Samtec joins IRT Nanoelec Silicon Photonics Program

Officials from all parties expressed their enthusiasm. “We are thrilled with the opportunity to join the Silicon Photonics Program of the IRT Consortium,” said Marc Verdiell, CTO, Samtec Optical Group. “Samtec brings its vast experience in optical transceiver technology and advanced optical packaging and support to this programme. This technology will strengthen Samtec’s expertise in high data rate applications from 28 to 56Gb/s, and beyond, as well as allow further photonics integration for higher density, higher bandwidth and lower cost per Gb optical interconnects.”

Verdiell adds: “This technology can be used to enhance Samtec’s active optical products such as FireFly. FireFly micro flyover system gives designers a choice of using either micro footprint high-performance active optical engines or lower-cost copper interconnects. This allows the designer to upgrade from electrical to optical using the same interconnect system. With a 28Gb/s system in development, the currently releasedoptical FireFly is a x12, 14Gb/s per channel, unidirectional or bidirectional transceiver system. It has the highest 14Gbps bandwidth density available with an aggregate 168Gb/s.”

The IRT Nanoelec Silicon Photonics Program was launched in 2012. It brings together, under one roof, the expertise, tools and equipment needed for the development of silicon photonics technology and associated solutions for optical communications. Mentor Graphics, STMicroelectronics, CNRS and CEA-Leti were the core members of the consortium.