Active optic connectors achieve long reach & low BER

“As the average data center interconnect stretches to over 130 metres in length but still operate with 25 Gbps MM VCSEL solutions which have a target reach of only 100 metres,” said Brent Hatfield, product manager for active optics, Molex.  “Data center architects and OEM providers are discovering that silicon photonics based optics bring significant advantages in terms of longer reach, with exceptionally low power consumption.”

The new QuatroScale solutions are based on silicon photonics CMOS technology, which achieves the longest reach and lowest bit error rate (BER), coupled with the highest reliability of any 28 Gbps product on the market.  QuatroScale 100 Gbps zQSFP+ Active Optical Cable (AOC) and on-board module solutions run at a low 1.5W per 100 Gbps, but can go up to 4km in distance.  Low power QuatroScale AOCs deliver an achievable 1e-18 BER and over three billion device hours accumulated without an in-module failure.  The compact form factor QuatroScale zCD™ AOCs deliver 16 bi-directional channels operating at 28 Gbps, with data rates scalable up to 400 Gbps bandwidth.

Providing economical installed cost solutions, the QuatroScale portfolio is uniquely qualified to meet market demand for large and distributed HPC (High-Performance Computing) data centers.  In summer 2014, Molex plans to begin offering samples of the following products based on its innovative silicon photonics optical platform:

• 100 Gbps QSFP28 AOCs
• 200 Gbps Mid-board Optical Modules (available in 200 Gbps or 2x 100 Gbps port products)
• 400 Gbps CDFP MSA AOCs

“The added economic value of the modular QuatroScale solutions, combined with the lowest cost singlemode structured cabling, translates into Molex providing customers with the most economical choice in silicon photonics solutions for next generation data centers,” adds Hatfield.