Alcatel, Lucent, Hitachi to Offer Compatible 10 Gb/s Transceivers

Hitachi Ltd.> (Tokyo) has entered into a multi-source agreement with Lucent Technologies (Murray Hill, NJ) and Alcatel Optronics to establish internationally compatible sources of 10 gigabit-per-second (Gbit/s) optoelectronic transceiver modules for Synchronous Optical Network (SONET)/Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) and related fiber optic high-speed networking system applications.

Under terms of the multi-source agreement, transceivers from all three companies must conform to small packaging dimensions, a common footprint, common electrical interfaces at a 622 megabits-per-second (Mbit/s) rate, pin functionality, and meet or exceed optical electrical characteristics. The agreement, therefore, serves to specify upward compatibility between devices with different features and for future roadmap products.

The transceiver product is a 10 Gbit/s optical transmitter/receiver used in dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) systems, inter- and intra-office metropolitan rings, optical add/drop multiplexes, and switches and routers for Internet Protocol (IP). A common electrical connector provides for convenient upgrades from short-reach (2 km) to intermediate-reach (15 km) to long-reach (40- and 80 km) applications.

These new standards, agreed upon by the top SONET/SDH module suppliers, offer solutions for system modularity, span application flexibility, and allow the addition of more optical input/output (I/O) ports while preserving space and minimizing cost.

Hitachi expects to begin business discussions with customers in early third quarter for these devices. The roadmap includes a reduction in size by 80% and power dissipation by 50% from Hitachi's current transceivers.

Edited by Kristin Keiser