November 18, 2009 --Finisar is holding the first public demonstration of a 120-Gbps CXP-to-QSFP active breakout cable at the SuperComputing 2009 (SC09) exhibition in Portland, OR. The active optical cable contains a single CXP transceiver at one end and three 40-Gbps QSFP transceivers at the other end to provide flexibility in high performance computing and network infrastructure environments.
Finisar asserts that a significant benefit of this multi-connector cable is that it provides high-density switches with connectivity to multiple top-of-rack switches and/or server nodes. Compliant with both CXP and QSFP specifications, this breakout cable provides a hot-pluggable, low power, low-weight, and flexible option for high port-count network topologies, the company says.
During SC09, Finisar will also demonstrate a new QSFP to Laserwire adapter. Laserwire is Finisar’s active cable line, which includes a proprietary connector. The adapter is designed to drive the convergence of multiple connector form factors in data center applications. It will enable system manufacturers to design a single PCB layout for both 10G and 40G applications, the company concludes.