Vitesse & Avago Unite To Simplify 100G/120G Connectivity
Silicon and compound semiconductor technologies combine to speed up time-to-market
Vitesse Semiconductor and Avago Technologies are launching what they say is the industry's first CXP host joint reference design delivering 100G/120G connectivity.
The model is suitable for use in high-speed routers, Enterprise data centres and high-performance cloud computing applications. The joint reference design is based on Vitesse's VSC7227 12-channel signal conditioner and Avago's AFBR-83PDZ 100G CXP.
The firms say it enables customers to accelerate time-to-market with solutions for 100G/120G connectivity.
Sustained growth in cloud computing, mobile networking and video, remote storage and other bandwidth-intensive services drives demand for high density 100G/120G connectivity.
Recent surveys show that network bandwidth demand is one of the most critical issues facing data centres, driven by increases in virtualisation, cloud computing, big data, and convergence. To meet these needs, both carrier and equipment providers are upgrading existing systems with higher density 10G ports which are expected to grow 68 percent in 2012 alone, according to Infonetics.
The reference design supports both these higher density 10G ports, along with the migration to true 100G links and beyond.
"The Vitesse reference design demonstrates the combined superior performance of the Avago CXP transceivers with the Vitesse signal conditioning ICs," says Sharon Hall, product manager for parallel fibre optic products at Avago. "With this combined solution, system designers can design 100G/120G optically connected systems with confidence and improved signal integrity."
"This reference design gives our customers a proven way to solve higher bandwidth demands in optical networks," adds Gary Paules, product marketing manager at Vitesse. "Through ecosystem developments such as with Avago, Vitesse continues to extend its connectivity leadership, enabling our customers to rapidly bring to market advanced solutions for high density 100G Ethernet and Infiniband applications."
The reference design is available now.
Vitesse's VSC7227, one of the industry's lowest power 12-channel solutions, supports data rates from 155 Mbps to 14.1 G and adaptive equalisation on each channel with no requirement for firmware. The VSC7227 combines a high performance CTLE/DFE input receiver that can equalise more than 30dB of loss, along with a 3-tap FIR output driver with better than 18dB of de-emphasis. This combination of input equalisation and output driver can close links up to 65 inches of FR4 and 20 metres of copper cable.
Avago's AFBR-83PDZ CXP module supports 100G Ethernet and Infiniband IB-QDR / IB-DDR / IB-SDR applications. Exceeding the electrical requirements of IEEE 802.3ba 100G (100 GBASE-SR10 and CPPI) and optical specifications for the 100G SR standard of 100m or a more aggressive 150m on OM4 fibre, the module supports the highest density data communications and interconnection applications with an aggregate bandwidth in excess of 120G.
The modules incorporate the company's 850nm Vertical-Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) technology, PIN array technology and integrated laser driver and receiver IC technology, which combine to provide robust electrical and optical performance at high data rates.
The joint reference platform is available for viewing at SC12 in the Avago booth #737. Along with the active hardware demonstration, a complete interoperability report is now available to interested customers.
The International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis (SC12) takes place between November 12th and 15 th 2012 at the Salt Palace Convention Centre in Salt Lake City, Utah.
