Finisar Demonstrates 40G CFP Optical Transceiver at ECOC in Vienna

In Vienna this week? Then come and see us at this year’s ECOC exhibition and conference. We’ll be showcasing our latest technologies – including our 40G LR4 CFP module new EWP 1×2 WSS module for edge applications, and the advanced WaveShaper S-Series, a reduced form factor version of the existing WaveShaper product to afford more space within test systems. If you’d like to hear more about this and our other product lines, or chat about what’s next for the optical communications industry, stop by and visit the Finisar team at booth #640. You can also follow us on twitter for live updates at the #ECOC event this week.

ECOC 2009 ends September 23; don’t miss your chance to catch us while we’re in town. And if you have some time on Sunday, it’s worth a visit to hear what Finisar’s Engineering Director, Chris Cole has to say about 100G client interface applications. For more details on his panel session, visit: http://twurl.nl/gijkb3

Hope to see you there!

Introducing Finisar’s New WaveShaper S-Series

My last posting on mixed channel plans for Wavelength Selective Switches mentioned using our WaveShaper Programmable Optical Processor to create a WSS with arbitrary channel centre frequencies and bandwidth. Today, I’d like to dig into the new S-Series range of WaveShapers to give a better idea of the flexibility of the LCoS technology and to outline the breadth of applications to which this technology can be applied.

The WaveShaper S-Series is the second generation of Finisar’s WaveShaper family of Programmable Optical Processors. Based on the same high-resolution, solid-state Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) optical engine as Finisar’s DWP range of Wavelength Selective Switches, the WaveShaper family provides extremely fine control of filter or channel amplitude and phase characteristics, including centre wavelength, bandwidth, shape and dispersion.

As discussed in the previous column, the channel bandwidth of Finisar’s WSS is controlled by varying the number of LCoS pixel columns which are linked together. The WaveShaper takes this to its logical end-point by allowing any group of LCoS pixel columns to be linked together, providing complete flexibility in the selection of filter bandwidth and centre frequency. The algorithms in the WaveShaper software allow the user to program both the optical bandwidth and centre frequency programmable in 1 GHz increments over the whole C-band. By using the attenuation control capability of the LCoS engine, the transmitted optical power in the filter passband can also be attenuated under the control of the WaveShaper software up to 35dB.

This approach allows the user to generate arbitrary-bandwidth ‘flat-top’ channels using the WaveShaper but, in a real system, it is more usual to be concerned about concatenation of multiple optical filtering components which can cause the effective channel shape to deviate from the ideal flat-top, particularly if PLC-based AWGs or ROADMS are in the optical path. The WaveShaper software therefore allows the attenuation of each pixel column to be set independently, enabling the generation of arbitrary user-generated channel and filter shapes. All the user has to do is define the filter profile required and the WaveShaper software does all the hard work of working out how to achieve the required profile using the WaveShaper hardware capabilities. This allows you to simulate pretty much any optical filtering component and to experimentally investigate effects such as the impact of channel narrowing (due, for example, to ROADM cascading) on system performance without having to actually build a multi-ROADM system in the lab.

Learn more about Finisar’s WaveShaper family and download a product brief

Video: Multi-Wavelength Recirculating Loop Demonstration

We have just celebrated our one year anniversary of the exciting merger between Optium and Finisar. This combination united two great leaders in optics technology forging new market opportunities and creating the industry’s broadest product portfolio.

Behind the scenes, our technical staff continue to work across the globe to collaborate across product lines and function areas.

For example, our Finisar 40G transponder team in Israel recently teamed up with our Finisar WSS ROADM team in Australia to implement a multi-wavelength recirculating optical loop operating at 40 Gb/s. The test bed is used for evaluating and demonstrating product performance in a range of real-world optical networking applications.

We have created a video to visually explain our test bed and some of the results that we have seen. In particular, we demonstrated the operation of Finisar’s 40G DPSK modules in a recirculating loop spanning 1600 km through 40 cascaded Finisar WSS modules.

Watch Video: Multi-Wavelength Recirculating Loop Demonstration

If you have any questions or comments regarding this technology demonstration, I invite you to contact the technical team directly by email: loopdemo@finisar.com or of course, feel free to comment via the blog.

5 Minutes with FSAN Chair, Paolo Solina

The Full Service Access Network (FSAN) Group is an interest group for the world’s leading telecommunications services providers, independent test labs, and equipment suppliers to work towards a common goal of truly broadband fiber access networks. This week Finisar is sponsoring the annual FSAN committee meeting in Malaysia. We took this opportunity to interview FSAN chair, Paolo Solina about the history of FSAN and the evolution over the years, as well as the importance of optical component vendors to be involved with this group.

Tell us about the history of how the FSAN group was formed.
[PS] The FSAN initiative was launched in 1995 as a pioneering co-operative effort, involving some of the world’s leading Telcos. The founding members are British Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom, NTT, Telecom Italia, Telefonica and KPN, the Dutch Telco. FSAN operator membership has continued to grow and some additions include Bell South (AT&T) and GTE (Verizon) of the USA, and Telstra of Australia. FSAN was started as an interest group, with the main goal to speed-up the standardization process of new, fiber-based equipment for the realization of a future-proof BroadBand Access Network. The PON (Passive Optical Network) architecture was chosen since the beginning of the FSAN activities. FSAN is not a Standardization Body. Designated FSAN member companies serve as Editors for FSAN documents and typically offer to submit contributions to ITU-T SG15 Q2, based on completed FSAN specifications. The contributions are intended to facilitate the development of global PON Standards.

How has FSAN evolved over the years and what key contributions has it provided to the community?
[PS] After the very early phase, FSAN involved some of the world’s leading equipment suppliers and Independent Test Labs (ITL), to work towards a common goal of specifying fiber-based broadband access networks with worldwide applicability. The growth of FSAN has been incessant over the years with currently 80 member companies, representing 27 Telcos, 45 Vendors and 8 ITLs.
Since the launch of its activities, FSAN has submitted several specifications to the ITU-T SG15 Q2, which are now International Standards. They define the functionalities of the BPON (Broadband PON) systems (G.983.1 to G.983.5) and of the GPON (Gigabit-capable PON) systems (G.984.1 to G.984.6). These specifications allowed the industrial development of standard BPON and GPON equipment, worldwide deployed by many Telcos.

What is the major initiative of this group today?
[PS] Currently, FSAN has a Working Group called Optical Access Network (OAN). Within the OAN Group there are the following active Task Groups: Interoperability Task Group and NG-PON (Next Generation-PON) Task Group. Additional Working Groups and study topics in FSAN can be initiated as required by FSAN participants.

The Interoperability TG is currently completing its activity devoted to the achievement of a plug-and-play GPON interoperability in a multi-vendor environment. The activity of the TG includes specifications focused on interoperability, as Implementers Guides, and the organization of GPON Interoperability Test Events. NG-PON interoperability will be the next study topic for this TG.
The NG-PON TG is currently defining the specification of the Physical Layer of a new family of PON equipment: XG-PON, operating at 10 Gbit/s in the downstream direction and 2.5 Gbit/s in the upstream direction. The completion of the standardization process for this new equipment, belonging to the so called NG-PON1 family, is expected by mid 2010. The following study topic will be the NG-PON2, a disruptive technology which will even improve the performance of the NG-PON1 systems.

How important is it for optical component vendors to be involved with FSAN?
[PS] During the study of the Physical Layer of a new, always more challenging family of transmission systems, FSAN takes advantage from the experience of the component vendors to specify the “right” optical power budget, in terms of transmitted optical power, sensitivity and dynamic range of the receivers. When a Standard Physical Layer is defined, production volumes are expected for the optical transceivers, for the benefit of both component vendors and Telcos.

For more information about FSAN, please check out their website: http://www.fsanweb.org/