Aeluros Assembles Broad-Based XFP Interoperability Verification With Leading Solutions From Agilent Technologies, Bookham, Finisar, Hitachi Cable, Intel, JDS Uniphase, Opnext, Picolight, Sumitomo Electric and Tyco Electronics (12/08/03)

Aeluros Assembles Broad-Based XFP Interoperability Verification With Leading Solutions From Agilent Technologies, Bookham, Finisar, Hitachi Cable, Intel, JDS Uniphase, Opnext, Picolight, Sumitomo Electric and Tyco Electronics

Combination of XFP modules and system line card IC provides complete physical layer solution for lowest-cost, lowest-power 10 Gbps systems.

Mountain View, California, December 8, 2003 - Aeluros today announced that it has successfully demonstrated interoperability between the Aeluros Puma AEL1002 IC and XFP module solutions from the following leading XFP vendors: Agilent Technologies, Bookham Technology, Finisar, Hitachi Cable, Intel, JDS Uniphase, Opnext, Picolight, Sumitomo Electric and Tyco Electronics. This wide breadth of available XFP products demonstrates the expanding availability of XFP-compliant solutions, and indicates the growing maturity of the XFP-based 10 Gbps market. The completion of these error-free interoperability verifications illustrates the viability of the low-power, 800-mW Aeluros 10 Gbps Puma IC in addressing implementation of 10 Gbps systems using the XFP form factor. With the removal of this barrier from system design challenges, equipment manufacturers can direct scarce resources to adding value at a system level, rather than expending energy validating the interaction between their XFP module and physical layer IC.

The XFP form factor, defined by the XFP Multi-Source Agreement (MSA), provides a multi-sourced, application-agnostic, ultra-small form factor 10 Gbps optical module solution that occupies as little as one-fifth the space and one-half the power of alternative modules. These advantages drive a cost structure that will allow rapid reductions in 10 Gigabit system price per port and will help drive accelerated deployment of 10 Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Fibre Channel, and SONET/SDH systems. The 10 Gbps serial XFI standard, defined as the electrical interface to the module, has also been leveraged by the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) as part of the Common Electrical Interface (CEI) project. The CEI effort will help drive the adoption of compatible signaling into a wide variety of new chip-to-chip and backplane applications including SerDes Framer Interfaces (SFIs), System Packet Interfaces (SPIs), and TDM Fabric to Framer Interfaces (TFIs).

“Validation of multi-vendor interoperability is a crucial step in adoption of emerging industry standards,” said David Gamba, Director of Marketing at Aeluros. “By demonstrating the combined solution of the 800-mW Aeluros Puma AEL1002 XFI-to-XAUI device with these leading XFP modules, we can together provide this combination as a robust solution to our mutual customers.”

“The excellent performance of Agilent’s XFP fiber optic transceiver in combination with the Puma SerDes from Aeluros clearly demonstrates a leading edge XFP solution,” said Antony Spilman, Strategic Marketing Manager for Agilent’s Fiber Optic Products Division. “Our collaboration with Aeluros shows how quickly 10 Gigabit technology has matured and proves the compactness, robustness and low power operation that can be achieved with Agilent’s XFP optics.”

“By transferring the SerDes function to the line card, the XFP module form factor requires a volume only one-fifth the size of alternative 10 Gbps modules,” said Steve Joiner, Director of Marketing for Transceivers at Bookham. “Implementation of XFP modules using Bookham’s exclusive IO-PKG optical packaging platform will enable the rapid propagation of low-cost, small form factor modules for a wide range of distances. This puts a greater degree of modularity into the hands of carriers, who thereby enjoy reduced operating expenses, as well as lower capital costs.”

“The XFP MSA defines the smallest and lowest-power 10 Gbps optical transceiver in the industry, enabling the highest density and lowest total cost implementation for systems designers,” said Christian Urricariet, Director of Marketing for High-Speed Optics at Finisar. “By implementing Aeluros’ Puma IC with either Finisar’s existing 10km XFP transceivers or our extended-reach products under development, these benefits can be more fully realized.”

“The use of a standardized interoperability platform in the Aeluros Puma AEL1002 evaluation kit provides a board design solution that can be directly leveraged for XFP system design,” said Louis Marra, Vice President of Engineering Services at Hitachi Cable America. “The proven board design used to communicate between Hitachi Cable’s XFP module and the Aeluros Puma devices can significantly shorten design cycles and reduce risk.”

“Interoperability is a key concern for customers,” said Don Bossi, President of JDS Uniphase’s Transmission Products Group, “so we are pleased to see Aeluros verify compatibility with our 850nm and 1310nm XFP modules. At the same time, it is important to JDS Uniphase to work with companies such as Aeluros that are as committed to fiber optics technology excellence as we are. We are pleased to see industry enabling technology such as XFP continue to grow.”

“The XFI interoperability verification tests are one of the keys to securing XFP module operation on our customers’ boards,” said Kiyo Hiramoto, Product Marketing Manager at Opnext. “The interoperability tests between the Aeluros Puma AEL1002 IC and the Opnext XFP module have proven error free operations across 12" trace on standard FR-4 board with XFI mask compliances. Opnext XFP modules build upon our leading-edge laser diode technology to leverage a proven track record in high-performance optical component and packaging technologies, and further reduce implementation risk.”

“High bandwidth multimode fiber interconnects the vast majority of storage networking equipment,” said Warner Andrews, Vice President of Marketing at Picolight. “Using the same fifty micron fiber, Picolight’s 850nm XFP modules delivered error-free operation over a 400 meter link when driven by the Aeluros Puma XFI PHY device. This link exceeds the 300 meter Fibre Channel specification and shows that 850nm XFP modules are well suited to the needs of storage networking applications.”

"The Puma device's low power consumption and reliable output signaling capability for linecard applications provide important enablers for the XFP form factor in transmission systems of up to 40 km,” said Kengo Matsumoto, Next Generation Pluggable Transceiver Project Leader at Sumitomo Electric. “Furthermore, the combined power of the Sumitomo XFP module and Aeluros Puma SerDes device of only 2.5W will be a significant advantage in ranges up to 10 km. The rapid bring-up of the Sumitomo XFP module & Aeluros Puma device combination ensures that system manufacturers will have a fast path to success."

“The XFP form factor can be applied to a wide range of potential solutions, including implementation of links across low-cost copper cabling,” said Bob Atkinson, Business Development Manager at Tyco Electronics. “The XFP Direct Attach Pluggable Transceiver Module from Tyco Electronics provides a successful integrated link with the Aeluros Puma AEL1002 device across 1m of un-equalized copper cable or up to 20m of equalized copper cable for a lower cost, lower power alternative to XFP optical links.”

A variety of testing methodologies were used to complete this interoperability, thus providing a range of environments and challenges. Each solution was validated through the use of the Aeluros Puma AEL1002 Evaluation Kit, an integrated evaluation and demonstration platform providing a 12” trace across standard FR4 material, thereby exceeding the XFP worst-case channel specification by 50%. The combined solution of the Aeluros Puma AEL1002 device and each XFP module illustrated significant margin to the XFP specification from a performance standpoint. Voltage, temperature, fiber optic link distance, and setup topology conditions were also exercised in order to validate robust interoperability in a system environment. Additional details regarding these interoperability efforts are available in interoperability reports from Aeluros and the various module vendors.

About the Aeluros Puma AEL1002 Device

The Aeluros Puma AEL1002 device provides the XFI to XAUI conversion necessary to provide a bridge between the increasingly popular XFP 10 Gbps optical module form factor and the 4-lane 3 Gbps XAUI interface common on system ICs for 10 Gigabit Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Fibre Channel devices. As with the Puma AEL1001 device, intended for use inside of X2, XPAK, and XENPAK modules, the Puma AEL1002 device incorporates the PMA, PCS, and XGXS sub-layers defined in the IEEE 802.3ae 10 Gigabit Ethernet and INCITS 10 Gigabit Fibre Channel specifications. The AEL1002 incorporates an adaptive receive equalizer able to ensure signal integrity and open a closed eye for a 10 Gbps signal across more than 12-inches of FR4 trace, while providing a programmable edge rate capability to enable flexible trace lengths on board designs by eliminating reflections. With a power consumption of only 800 mW, substantially below that of other available devices, fewer external support component requirements than other devices, and a small 13-mm x 13-mm plastic BGA package form factor requiring no heat sink or spreader, the Puma AEL1002 device is a key enabler for high-density, XFP-based system line cards.

About Aeluros

Aeluros, founded by a team of high-speed design experts with a unique understanding of the intricacies involved in building highly integrated 10 Gbps devices, is a leading developer of high-integration, high-speed CMOS based serial I/O devices. The company's technical and business management team has collectively delivered among the industry's highest volume and technically challenging mixed signal designs. The privately held company has secured a first round of funding from leading venture capital firms New Enterprise Associates and Worldview Technology Partners. Certain statements in this press release, including the statements relating to the company's performance expectations, are forward-looking statements that are subject to uncertainties and risks that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Such uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, difficulties in the fabrication process and dependence of the company on third-party manufacturers, manufacturing and other delays relating to new products, the impact of competitive products and pricing alternatives, and general industry trends including cyclical trends in the semiconductor industry.

Editorial Contact:
Grant Smith
Aeluros, Inc.
(650) 917-2016
gsmith@aeluros.com

Back to Press Releases/Events

	HOME

	COMPANY

	PRODUCTS

	PRESS RELEASES/EVENTS
	Press Releases
	Articles

	SALES & SUPPORT

	EMPLOYMENT

	CONTACT US