Paper: Complexity of 100G pluggable optics demands vigorous testing

"Traditionally, Ethernet optics have been reliable components," writes JDSU's Dr. Paul Brooks in the company's recent white paper, 100G Pluggable Optics Drive Testing in New Directions. Brooks continues, "But the increased technical complexity of 100G optics requires testing and screening them both during vendor selection and production."

The white paper regards how,with 100G products now the reality, client interfaces based on CFP optics have been appearing on routers, switches and transport equipment. Although the technology is fast maturing, Brooks argues that "the complexity and performance of pluggable optics remains challenging, and is compounded by the relative short supply and high cost of the CFPs."

Down in the paper's technical analysis, Brooks enages in the following commentary: "As you can see, the plan it to migrate away from the CFP form-factor over the next few years, which is expected to being in early 2011 for 40 GE to Quad Small Form-Factor Pluggable Plus (QSFP+). The 100G technology will take longer as challenges remain over the 25G/28G electrical interface and photonic integration required to support a smaller form-factor at that rate. The CXP form-factor is already establishing itself as a strong contender in the Enterprise space because of its low cost and compact form-factor."

The internal functions of a 100G LR4 transponder are then pictorially examined in one of the technical document's numerous figures.

View/Download the white paper.