Coherent Corp. (NYSE: COHR) announced the general availability of its 100G ZR QSFP28-DCO coherent transceiver, the first in the industry to deliver 0dBm optical output power in the compact QSFP28 form factor. The device is designed to enable coherent transmission in metro and regional ROADM-based optical line systems.
The high optical output power supports operation without the need for external amplifiers, simplifying deployments in colorless ROADM environments. The module is optimized for IP-over-DWDM applications and eliminates the need for traditional muxponder or transponder hardware. An optional Tunable Optical Filter further extends its use cases in access and aggregation networks.
Key specifications:
• QSFP28-DCO form factor
• 100G ZR coherent transmission
• 0dBm optical output for ROADM compatibility
• Supports IP-over-DWDM applications
• Optional Tunable Optical Filter for colorless ROADM support
• InP photonic IC and in-house DSP design
“We designed the high-power 100G ZR QSFP28-DCO to enable cost-effective, energy-efficient IP-over-DWDM solutions,” said Dr. Beck Mason, Executive Vice President, Telecommunications at Coherent.
- Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexers (ROADMs) are key components in modern optical networks that enable dynamic routing of individual wavelengths without manual intervention or optical-electrical-optical (OEO) conversion. They allow operators to remotely configure, monitor, and adjust wavelength paths in response to shifting traffic demands, improving flexibility and reducing operational costs. Key innovations moving forward include support for colorless, directionless, and contentionless (CDC) architectures, which allow any wavelength to be added or dropped on any port without constraints; integration with coherent pluggable optics to streamline IP-over-DWDM deployments; and enhanced software-defined control to support real-time, automated provisioning and network optimization.
