Altera Expands Its OTN Portfolio

The proliferation of 10G ports and the acceleration of networks from 40G towards 100G is driving operators to look for ways to minimize operational complexity by aggregating both legacy clients as well as 10G and 40G feeder networks into 100G for high-capacity transport. Altera’s multi-rate muxponder solution addresses both data center and transport aggregation by flexibly supporting emerging clients, such as 16G Fibre Channel and 40G Ethernet along with various 10G clients. A flexible FPGA-based implementation allows network developers to reduce development risks, create differentiation and future-proof their designs.

“Altera’s comprehensive portfolio of FPGA-based OTN solutions have been selected by eight of the top ten optical OEMs,” said Dan Mansur, director of Altera’s communications division. “With our latest multi-rate muxponder IP solution, customers can customize their systems and target FPGA architectures that are optimized for their specific design requirements.”

Altera’s multi-rate OTN muxponder IP solution is a fully integrated digital core providing client adaptation with FEC (forward error correction), ODUTG4 multiplexing of up to 100G of client traffic, OTU4 mapping and framing and line-side FEC. The client interface is supported by high-performance 14.1-Gbps transceivers for direct connection to SFP+, XFP, and QSFP optical modules, up to 12 ports operating at 10 Gbps and up to two ports operating at 40 Gbps that are both dynamically and independently reconfigurable. The line interface is supported by both 14.1-Gbps and 28-Gbps transceivers for direct communication to a CFP or CFP2 optical module.

ECOC Demonstrations

At the ECOC exhibition, Altera will demonstrate its multi-rate OTN muxponder solution. The demonstration will transmit multiple client interfaces through a Stratix V FPGA to a 100G CFP optical module on the line side. Each individual client will be independently mapped to an ODUk/ODUflex container. These lower order ODUk/ODUflex containers will then be GMP mapped according to G.709 to the higher order ODU4 for transmit to the line side. Altera will also demonstrate the industry’s first optical FPGA at ECOC and discuss other available OTN solutions, including a broad range of FEC IP cores, the industry’s first 2x100G single-chip transponder and emerging multi-stage OTN mu