PRESS RELEASE

05 March 2014

VI Systems enters European optical transceiver project for up to 56 Gbit/s

VI Systems joins the European research consortium ADDAPT (Adaptive Data and Power Aware Transceivers for Optical Communications) aiming at adaptable power consumption for data interconnects of up to 56 Gbit/s. The consortium includes the industrial partners IBM and TE Connectivity and the network operator PrimeTel. VI Systems GmbH, a leader in ultra-high speed components for data communications joins an EU funded collaborative research and development project which is coordinated by the Technical University of Dresden in Germany.

The ADDAPT project (Adaptive Data and Power Aware Transceivers for Optical Communications) aims to develop technology solutions for embedded optical architectures in access network head-end systems allowing for a significant reduction in power consumption and increase in energy efficiency, system density and bandwidth scalability. ADDAPT is market and standard driven and combines the complementary competences of the three large companies IBM Research, TE Connectivity and the network operator PrimeTel of Cyprus. Academic partners are the Technical University of Dresden, Germany (TUD) and the Warsaw University of Technology (WUT).

The concept foresees an adaptable electronic circuit design which can depending on the actual data load from 8 to 56 Gbit/s reconfigure the number of activated link paths and individual device parameters to enable very low power consumption. Several control types will be investigated such as cognitive adaption based on predetermined or time averaged loads and real-time adaption. Driven by control units including smart algorithms the devices can be tuned over a wide range of data rates. Novel adaptive directly modulated laser chips and photodetector chips will be used for near-field light coupling. This will allow self-aligned low-cost waveguide assemblies with a minimum of optical power loss. Laser chips with a bandwidth beyond 30 GHz and very low power consumption will be controlled by driver circuits. The circuits such as amplifiers, drivers and clock data recovery functions are designed in on an energy-efficient 32 nm CMOS platform. The consortium targets ultrahigh-speed, low-loss packaging solutions using glass or ceramics. An optical communication platform which is tailored for data centers will be designed with 12 channels at up to 10 meter link distance for data rates from 8 Gbit/s up to 0.7 Tbit/s with power saving factors of up to 20.

The project involves partners from several countries in Europe including the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Poland, United Kingdom, Cyprus, Switzerland and Germany:

• Technische Universität Dresden (TUD), DE
• IBM Research GmbH (IBM),CH
• VI Systems GmbH (VIS), DE
• Argotech as (AT), CZ
• Warsaw University of Technology (WUT), PL
• Compound Semiconductor Technologies (CSTG), GB
• PrimeTel PLC (PTL), CY
• TE Connectivity Nederland BV (TE), NL

Visit VI Systems at the OFC exhibition in booth #3381 from March 11-13, 2014 in San Francisco, CA, USA.