Anritsu Company announces it will host a 100G Shortwave Wavelength Division Multiplexing (SWDM) technology demonstration with CommScope and Finisar in its booth (#2819) during OFC 2017, held March 21-23 in Los Angeles. The demonstration, which will showcase 100G SWDM transmission over wideband multimode fiber (OM5), will feature the Anritsu Network Master™ Flex MT1100A field optical transport tester, along with the CommScope LazrSPEED® OM5 WideBand multimode fiber connectivity solution, and Finisar 100 Gbps SWDM4 QSFP28 optical modules.

The demonstration will consist of 100G Ethernet traffic transmitted through optical connections over 300 meters of OM5 fiber. The Network Master Flex MT1100A optical transport tester will be used for 100G SWDM4 QSFP28 optical module performance verification and troubleshooting over OM5 fiber. As will be proven in the demonstration, the MT1100A provides significant advantages over more expensive R&D test tools that have traditionally been used for this field application.

The demonstration will highlight how the products from the three market leaders address the installation and verification challenges associated with adding high-bandwidth client applications within data center inter- and intra-connects. OM5 expands the currently specified high-bandwidth operating wavelength spectrum from a single wavelength at 850 nm to a range that spans 850 nm to 940 nm. This wide specification range enhances the capability of OM5 fiber technology to transmit 40G and 100G over a single pair of multi-mode fibers at four different wavelengths.

“OFC is the premier optical technology event, which makes it the perfect backdrop to demonstrate emerging 100G technologies that address the growing bandwidth requirements. As we will demonstrate, the Network Master Flex MT1100A can be used for on-site troubleshooting and installation tests, such as pass/fail and go/no go, on 100 Gbps networks, interconnects and Active Optical Cables (AOC). It is a more cost- and time-efficient solution than expensive and complex digital/optical BERTS,” said Daniel Gonzalez, Business Development Manager, Optical Transport Products, Anritsu Company.

“CommScope continues to work with leading ecosystem partners, such as Anritsu, to demonstrate new optical solutions that take advantage of the higher bandwidth offered by OM5 fiber technology,” said Rob Wessels, Vice President of Cable and Fiber Connector Research and Development at CommScope. “Our focus remains on the support and advancements of cost-effective solutions enabling high-speed transmission over multi-mode fiber.”

“Finisar is committed to providing transceivers that enable the most cost-effective optical interconnectivity solutions in the industry,” said Steffen Koehler, Senior Director of Marketing at Finisar. “SWDM technology enables data centers to continue using the duplex multimode fiber paradigm at 40G and 100G data rates while still relying on proven low-cost VCSEL technology. In the future, we expect SWDM to scale to even higher data rates, such as 200G and 400G.”

Part of Anritsu’s complete line of data center test tools, the Network Master Flex MT1100A is an all-in-one transport tester. Installing up to two modules from three options, the MT1100A supports R&D, manufacturing, installation and maintenance tests of network and transport equipment operating at bit rates from 1.5 Mbps to 100 Gbps.

CommScope’s LazrSPEED OM5 WideBand multimode fiber connectivity solution, recently certified by Intertek to meet the Telecommunication Industry’s Association’s (TIA) standard, provides the ability to support significantly more throughput at longer distances than conventional multi-mode fiber, while maintaining support for all legacy multi-mode applications.

The Finisar 100 Gbps SWDM4 QSFP28 optical modules have a standard QSFP28/CAUI-4 electrical interface, which means that they can plug into the same host slots that are used for other standards such as SR4. Four wavelengths produced by four of Finisar’s 25G VCSELs are optically multiplexed onto a single fiber at the transmitter and de-multiplexed at the receiver into the original data streams.