Infineon Unveils XENPAK-Compliant Transceiver Module Industry Leader Expands Local/Metro Area Networking Product Portfolio
Anaheim, Calif. Mar. 19, 2002 At the Optical Fiber Communication Conference here today, Infineon Technologies (FSE/NYSE: IFX) a leading provider of integrated circuits for advanced communications systems introduced its EXponder 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 GbE) module, which complies with the XENPAK Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) fiber optic transceiver specification. The XENPAK MSA, which is becoming a de facto industry standard, defines and specifies a consistent form factor, size, connector type and electrical pin-out for 10 GbE transceivers meeting the IEEE 802.3ae standard.
Demonstrated at Infineons booth (number 3812), the new single1310nm uncooled serial laser module further extends the companys broad portfolio of products for the local area network (LAN) and metropolitan area network (MAN) markets, and is ideally suited for use in applications such as edge and core switches and routers, hubs and repeaters, and Ethernet switches.
The MAN, or metro area network, is generally considered to be the worst bottleneck for efficient end-to-end data transfer in the optical transmission network and the EXponder module is targeted at opening that bottleneck, said Erwin Wolf, Vice President of Infineons Communications Business Group and General manager of the Fiber Optics Business Unit. This is a key component supporting our strategy to become the leading supplier to the growing 10GbE metro market. By leveraging our exceptional integration competence Infineon will provide its customers with a complete set of strategic optical and logic components and sub-components optimized for the metro environment. Were actively working to drive the move from large, first-generation pigtail-style 10G transponders to compact, low-cost, pluggable devices that will allow the creation of affordable, flexible networks.
The Infineon EXponder module is a 10 GbE optical transceiver that conforms to both the XENPAK MSA and IEEE 802.3ae specifications. It provides a 10 kilometer (km) LAN PHY link with full-duplex transmission, and uses serial 10 gigabit-per-second (Gbps) uncooled, directly modulated 1310 nm distributed-feed laser technology that eliminates the need for modulators, coolers or complex optical multiplexing. It incorporates the complete physical layer functionality from the optical interface to the 10 Gigabit Attachment Unit Interface (XAUI, pronounced "zowie"), which is an interface defined in the IEEE 802.3ae 10 GbE draft standard for chip-to-chip interconnects that provides four 3.125 Gbps channels, and includes both 8/10B XGXS and 64/66B PCS coding and decoding. In addition, a data management interface is provided for the data I/Os and clock.
As with all XENPAK-compliant transceivers, the EXponder module is very compact, allowing configurations of up to eight ports per line card without compromising the stringent thermal and EMI management requirements of 10 Gbps optical electronics devices. EXponder modules are "hot swappable" allowing for user-friendly plug-and-play of all four physical media device (PMD) transceiver types. This flexibility allows end-users to buy a switch and populate it with links at a later date, and also eliminates system downtime during upgrades and repairs.
Engineering samples of the EXponder module that meet draft 3.1 of the IEEE 802.3ae standard and draft 2.0 of the XENPAK MSA will be available in April, with volume production of final-standard-compliant modules planned for December 2002. Pricing is expected to be less than $1,000 in high-volume quantities.
Demonstrated at Infineons booth (number 3812), the new single1310nm uncooled serial laser module further extends the companys broad portfolio of products for the local area network (LAN) and metropolitan area network (MAN) markets, and is ideally suited for use in applications such as edge and core switches and routers, hubs and repeaters, and Ethernet switches.
The MAN, or metro area network, is generally considered to be the worst bottleneck for efficient end-to-end data transfer in the optical transmission network and the EXponder module is targeted at opening that bottleneck, said Erwin Wolf, Vice President of Infineons Communications Business Group and General manager of the Fiber Optics Business Unit. This is a key component supporting our strategy to become the leading supplier to the growing 10GbE metro market. By leveraging our exceptional integration competence Infineon will provide its customers with a complete set of strategic optical and logic components and sub-components optimized for the metro environment. Were actively working to drive the move from large, first-generation pigtail-style 10G transponders to compact, low-cost, pluggable devices that will allow the creation of affordable, flexible networks.
The Infineon EXponder module is a 10 GbE optical transceiver that conforms to both the XENPAK MSA and IEEE 802.3ae specifications. It provides a 10 kilometer (km) LAN PHY link with full-duplex transmission, and uses serial 10 gigabit-per-second (Gbps) uncooled, directly modulated 1310 nm distributed-feed laser technology that eliminates the need for modulators, coolers or complex optical multiplexing. It incorporates the complete physical layer functionality from the optical interface to the 10 Gigabit Attachment Unit Interface (XAUI, pronounced "zowie"), which is an interface defined in the IEEE 802.3ae 10 GbE draft standard for chip-to-chip interconnects that provides four 3.125 Gbps channels, and includes both 8/10B XGXS and 64/66B PCS coding and decoding. In addition, a data management interface is provided for the data I/Os and clock.
As with all XENPAK-compliant transceivers, the EXponder module is very compact, allowing configurations of up to eight ports per line card without compromising the stringent thermal and EMI management requirements of 10 Gbps optical electronics devices. EXponder modules are "hot swappable" allowing for user-friendly plug-and-play of all four physical media device (PMD) transceiver types. This flexibility allows end-users to buy a switch and populate it with links at a later date, and also eliminates system downtime during upgrades and repairs.
Price and Availability
Engineering samples of the EXponder module that meet draft 3.1 of the IEEE 802.3ae standard and draft 2.0 of the XENPAK MSA will be available in April, with volume production of final-standard-compliant modules planned for December 2002. Pricing is expected to be less than $1,000 in high-volume quantities.
About Infineon
Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, Germany, offers semiconductor and system solutions for applications in the wired and wireless communications markets, for security systems and smartcards, for the automotive and industrial sectors, as well as memory products. With a global presence, Infineon operates in the US from San Jose, CA, in the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore and in Japan from Tokyo. In the fiscal year 2001 (ending September), the company achieved sales of Euro 5.67 billion with about 33,800 employees worldwide. Infineon is listed on the DAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX). Further information is available at www.infineon.com.
Copyright © 2002 Infineon Technologies North America Corp. All rights reserved. Infineon and the stylized Infineon Technologies design are registered trademarks and service marks of Infineon Technologies AG. Other product and brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Information Number
INFCOM200203.061e