Optical networker Alcatel SA (Quote) said it has added new capabilities to its optical-systems portfolio. A brand-new digital matrix-chip will enhance the features of Alcatel's backbone and metro optical systems, whether they are based on Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) or Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) technologies.
The new chip will also provide increased efficiency and flexibility, officials said.
This matrix-chip further advances Alcatel systems' cross connect capabilities by independently "crossing" and "connecting" different traffic flows from any of the systems' input ports to any of their output ports, company officials said. Its adoption extends the existing limitation of bandwidth in the optical domain where cross connects with relatively low-capacity electrical matrixes have been employed until now.
Alcatel also said its new generation transport systems will fill the gap between current standard solutions (based on 155Mbps switching) and the all-optical high-capacity solutions of tomorrow.
The chip provides total capacity of more than 410Gbps, because of its 33 input and 33 output of totally independent ports and its capability of supporting up to 12.5 Gbps per port (without breaking them into 155Mbit/s wavelengths), Alcatel said. Different devices can be combined to build larger matrixes for a variety of optical networking systems with throughput in the multiple Terabit/s range. Additionally, its very compact size - 13x13 mm2 - will enable Alcatel's solutions to impart significant capital and operational costs savings by reducing equipment footprint and power consumption.
Alcatel's systems will also leverage the chip's on board features for control, testing and supervision to give operators superior network quality and reliability.
Images
