September 7, 2010 | PressRelease,PressRelease2010

Product Name : WaveProcessor Array

Module code : WPA-44, WPA-8, WPA-12, TFA-8

【Background】Multi-degree and highly functional devices have been desired for NextG.-ROADM (next generation Reconfigurable Optical Add Drop Multiplexer) to support flexible and intelligent OTNs (optical transport networks) for a variety of IP-based applications such as, cloud-computing, smart-grid, and high capacity video broadcasting.

【Subjects】To realize the flexible and intelligent OTN, novel multi-functional photonic devices are essential in the physical (optical) layer for bandwidth demand. The NextG.-ROADM corresponds to the flexible photonic node will deploy multi-functional intelligent optical processing devices to support a variety of transmission formats such as conventional 10Gb/s, advanced formats of 100Gb/s, and 400Gb/s.

【New products】Array type of WaveProcessor^TM based on LCOS（Liquid Crystal on Silicon）¹⁾ has been developed. WaveProcessor^TM has one input port and one output port, in which the input optical signals are spectrally processed by the LCOS intelligently. The WaveProcessor^TM Arrays (WPA) are integrated multiple ports type of the WaveProcessor^TM. Each port is independently managed by the command-based user controls. The WPA based on LCOS is the first commercial product in the world. The WPA will provide drastic footprint downsizing in the next generation ROADM.

WPA-families have three major products.
High-end type of WPA-44 is deployed as a 4×4 WXC (Wavelength-crossconnect switch) in the next generation OTNs with colorless, directionless, and wavelength contentionless. The WPA-44 has a capability of 4 degree and 4 color add/drop ports. The WPA-44 has a function to control flexible signal processing in the LCOS processor. The dimension is (W)200 x (D)120 x (H)22 mm. The 4×4 WXC is the first integrated product in the world.

Middle-class of WPA-8 and WPA-12 are 8 and 12 port counts of the WaveProcessor^TM, which has multiple functions of channel bandwidth (BW) variables and attenuation (equalizing/blocking) in the firmware for ITU-T 50GHz spacing 96 channels. Highly integrated thin-package is available for 1U line-cards. The dimension is (W)200 x (D)120 x (H)16 mm with a low energy consumption.

Low-end type of TFA-8 (tunable filter array) is 8 port counts, which has channel selection function to select single channel from ITU-T 50GHz spacing 96 channels. The dimension is (W)200 x (D)120 x (H)16 mm. The TFA-8 is designed for colorless receivers in the drop ports.

SANTEC provides these WPA-families with high quality and long-term supplement condition using self-manufactured telecom-grade LCOS processor.

Samples of the WPA-families will be available from October 2010.

【Functions】

• Full control mode, which supports user programmable ITU-Grid free channel allocation using pixel-by-pixel LCOS controls in WPA-44.
• ITU-Grid mode, which supports bandwidth (BW) variables and attenuation (ATTN) functions as wavelength blocker arrays in the ITU-T 50GHz 96 channels in the WPA-44, WPA-8, and WPA-12.
• Channel selector function, in which single channel is selected from ITU-T 50GHz 96 channels in TFA-8.

【Applications】

• 4×4 WXC (4 degree, 4 color add/drop ports).
• Up-gradable Wave-processing in next generation ROADM.
• Tunable filters in the colorless receivers.

【Merit】

The LCOS based WPA families have many features and advantages, such as multi-functionality, flexible and intelligent managements, non-blocking and up-gradable capabilities, small-footprint, and most cost-effective with the benefit of high-reliable “No-moving parts” device based on LCOS.
The WPA-families contribute to develop a next generation photonic architecture, in which novel concept of frequency-division slot scheme or programmable Grid-free channel allocations are deployed to achieve high frequency utilization efficiency over the conventional ITU-T channel 50G/100GHz spacing.

Terms:
LCOS: Liquid crustal on Silicon. LCOS is a stacked structure, in which liquid crystal (LC) is sand-witched between Indium Oxides （ITO）transparent thin films coated on a glass and CMOS backplane. CMOS backplane is formed by the latest semiconductor process. A couple of Million micro-size pixels are formed on a Silicon wafer. Optical phase and polarization states are controlled by an external driving at low voltage for each pixel.

WPA families product lineup

(a)  WPA-44, (b) WPA-8, and (c) TFA-8（WaveProcessor^TM Array）.