OIF Members Demonstrate How Interoperability Accelerates Solutions for Today's and Future Global Networks at OFC 2022

Nearly 30 companies will highlight 400ZR interoperability; Co-Packaging architectures; CEI-112 channels; CMIS implementations and FlexE definitions

Fremont, Calif. – February 28, 2022-- OIF, where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done, will host its largest demonstration of interoperable optical networking solutions to date at this year’s OFC 2022 in San Diego, March 8-10, 2022. Industry experts will also present updates on OIF’s current work in many critical areas, including 400ZR/800ZR and electrical rates.

Nearly 30 participating member companies will demonstrate interoperability in five key technology areas ― 400ZR optics; Co-Packaging architectures; Common Electrical I/O (CEI) channels; Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) implementations and FlexE (Flex Ethernet) definitions. The demos will include both live and static stations at OIF’s booth, #5101.

Participating companies include Accton; Alphawave IP; Amphenol; Applied Optoelectonics, Inc.; Broadcom Inc., Ciena; Cisco; EXFO; Fujitsu Optical Components; Innolume GmbH; Intel; Juniper Networks; Keysight Technologies; Lumentum, MACOM Technology Solutions Inc.; Marvell; MaxLinear, Inc.; Molex; MultiLane, Inc.; NEC Corporation; NeoPhotonics; Nokia; O-Net Communications; Ragile Networks Inc.; Senko Advanced Components; Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.; TE Connectivity; VIAVI Solutions and Wilder Technologies.

“With demonstrations in five critical technology areas enabling the networks of today and the future, the OIF booth at OFC will showcase the intersection of innovation, interoperability and implementations,” said Mike Klempa, Amphenol, and OIF Physical and Link Layer Interoperability Working Group Chair.

400ZR Demo

OIF’s 400ZR project is critical in facilitating the reduction of cost and complexity for high bandwidth data center interconnects and promoting interoperability among optical module manufacturers. This is the first-ever public multivendor 400ZR interop demo. The demo consists of a full implementation of 400GE across an 80km, DWDM ecosystem using multiple module, router, open line systems, and test equipment vendors, demonstrating the project achieved its interoperability goals.

Co-Packaging Architectures Demo

While individual companies consider options to optimize power and density, OIF has seen the need to lead industry standardization discussions for the architecture known as co-packaging that promises to address both power consumption trends and increased bandwidth density. OIF is leading the industry’s interoperability discussions for co-packaging and will showcase its progress with multi-party demonstrations of its 3.2T Module project and external laser project (ELSFP). A variety of interoperable components that enable co-packaging will be shown, along with a system implementation.

CEI-112G Demo

OIF is taking a lead role in moving the industry to the next generation with its development of electrical interface specifications for 112 Gbps per differential pair. Multiple live demonstrations featuring interoperability amongst 12 participating members clearly prove the key role OIF provides as well as the developing supplier ecosystem. The CEI-112G demonstrations in the OIF booth will feature multi-party silicon supplier interoperability over various channels including mated compliance boards, PCB channels and direct attach copper cable channels, and even fiber. Each configuration demonstrates the technical viability of 112 Gbps operation, along with multiple industry form factors, including OSFP and QSFP-DD. The demo also shows a measured far-end eye diagram on an oscilloscope with analysis to show an example of the silicon signal integrity that is typically required going through the large variety of channels on display.

Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) Implementations Demo

CMIS is becoming the management interface of choice for next generation pluggable modules, capable of managing both simple and advanced modules. CMIS provides a well-defined mechanism to initialize and manage optical and copper modules in a standard way, while still providing the capability to provide custom functionality. This commonality makes integration into different host platforms easier for both the host vendor and the module vendor. The CMIS demo consists of four separate demonstrations that show how modules can be managed and initialized, how modules can support multiple independent services (breakout) and how module firmware can be easily upgraded.

FlexE Demo

OIF continues to advance FlexE technology with the recently published FlexE 2.2 Implementation Agreement. The demo will show off FlexE’s channelization features, which allow standard Ethernet optics to be broken down into multiple clients of both standard and non-standard Ethernet rates with a granularity of 5Gb/s. Realistic multi-vendor deployment scenarios will show standard 100GbE interfaces channelized into clients of mixed rates, mapping of traffic from standard Ethernet ports, and end-to-end bit error rate tester (BERT) features demonstrating error and alarm monitoring.

OIF @ OFC 2022 Speaking Sessions

TUESDAY, March 8 – 4pm-5pm PT

An OIF update on electrical rates: 112G technical closure and the latest progress and challenges for 224G to create the next speed node

Moderator: Nathan Tracy, OIF VP of Marketing, TE Connectivity

Panelists: John Calvin, Keysight Technologies; Mike Li, Intel; Cathy Liu, OIF President, Broadcom Inc.; Jeffery Maki, OIF Board Member and Physical Layer User Group WG Chair, Juniper Networks

Deployment of 400ZR and the ongoing OIF work to define 800ZR/LR

WEDNESDAY, March 9, – 12pm-1pm PT

Moderator: Richard Ward, OIF MA&E Committee Co-Chair – PLL, Intel

Panelists: Josef Berger, Marvell; Ian Betty, Ciena; Mark Filer, OIF VP, Google; Tom Williams, Cisco

About OIF

OIF is where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done. Building on more than 20 years of effecting forward change in the industry, OIF represents the dynamic ecosystem of 130+ industry leading network operators, system vendors, component vendors and test equipment vendors collaborating to develop interoperable electrical, optical and control solutions that directly impact the industry’s ecosystem and facilitate global connectivity in the open network world. Connect with OIF at @OIForum, on LinkedIn and at http://www.oiforum.com.