Fujitsu Optical Components, a subsidiary of Fujitsu Ltd. (Pink Sheets: FJTSY); Gennum Corp. (Toronto: GND); Hitachi Ltd. (NYSE: HIT; Paris: PHA); Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ); IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM); Infineon Technologies AG; JDS Uniphase Corp. (Nasdaq: JDSU; Toronto: JDU); Luxtera Inc.; Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (Nasdaq: MRVL); Maxim Integrated Products Inc.; MultiPhy Ltd.; NetLogic Microsystems Inc. (Nasdaq: NETL); Oclaro Inc. (Nasdaq: OCLR); Opnext Inc. (Nasdaq: OPXT); Phyworks Ltd.; PMC-Sierra Inc. (Nasdaq: PMCS); Semtech Corp. (Nasdaq: SMTC); Siemens AG (NYSE: SI); Vitesse Semiconductor Corp. (Pink Sheets: VTSS).
