Acacia 1.2 Tbps Si photonics module is 40% smaller than 400 Gbps devices
Coherent optical interconnects company Acacia Communications (NASDAQ: ACIA; Maynard, MA) announced its AC1200 Coherent fiber-optic communications module based on its Pico digital signal processor (DSP) application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and silicon (Si) photonics platform. Using two wavelengths, with up to 600 Gbps capacity each, Acacia's AC1200 supports transmission speeds of up to 1.2 Tbps in a footprint that is 40% smaller than the size of a 5 inch x 7 inch module supporting 400 Gbps today.
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In addition to its higher capacity and density, Acacia's AC1200 introduces several new features designed to enable network operators to improve efficiency while reducing network costs. These key features include (1) tunable baud rate forcontinuous baud rate adjustment for optimal utilization of the available spectrum; (2) patented fractional quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) to provide users with the ability to select very fine resolution of QAM constellations for optimal capacity; and (3) ultrahigh net coding gain (NCG) that enables maximum reach, while maintaining low power dissipation.
The AC1200 module will support security encryption and a wide range of host interfaces designed to reduce or eliminate the need for costly external devices. The module is supported by a software development kit designed to streamline the integration and allow customers to more quickly take advantage of this highly flexible solution for multiple network applications, including metro, long-haul, and submarine communications.
The module has a highly integrated silicon photonics circuit that supports high baud rates while reducing interconnect costs; co-optimization and short connection between the DSP ASIC and optics provides high fidelity for the high-speed interconnects.
"Increasing bandwidth demands are driving the need for key technologies like silicon photonics that evolve networks more efficiently. Acacia has a history of driving innovation by developing products with increasing performance capabilities and reduced size and power consumption," said Raj Shanmugaraj, president and CEO of Acacia Communications.
"Our growth is continually driving the need for better optical performance within the network. Technology that raises the bar with high baud rate integrated photonics and signal processing algorithms in a well-architected interconnect solution provide the high performance that is imperative," said Glenn Wellbrock, director of optical transport network architecture, design and planning, Verizon.
AC1200 samples will be available in the first half 2018 and Acacia will be attending the European Conference on Optical Communications (ECOC) in Gothenburg, Sweden from September 17-21, 2017.
SOURCE: Acacia Communications; https://acacia-inc.com
Gail Overton | Senior Editor (2004-2020)
Gail has more than 30 years of engineering, marketing, product management, and editorial experience in the photonics and optical communications industry. Before joining the staff at Laser Focus World in 2004, she held many product management and product marketing roles in the fiber-optics industry, most notably at Hughes (El Segundo, CA), GTE Labs (Waltham, MA), Corning (Corning, NY), Photon Kinetics (Beaverton, OR), and Newport Corporation (Irvine, CA). During her marketing career, Gail published articles in WDM Solutions and Sensors magazine and traveled internationally to conduct product and sales training. Gail received her BS degree in physics, with an emphasis in optics, from San Diego State University in San Diego, CA in May 1986.