Lightwire, Inc., the
technology leader in CMOS photonics interconnects, today introduced the industry's
first CMOS photonics 10GbE SFP+ LRM optical module, the LSME10XX. The new plug-and-play
Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) compliant module is used to connect servers and
network equipment in Ethernet networks at distances of up to 220m. The new module
reduces operating power requirements by more than half while providing superior
signal integrity and operating over a wider temperature range as compared to
currently available 10Gb opto-electronic products.
"These new optical modules represent a significant breakthrough for the
industry on several fronts," said Lightwire CEO Vijay Albuquerque. "First
of all, these are the first commercially available standards-compliant CMOS
photonics products. Lightwire is the first to bring the widely publicized silicon
photonics technology into the mainstream of communications solutions. Second,
the superior operating characteristics made possible by CMOS photonics technology
will enable Lightwire SFP+ products to break the power and density constraints
now limiting widespread deployment of SFP+ modules in next-generation networking
equipment. Current SFP+ solutions consume too much power, suffer from signal
integrity issues and do not perform well over temperature. Lightwire's new CMOS
photonics SFP+ modules use significantly less power, provide outstanding signal
integrity and operate over a wider and more useful temperature range. Lightwire's
SFP+ modules are designed to address the requirements of the high density 10Gb
network infrastructure in the next generation data center and other Ethernet-based
networks."
"Lightwire's approach is fundamentally different from other silicon photonics
products on the market," said Karen Liu, Ph.D., Vice President at Ovum
RHK. "It has set out to solve the right critical problem which is reducing
power dissipation which in turn comes down to tackling signal integrity and
compatibility with digital CMOS drive circuitry from the ground up. It's very
new technology but it can be adopted immediately since it is being brought to
market as a standards-based LRM transceiver. System OEMs have been waiting for
the LRM for many years but it just hasn't been possible to fit in the EDC power
without reducing the optics power. Going beyond that, Lightwire's approach is
eminently suited to parallel products, such as 4 x 10 Gb or 4 x 25 Gb. The industry
is now looking eagerly for breakthroughs to reach 40 and 100 Gbps bandwidth
with practical power, size and cost."
The Lightwire LSME10XX 10Gb SFP+ LRM optical module is the first product based
on Lightwire's CMOS photonics process jointly developed with Singapore's Institute
of Microelectronics (IME) and Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd. (Chartered)
and announced in November 2007. The new CMOS photonics device technology, protected
by over 120 patents, is revolutionary in its ability to integrate light modulation
circuitry into silicon, enabling high volume, low cost production CMOS fabrication
techniques to be used to produce high bandwidth optical components. Lightwire
uses Chartered's current high-volume CMOS process technologies to manufacture
its devices.
"Lightwire's MZI circuit is the most highly optimized silicon-based modulator
and driver design I have seen," said Lehigh University Professor Thomas
L. Koch, Ph.D. and member of the Lightwire Technical Advisory Board. "Lightwire
has done a remarkable job of reducing the power consumption of their solution
while still meeting high-volume manufacturing requirements. Building on IME's
development and Chartered Semiconductor's production engineering effort, Lightwire
is well positioned to lead the industry in integration, low power, and compact
size." Dr. Koch, a leading authority on photonic integration and silicon
photonics, is a joint Professor in Electronics and Computer Engineering and
Physics at Lehigh University and Director of the Center for Optical Technologies.
Availability
The Lightwire LSME1085 10Gb SFP+ LRM optical module is available for customer
evaluation immediately with production units scheduled for the second half of
2008.