Infinera introduced its next-generation optical line system featuring the ability to pack up to 160 DWDM channels into the C-band and increasing the optical reach to 2,500 kilometers. The ILS2 system, which begins shipping this summer, employs a 25 Gigahertz (GHz) grid, twice the density of Infinera’s previous line system. Extremely dense channel spacing is achieved by high-performance optical filters and multiplexers integrated into a new passive PIC designed by Infinera and manufactured at the company’s Annapolis Junction, Maryland semiconductor fabrication facility. The system is capable of 10 Gbps, 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps services.
With its current DTN line cards, Infinera’s ILS2 delivers up to 1.6 Tbps of optical capacity. Once Infinera introduces its next-generation line cards, the ILS2 system will deliver 160 DWDM channels each operating at 40 Gbps, for total capacity of 6.4 Tbps, entirely in the C-band. In an 8 Tbps configuration, Infinera line cards will deliver 80 channels at 100 Gbps each.
Infinera’s optoelectronic or “active” PICs have integrated active devices such as lasers, modulators, and photodiodes. These active PICs are now in their second generation of development and include additional functionality not present on the first generation of active PICs. Future generations of active PICs are planned to scale to higher capacities and to add additional functionality. Infinera’s newly introduced passive PICs integrate passive devices such as multiplexers, interleavers, variable optical attenuators and waveguides, and play key roles in routing and filtering DWDM wavelengths in the ILS2 system, which enables up to160 DWDM channels on a single fiber. Infinera’s passive PIC technology is based on the use of a proprietary glass, “Hydex”, which enables a reduction in the size of the planar lightwave circuits (PLCs) on the PICs by roughly 90% compared to conventional material technologies. One of the passive PICs introduced today is a precision multi-wavelength multiplexer/ demultiplexer, supporting ILS2’s 25 Gigahertz (GHz) channel spacings. It integrates the functionality of more than 40 devices onto a single chip. The other passive PIC, announced today serves as a wavelength management device, integrating the functionality of more than ten devices on a chip. Both PICs play important roles in enabling the new ILS2 to pack up to160 channels or wavelengths of light into the C-band while supporting ultra-long-haul distances.
Infinera said the combination of its PICs and its GMPLS-powered service intelligence makes it easy and cost-effective to turn up large volumes of capacity and manage large networks without a large staff of optics specialists. Infinera’s Bandwidth Virtualization capability ensures that services can be provisioned across any network link, regardless of the optical parameters of the underlying wavelengths. The ILS2 system also introduces optical express in Infinera networks, to enable service providers to optically express most traffic through locations where only a small fraction needs to be added or dropped.
In addition, the ILS2’s extended optical reach of up to 2500 kilometers enables greater single-span distances, valuable for applications such as festoon networks or to enable hut-skipping. Extended optical reach is achieved with the introduction of Raman amplification modules as part of ILS2.
Infinera noted that the raman amplification and passive PIC technology leverage technology from two acquisitions made two years ago — the acquisition of Corvis Corporation’s assets and the acquisition of Little Optics. In each case, Infinera acquired highly differentiated technology, integrated it into the Infinera system and developed it further. The teams acquired in both acquisitions have now been combined in an Infinera center of excellence in Annapolis Junction, Maryland.
Separately, Infinera announced that SAVVIS will upgrade its California network to the new ILS2 line system.
