Finisar has introduced Flextune, a new hardware configurable feature for wavelength-tunable optical transceivers. The Flextune feature significantly simplifies deployment of DWDM transceivers in Remote PHY access networks constructed by cable multiple system operators (MSOs).
The Flextune feature by Finisar allows up to 96 wavelength-tunable optical transceivers in a Remote PHY network to self-configure their wavelengths to operate over the DWDM infrastructure without input from the host equipment nor intervention from technicians. Technicians simply insert the universal transceivers into any host port in the headend equipment and Remote PHY nodes, and connect them to any of the optical multiplexer ports with fibre-optic patch cables. Firmware contained in the transceivers determines the proper wavelengths to link the headend equipment to each Remote PHY node.
"Wavelength-tunable optical transceivers with the Flextune enhancement significantly reduce operational expenditure for MSOs when deploying Remote PHY networks," said Shawn M. Esser, director of product management at Finisar. "Cable operators only need to stock one universal wavelength-tunable transceiver compared to stocking many different fixed-wavelength modules. Flextune capability reduces configuration time of the transceivers for a link from hours to minutes. In addition, it simplifies installations because technicians do not have to trace fibres from the optical multiplexer to the Remote PHY nodes, which could be a distance of 2km or longer."
The Flextune feature will be offered in Finisar's 10Gb/s wavelength-tunable duplex and dual-band bidirectional (BiDi) transceivers. The latter were introduced last month as the industry's first tunable dual-band BiDi SFP+ transceiver, which allows 80 wavelengths to be deployed over DWDM networks that previously only supported 40 – increasing transmission capacity from 200Gb/s to 400Gb/s in either direction over a single fibre without changing the infrastructure. Because it only has one optical connection for the pair of wavelengths, the BiDi transceiver also reduces the number of patch cables by a factor of two, simplifying installation and saving space.
Finisar will display Flextune for Remote PHY access networks during the SCTE Cable-Tec Expo this week in Denver, Colorado in its booth #1074. Also on display on Finisar’s booth will be its UltraSpan optical amplifiers which extend reaches of Remote PHY access networks to 80km and longer.