OREANDA-NEWS. March 26, 2015. Huawei today unveiled its short-reach optical interconnect module prototype at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition (OFC). A testament to Huawei’s leading contributions in the optical network space, the 400 Gbit/s (16 x 25 Gbit/s) module is an industry-leading high-density, low-power-consumption, and large-capacity short-reach optical interconnect system, designed to meet the requirements of optical interfaces for large capacity switching nodes on all-optical networks.

The increase in data traffic over recent years has led to all-optical networks requiring switching nodes with a large capacity to meet transmission needs. The capacity is determined not only by the capabilities of the all-optical switching system, but also by the access capabilities of interfaces at the node edge. Traditional short-reach optical interconnect modules adopt parallel transmissions using multi-mode optical fibers. Currently, modules only provide a capacity of 40 Gbit/s (4 x 10 Gbit/s) or 100 Gbit/s (10 x 10 Gbit/s) and the per-channel rate and integration levels are low while the equipment size is large.

With its new prototype, Huawei uses an innovative algorithm to achieve a 400 Gbit/s capacity and 500m multi-mode transmission distance on a coin-sized device. The prototype increases the transmission distance three-fold and reduces power consumption by 40 percent compared to traditional modules. It also supports an access capacity of 6.4 Tbit/s (16 x 400 Gbit/s) on a single board, increasing the integration level and transmission capacity.

Over the years, Huawei has continuously explored the all-optical switching field and achieved a series of technical breakthroughs. It previously released a Petabit Photonic Cross-Connect (PPXC) prototype, an all-optical switching network architecture that can be applied to any topology, and a wavelength-based multidimensional all-optical cross-connect prototype to support the application of optical cross-connect technology. Short-reach optical interconnect is a basic technology that enables the all-optical evolution of transport networks. This breakthrough is expected to significantly reduce maintenance difficulties and the number of interconnected ports between switching networks constructed by large routers and switch clusters, thus ensuring a promising future for the technology. Moreover, the technology meets the optical interconnection requirements of data centers' internal networks and, therefore can protect existing optical fiber resources, and support the low-cost evolution of data center networks.

The Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition takes place in Los Angeles from March 22 to 26. It is the largest global conference and exposition for optical communications and networking professionals. Huawei will showcase its latest products and solutions at booth 2309 with company representatives scheduled to speak at the event. For more information, please visit http://www.ofcconference.org/en-us/home/.