Mindspeed Enables High-Density 100 Gigabit Systems with a Family of Lowest-Power 28G Clock and Data Recovery Devices

Mindspeed's four channel CDRs support data rates required for multiple standards including 100G Ethernet, InfiniBand Enhanced Data Rate (EDR), 32G Fibre Channel and Optical Transport Network (OTU-4). The low-power solution enables next-generation optical and copper module form factors, such as CFP-2, CFP-4 and Quad Small Form-Factor Pluggable (QSFP). Mindspeed's CDRs integrate key features, such as an input equalizer and output de-emphasis to optimize link performance and support line card retiming applications as well as loopback for system level diagnostics. The devices are reference-free, eliminating the need for reference crystal oscillators thus reducing the number of components and cost required to implement a retiming function. Further, the devices include input equalization circuitry to support lossy channels and support a wide output amplitude range to seamlessly interoperate with optical assemblies.

Molex Incorporated has used Mindspeed's CDRs to demonstrate the industry's first, fully retimed 100Gbps zQSFP+ Active Optical Cable meeting stringent power consumption and thermal constraints of a small modular form factor.

In the drive to match 100Gbps port count density to current 10Gbps interconnect levels, system OEMs require small front panel pluggable modules, which will enable tenfold increase in front panel bandwidth density. This creates a challenge for interconnect manufacturers to meet the power consumption and thermal constraints of QSFP modules, said Adit Narasimha, director of new product development at Molex, Inc. Molex's silicon photonics-based zQSFP+ solutions in combination with Mindspeed's low power CDRs are the first to demonstrate 100Gbps small form factor modules with retiming in both transmit and receive directions.

The new devices complement Mindspeed's family of signal conditioners, cross-points and physical media devices (PMDs) for networking and enterprise solutions. Our new CDRs expand Mindspeed's product portfolio to address 100Gbps applications, said Hasnain Bajwa, senior vice president and general manager, high-performance analog (HPA), at Mindspeed. We are excited to deliver industry leading low power solutions to help enable the next generation of networking infrastructure.

Mindspeed will be demonstrating these new CDR devices at The Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition and the National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference (OFC/NFOEC 2013), from March 19-21, 2013, in booth number 1174 at the Anaheim Convention Center. The devices will also be showcased as part of Molex's 100Gbps Active Optical Cable in booth number 2807 at the same conference.

Availability

The devices, packaged in a 7x7 mm leadframe grid array (LFGA), are available now under part numbers M37040 and M37041. M37040 is optimized for the receive direction while the M37041is optimized for the transmit direction in optical modules and active optical or copper cables. M37041 is also ideal for on board retiming functions for longer electrical connections between application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).