Finisar demonstrates interoperability of XFP with Quake and Vitesse at NFOEC

Finisar’s FTRX-1411-3 optical transceiver utilizes a 1310-nm distributed feedback laser and complies with 10GBASE-L Ethernet, SONET OC-192 SR-1, and Fibre Channel 1200-SM-LL-L standards. Its typical power dissipation is under 2W, and it supports an operating temperature range of -5º to +70ºC.
At NFOEC, one FTRX-1411-3 module will be shown interoperating with Vitesse’s new 16-bit, 9.95 to 11.3-Gbit/sec single-chip transceiver, the VSC8473SK. This device is a low-power (1.1W typical), SONET/SDH-compliant 16:1 serializer/deserializer manufactured in 0.13-micron CMOS process with integrated multiplexer, demultiplexer, CMU, clock/data recovery, and limiting amplifier. It operates over an extended temperature range of -5º to +90ºC. The vehicle being used for the test is Vitesse’s VSC8473XFP interface card, which contains a 300-pin SFI-4.1 interface, the VSC8473SK transceiver IC and an XFP connector and cage. System manufacturers can plug this card into a 300-pin multisource agreement (MSA)-based connector on their line card, in order to quickly integrate low-cost SFP into their existing systems without consuming in-house design resources.
Another Finisar FTRX-1411-3 module will be shown interoperating with the Quake QT2021, an integrated 10.3 to10.5-Gbit/sec serial-to-XAUI transceiver IC for Ethernet and Fibre Channel applications, running on the Quake QT2021/XFP Reference Platform. QT2021 is Quake’s second generation IC to QT2020, which has been shipping since 2001 and is one of the most widely used such ICs today. As with QT2020, QT2021 is field proven in XAUI-based modules and XFI-based system cards, and is fully compliant with IEEE 802.3ae standard, and XENPAK/XPAK/X2 and XFP MSAs.
The Quake QT2021/XFP Reference Platform is a design kit for evaluation of QT2021 on a system card with XFP. The reference design includes the QT2021 interfacing to an XFP connector via 3 inches of buried XFI traces over standard FR4 material. A XENPAK connector on the XAUI side enables use in existing system cards for further interoperability testing. The multiple built-in test features, loopbacks, and pattern generators and checkers of QT2021 also allow stand-alone testing of the reference design.
Finisar has been shipping 10-km XFP optical transceivers for several months, and has already demonstrated a 40-km DWDM SFP at OFC 2003 in March.

The XFP is an application-agnostic ultra-small 10-Gbit/sec optical transceiver module standardized by the XFP MSA Group. Its ultra-small footprint and extremely low power dissipation enables the highest board density 10-Gbit/sec applications in the industry. These factors, in addition to its protocol independence, provide the lowest over all system cost solution for OEMs. The Group is currently formed by more than 75 member companies.
All XFP modules support digital diagnostics functions via a 2-pin serial bus, which provide calibrated, real-time measurements of the laser bias current, transmitted optical power, received optical power, internal transceiver temperature, and supply voltage. This diagnostic functionality allows telecommunications and data communications companies to implement reliable performance monitoring of their optical links in a very accurate and cost-effective way. Additionally, Finisar’s hot-pluggable XFP transceivers include a “bail” latch release mechanism for easy insertion and removal into the standardized metallic cage. This cage is press-fit on the host board and includes a new modular heat-sink design to facilitate heat management.