Fiber-optic communications component and subsystem maker Finisar Corp of Sunnyvale, CA, USA has introduced Flextune, a new hardware-configurable feature that simplifies deployment of dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) wavelength-tunable optical transceivers in remote PHY access networks constructed by multiple system operators (MSOs).
The industry-first Flextune feature allows up to 96 wavelength-tunable optical transceivers in a remote PHY network to self-configure their wavelengths to operate over the DWDM infrastructure without input from the host equipment nor intervention from technicians. Technicians simply insert the universal transceivers into any host port in the head-end equipment and remote PHY nodes, and connect them to any of the optical multiplexer ports with fiber optic patch cables. Firmware contained in the transceivers determines the appropriate wavelengths to link the head-end equipment to each remote PHY node.
“Wavelength-tunable optical transceivers with the Flextune enhancement significantly reduce operational expenditure for MSOs when deploying remote PHY networks,” says director of product management Shawn M. Esser. “Cable operators only need to stock one universal wavelength-tunable transceiver compared to stocking many different fixed-wavelength modules,” he adds. “Flextune capability reduces configuration time of the transceivers for a link from hours to minutes. In addition, it simplifies installations because technicians do not have to trace fibers from the optical multiplexer to the remote PHY nodes, which could be a distance of 2km or longer.”
Finisar’s 10Gb/s wavelength-tunable duplex and dual-band bidirectional (BiDi) transceivers will offer the Flextune feature. The latter was introduced in September as the industry’s first tunable dual-band BiDi SFP+ transceiver which fits a pair of wavelengths into each port of standard 100GHz DWDM multiplexers and de-multiplexers. This allows 80 wavelengths to be deployed over existing 40-wavelength DWDM networks, increasing the data capacity from 200Gb/s to 400Gb/s in each direction over a single fiber without replacing the entire infrastructure. Because it only has one optical connection for the pair of wavelengths, the BiDi transceiver also halves the number of fiber optic patch cables, simplifying installation and saving space.
Finisar is displaying Flextune in booth #1074 at the Society of Cable Television's (SCTE) 2017 Cable-Tec Expo at the Colorado Convention Center, Denver (18-20 October). The firm is also displaying UltraSpan optical amplifiers which extend reaches of remote PHY access networks to 80km and longer, and coherent optical transceivers for business services that can deliver up to 200 Gb/s on a single optical wavelength to enterprises.
