Following up the release of its 400G QSPF-DD DR4 silicon photonics optical module at last year's OFC 2020, at this week's virtually-held OFC 2021 event, Hengtong Rockley Technology Co., Ltd. (Suzhou, China) announced the release of its 800G QSFP-DD800 DR8 optical module, based on its EML [externally modulated laser] technology.

A live video from Hengtong Rockley’s virtual booth at OFC 2021 demonstrates the 800G QSFP-DD800 DR8 pluggable optical module's operation.

As noted by the manufacturer, there are two main form factors for the 800G MSA: OSFP and QSFP-DD800. Because of its tight space, the QSFP-DD800 module's design has been considered the most challenging, in terms of layout, signal integrity and thermal management.

In response to this challenge, Hengtong Rockley has adapted a 7nm DSP with built-in drivers and a COB [chip on board] structure to achieve its 800G QSFP-DD800 DR8 design, which features a total module power consumption of around 16W.

The manufacturer says the new module's design is open for early customer evaluation later this year, and plans to start production in 2022. Hengtong Rockley also plans to have the completed 800G optical module based on silicon photonics technology available in 2022.

A specialist in the design and manufacture of high-end optical modules, Hengtong Rockley Technology Co., Ltd. is a joint venture established by China's Hengtong Optic-Electric Co., Ltd. and the UK's Rockley Photonics Limited.