Gennum Enables 100Gb/s Networks with 25Gb/s Reference-Free Clock and Data Recovery ICs

Company Debuts Ultra Low Power, High-Performance CDR at OFC 2011 as Latest Addition to Expansive 10Gb/s-100Gb/s Portfolio

LOS ANGELES, CA, March 8 /PRNewswire/ - Enabling next-generation 4x25Gb/s transceivers for the emerging 100Gb/s networking market, Gennum Corporation (TSX: GND) announced today its new clock and data recovery (CDR) integrated circuits designed to support the implementation of 100Gb/s Ethernet optical transceivers. The GN2425 and GN2426 are designed to handle 25Gb/s data streams within next-generation 100Gb/s pluggable fiber-optic modules, line cards and direct-attach copper cables. With a feature set configured for optimal jitter performance at low power, the new CDRs will enable OIF CEI-28G-VSR retimed interfaces by compensating for losses in the data transmission and by resetting the jitter budget.

As global Internet traffic is expected to triple over the coming years, significantly more bandwidth will be required, driving the need for large-scale network upgrades. According to Ovum's year-end 2010 data communications component report, the market for 100GbE datacom transceivers is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 55% over the next five years. 

The use of a retiming architecture is vital in overcoming signal impairments at these high speeds. The CDR does this by conditioning the signal resulting in a high margin output inside an optical transceiver or on a line card. This allows for the serializer and deserializer to be positioned outside of the CFP2 module enabling a simpler, lower power and lower cost solution.

"Designed to help seed the next-generation 4x25Gb/s ecosystem by enabling higher module density and faster serial bit rates, the new GN2425 and GN2426 feature innovative high-speed design techniques," said Gary Beauchamp, Senior Vice President, Mixed Signal and Optical Products at Gennum. "These groundbreaking solutions build upon Gennum's proven track-record and expertise in the 10Gb/s-14Gb/s optical transceiver market, where we have shipped over seven million CDRs."

Low Power, High-Performance Reference-Free CDRs at OFC 2011
Suppliers of fiber optic transceivers, chip-to-module links, direct-attach cables and line cards can see the new CDRs in action, along with Gennum's industry-leading portfolio of high-performance optical and copper ICs and components, at Gennum's exhibition at OFC/NFOEC, in booth #1857, March 8-10 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. 

The GN2425 and GN2426 are designed specifically for the next-generation 100GbE CFP2 form factor. The GN2425 provides excellent output jitter performance for optimal interfacing to laser drivers, RF amplifiers, or Mach-Zehnder modulator drivers. The GN2426, designed for the receive chain, removes jitter from the recovered optical signal, providing ample margin for line card receivers to recover the high-speed data stream.

The GN2425 and GN2426 will be featured in a live demonstration at OFC/NFOEC showcasing their excellent jitter performance and low power in a challenging real-world application involving Tyco Electronics' Quadra module connector and CFP2 transceiver trace loss interface.

In addition to these new products, Gennum's booth will feature demonstrations highlighting:

6G Optical Transceiver: Gennum's 6Gb/s SFP+ reference design, which enables the rapid development of a high-performance and cost-optimized 6Gb/s SFP+ transceiver.  The reference design utilizes Gennum's GN1153B laser driver and GN1448 high gain transimpedance amplifier (TIA), allowing for the implementation of a complete optical receiver in a ROSA by eliminating the need for post-amplification—an industry first—which saves board space, power and cost.

Low-power/high-sensitivity SFP+ reference design for 10G EPON symmetric and XGPON/10G asymmetric: Proving that it is possible to re-use the 10G symmetric design to address the XGPON and 10G asymmetric market, this innovative SFP+ reference design is based on an integrated custom chip set and speeds time to market by providing design files for the schematic, layout and firmware. It features these Gennum solutions:

• GN7355, the industry's first and only 10G EPON single-chip solution, featuring an integrated CDR to improve receive path performance.
• GN7354, the industry's first and only XGPON and 10G EPON asymmetric chip solution, featuring an integrated CDR to improve receive path performance.
• GN7468, 10G EPON TO-can that provides excellent sensitivity performance along with the industry's lowest power dissipation.

Dual CDR + VCSEL driver for 16G Fibre Channel: Gennum's solution for enabling 16GFC Fibre Channel SR (short range), this demo features the GN2017A dual CDR+VCSEL laser driver and GN1068 16GFC Fibre Channel TIA, both of which are now available for sampling.

GN2425 and GN2426 Availability
The GN2425 and GN2426 are expected to start sampling in May 2011. For more information about Gennum's new 25Gb/s reference-free CDR products, visit www.gennum.com or contact your local Gennum sales representative.

About Gennum
Gennum Corporation (TSX: GND) designs innovative semiconductor solutions and intellectual property (IP) cores to serve the rising global demand for high-speed data transmission products in the broadcast, networking, storage and telecommunications markets.  Gennum offers proven optical, analog and mixed-signal solutions with uncompromising signal integrity to support standards such as high-definition (HD) video, Fibre Channel, InfiniBand®, Ethernet, SONET and PCI Express®.  The company is headquartered in Burlington, Canada, and has global design, research and development and sales offices in Canada, Mexico, Japan, Germany, United States, India and the United Kingdom. www.gennum.com.

Gennum and the Gennum logo are trademarks of Gennum Corporation. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners. Copyright Gennum Corporation, 2011.

SOURCE Gennum Corporation