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CWDM8 MSA Group Releases 400G 2 km Optical Interface Specification for Data Center Optical Links
[November 17, 2017]

CWDM8 MSA Group Releases 400G 2 km Optical Interface Specification for Data Center Optical Links


The CWDM8 MSA (8-wavelength Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing Multi-Source (News - Alert) Agreement) Group today announced the release of a new technical specification for 400 Gb/s optical links up to 2 km over duplex single-mode fiber (SMF). The specification is available for download at www.cwdm8-msa.org. The MSA Group is also working on a 10 km 400 Gb/s specification and expects to release it by the end of the year.

About the CWDM8 MSA Group

The CWDM8 MSA was formed o meet the bandwidth and expansion needs of modern data centers and support deployment of 12.8T Ethernet switches and other advanced networking equipment with 50G SERDES. MSA participants are developing optical link specifications that will enable cost-effective, low power consumption 400G duplex single-mode optics using 50G per wavelength optical NRZ modulation, while maintaining full compatibility with standard 50G PAM4 electrical interfaces. These optical interfaces can be implemented in next-generation module form factors such as QSFP-DD, OSFP, and COBO, and are believed to have significant time to market and performance advantages compared to other approaches. MSA participants expect to address industry needs by advancing unique technologies to create a diverse and competitive supply chain, while providing products that are optically compatible and interoperable.



Current members of the CWDM8 MSA are Accton, Applied Optoelectronics, Barefoot Networks, Credo Semiconductor, Hisense, Innovium, Intel (News - Alert), MACOM, Mellanox, Neophotonics, New H3C Technologies, and Rockley Photonics.



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