The processor will accelerate the optics to 800 Gbps: how it works
Telecommunications equipment developer Ciena introduced an optical signal processing system. It will increase the data transfer rate in the optical fiber up to 800 Gbit / s.
Photo - Timwether - CC BY-SA
Under the cut - about the principles of its work.
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With the launch of a new generation of networks and the proliferation of Internet of things devices - according to some estimates, their number will reach 50 billion in three years - the volume of world traffic will only increase. Deloitte says that the existing fiber infrastructure, which is the basis for 5G networks, is not enough for such a load. The point of view of the analytical agency is supported by telecommunication companies and cloud providers.
To remedy the situation, more and more organizations are working on systems that increase the bandwidth of the “optics”. One of the hardware solutions developed at Ciena is called WaveLogic 5. According to the company's engineers, the new processor is capable of providing data rates up to 800 Gbit / s at a single wavelength.
Ciena presented two modifications of the WaveLogic 5 processor. The first is called WaveLogic 5 Extreme. It is an ASIC that acts as a digital signal processor ( DSP ) for a fiber optic network. DSP converts the signal from electrical to optical and vice versa.
WaveLogic 5 Extreme supports fiber bandwidth from 200 to 800 Gbps - depending on the distance to which you want to send a signal. For more efficient data transmission, Ciena has implemented a probabilistic constellation shaping (PCS) algorithm into the firmware of the processor.
This constellation is a set of amplitude values ​​(points) for the transmitted signals. For each of the constellation points, the PCS-algorithm calculates the probability of data distortion and the value of the energy required for sending the signal. Then he chooses the amplitude for which the signal-to-noise ratio and energy consumption will be minimal.
The second modification of WaveLogic 5 is a series of plug-in Nano optical modules. They can send and receive data at speeds up to 400 Gbps. The modules have two form factors - QSFP-DD and CFP2-DCO. The first is small and is designed for networks of 200 or 400GbE. Due to the high connection speed and low power consumption, QSFP-DD is suitable for data center solutions. The second form factor - CFP2-DCO - is used to send data over distances of hundreds of kilometers, so it will be used in 5G networks and infrastructure of Internet providers.
WaveLogic 5 will go on sale in the second half of 2019.
Photo - PxHere - PD
WaveLogic 5 Extreme was one of the first processors on the market, which transmits data at the same wavelength at 800 Gbit / s. For many competitive solutions, this figure is 500-600 Gbit / s. Ciena has the advantage of expanding the capacity of the optical channel by 50% and increasing its spectral efficiency by 20%.
But there is one difficulty - with signal compaction and an increase in the speed of data transmission, there is a risk of information distortion. It increases with increasing distance. For this reason, the processor may have difficulty sending a signal over long distances. Although the developers say that WaveLogic 5 is able to transmit data “across the oceans” at a speed of 400 Gb / s.
Fiber bandwidth systems are also developing Infinite and Acacia. The decision of the first company is called ICE6 (ICE - Infinite Capacity Engine). It consists of two components - an optical integrated circuit (PIC - Photonic Integrated Circuit) and a digital signal processor in the form of an ASIC chip. PIC in networks translates the signal from optical to electrical and vice versa, and ASIC is responsible for its multiplexing.
Feature ICE6 - pulse modulation signal ( pulse shaping ). A digital processor divides light of a specific wavelength into additional subcarriers, which expands the number of available levels and increases the spectral density of the signal. It is expected that ICE6, like WaveLogic, will provide data transmission speed in one channel at 800 Gbit / s. The product must be available by the end of 2019.
As for the Acacia company, its engineers created the AC1200 module. It will provide data transmission speed of 600 Gbit / s. Such a speed is achieved using a 3D formation of a signal constellation: the algorithms in the module automatically change the frequency of using points and their position in the constellation, adjusting the bandwidth of the channels.
It is expected that new hardware solutions will increase the capacity of the optical fiber not only at distances within the same city or region, but also at more significant distances. To do this, the engineers have to overcome the difficulties associated with noise channels. The increase in throughput of submarine networks will positively affect the quality of services of IaaS providers and large IT companies, given that they “ generate ” half of the traffic transmitted through the ocean floor.
What is interesting in our blog ITGLOBAL.COM:
Photo - Timwether - CC BY-SA
Under the cut - about the principles of its work.
')
Need more fiber
With the launch of a new generation of networks and the proliferation of Internet of things devices - according to some estimates, their number will reach 50 billion in three years - the volume of world traffic will only increase. Deloitte says that the existing fiber infrastructure, which is the basis for 5G networks, is not enough for such a load. The point of view of the analytical agency is supported by telecommunication companies and cloud providers.
To remedy the situation, more and more organizations are working on systems that increase the bandwidth of the “optics”. One of the hardware solutions developed at Ciena is called WaveLogic 5. According to the company's engineers, the new processor is capable of providing data rates up to 800 Gbit / s at a single wavelength.
How the new solution works
Ciena presented two modifications of the WaveLogic 5 processor. The first is called WaveLogic 5 Extreme. It is an ASIC that acts as a digital signal processor ( DSP ) for a fiber optic network. DSP converts the signal from electrical to optical and vice versa.
WaveLogic 5 Extreme supports fiber bandwidth from 200 to 800 Gbps - depending on the distance to which you want to send a signal. For more efficient data transmission, Ciena has implemented a probabilistic constellation shaping (PCS) algorithm into the firmware of the processor.
This constellation is a set of amplitude values ​​(points) for the transmitted signals. For each of the constellation points, the PCS-algorithm calculates the probability of data distortion and the value of the energy required for sending the signal. Then he chooses the amplitude for which the signal-to-noise ratio and energy consumption will be minimal.
The processor also uses the Forward Error Correction ( FEC ) algorithm and frequency division multiplexing ( FDM ). To protect the transmitted information, the AES-256 encryption algorithm is used .
The second modification of WaveLogic 5 is a series of plug-in Nano optical modules. They can send and receive data at speeds up to 400 Gbps. The modules have two form factors - QSFP-DD and CFP2-DCO. The first is small and is designed for networks of 200 or 400GbE. Due to the high connection speed and low power consumption, QSFP-DD is suitable for data center solutions. The second form factor - CFP2-DCO - is used to send data over distances of hundreds of kilometers, so it will be used in 5G networks and infrastructure of Internet providers.
WaveLogic 5 will go on sale in the second half of 2019.
Photo - PxHere - PD
Advantages and disadvantages of the processor
WaveLogic 5 Extreme was one of the first processors on the market, which transmits data at the same wavelength at 800 Gbit / s. For many competitive solutions, this figure is 500-600 Gbit / s. Ciena has the advantage of expanding the capacity of the optical channel by 50% and increasing its spectral efficiency by 20%.
But there is one difficulty - with signal compaction and an increase in the speed of data transmission, there is a risk of information distortion. It increases with increasing distance. For this reason, the processor may have difficulty sending a signal over long distances. Although the developers say that WaveLogic 5 is able to transmit data “across the oceans” at a speed of 400 Gb / s.
Analogs
Fiber bandwidth systems are also developing Infinite and Acacia. The decision of the first company is called ICE6 (ICE - Infinite Capacity Engine). It consists of two components - an optical integrated circuit (PIC - Photonic Integrated Circuit) and a digital signal processor in the form of an ASIC chip. PIC in networks translates the signal from optical to electrical and vice versa, and ASIC is responsible for its multiplexing.
Feature ICE6 - pulse modulation signal ( pulse shaping ). A digital processor divides light of a specific wavelength into additional subcarriers, which expands the number of available levels and increases the spectral density of the signal. It is expected that ICE6, like WaveLogic, will provide data transmission speed in one channel at 800 Gbit / s. The product must be available by the end of 2019.
As for the Acacia company, its engineers created the AC1200 module. It will provide data transmission speed of 600 Gbit / s. Such a speed is achieved using a 3D formation of a signal constellation: the algorithms in the module automatically change the frequency of using points and their position in the constellation, adjusting the bandwidth of the channels.
It is expected that new hardware solutions will increase the capacity of the optical fiber not only at distances within the same city or region, but also at more significant distances. To do this, the engineers have to overcome the difficulties associated with noise channels. The increase in throughput of submarine networks will positively affect the quality of services of IaaS providers and large IT companies, given that they “ generate ” half of the traffic transmitted through the ocean floor.
What is interesting in our blog ITGLOBAL.COM:
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/452384/
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