October 8, 2007 -- XLoom Communications, Inc., a developer of chip-scale optoelectronic interconnects, has introduced its AVDAT 4X optical 10GbaseCX4 transceiver, a drop-in optical interconnect replacement for InfiniBand 4X and 10GbaseCX4 electrical connector receptacles, suitable for grid computing and data center applications.
"AVDAT 4X is part of our vision to offer a drop-in optical replacement for every high speed electrical connector that's out there," says David Sachs, XLoom's CEO. "We believe AVDAT 4X is unique, by being a simple replacement into existing product boards, providing a fully integrated fiber solution."
The four-lane optical transceiver has a highly compact footprint and a contact-pattern compatible with CX4 receptacles. The product is designed for use in InfiniBand HCAs [host channel adapters] as well as in InfiniBand and Ethernet switches, where it can extend link reach to more than a 100 m for 20 Gbit/sec speeds (compared with only a few meters supported by copper cables, notes the company).
"AVDAT 4X enables optical interconnects for InfiniBand right off-the-board in the same way many data centers use Fiber Channel and Ethernet optical interconnects, further widening the cabling technology alternatives available for InfiniBand in data center applications," offers Lloyd Dickman, CTO for QLogic's System Interconnect Group.
The AVDAT 4X supports InfiniBand SDR and DDR speeds as well as 10Gbit Ethernet XAUI optical interfaces and Fiber Channel switches. The transceiver is is powered by the iFlame platform, XLoom's second generation of commercial optical chips. The platform's key capability is its footprint and contact-pattern compatible with CX4, and its four-channel electrical connector receptacle defined by InfiniBand Architecture Release 1.2.
"Unlike other solutions, the AVDAT 4X transceiver adds revenue for InfiniBand switch and HCA vendors, while offering extended link reaches, the lowest fiber cable bending radius, no cable range dependency and less external copper-to-fiber connections. All in a cost effective solution for the end-user," concludes Avner Badihi, XLoom's president and co-founder.
The AVDAT 4X is currently sampling and is being integrated into multiple InfiniBand and Ethernet switches, as well as various HCAs.