NeoPhotonics intros multicast switch for next gen ROADM apps in high-capacity “100G” networks

OFC/NFOEC 2012, SAN JOSE, USA: NeoPhotonics Corp., a leading designer and manufacturer of photonic integrated circuit, or PIC, based modules and subsystems for bandwidth-intensive, high speed optical communications networks, announced the sample availability of its PIC-based Multicast Switch for next generation ROADM (Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer) applications.

The Multicast Switch is designed in a dual 8x16 configuration, offering 16 drop and add ports and accommodating up to 8 directions. The capabilities of the NeoPhotonics PIC platform also enable support for architectures requiring 8x12 or 8x24 configurations as well as offering the option of integrated power monitoring for each port.

The NeoPhotonics Multicast Switch is intended to build on current ROADM technology to enable next-generation “colorless, directionless and contentionless”, or CDC, networks. For example, in a CDC network, the NeoPhotonics Multicast Switch can be coupled with a Wavelength Selective Switch (WSS), which together are designed to direct any wavelength to any port (colorless), accept input wavelength channels from multiple directions (directionless), and be able to drop two identical wavelengths from different directions through the same switch (contentionless). This switching flexibility is intended to improve the efficiency and flexibility of telecommunications networks while reducing overall deployment costs.

“We are excited to introduce our Multicast Switch and we believe that it can play a critical role in enabling more flexible and efficient ROADM systems,” said Tim Jenks, CEO of NeoPhotonics. “The Multicast Switch is another NeoPhotonics product that takes advantage of our photonic integration technology by integrating more than 200 optical elements, and is made possible by our years of experience developing and producing increasingly complex photonic integrated circuits.”