Rain Tree Photonics Pte. Ltd. (RTP), a silicon photonics chip maker for hyperscale data-centers and 5G today announced the availability of a silicon photonics-based solution for 400G-DR4 optical modules. RTP’s 400G-DR4 silicon photonic engine (RTP1908) is paired with MaxLinear’s Telluride PAM4 DSP (MxL93542) to provide a high level of integration, resulting in low-cost and low-power optical module solutions.
Rain Tree Photonics’ proprietary silicon photonics engine is specifically designed to address the cost and energy consumption demands for next-generation optical interconnects in data-center applications. It provides best-in-class performance for current 100G/400G applications, with full scalability towards 800G/Terabit applications. The photonic engine is built on RTP’s unique high-performance silicon photonics integration platform with high yield and volume scalability. It is also developed to be ready for Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) architectures, while maintaining compatibility with pluggable module architectures.
MaxLinear’s MxL93542 Telluride PAM4 DSP is a key component in the development of high-speed, mega-scale data centers based on 100Gbps single lambda optical interconnects. This SOC and others in the Telluride family are the world’s first DSPs with integrated electro-absorption modulated laser (EA-EML) drivers for 100/400Gbps optical interconnects and breakout mode clocking support for 400Gbps DR4 optical modules.
The RTP1908, RTP’s 400G-DR4 silicon photonic engine, integrates multiple photonic devices allowing all 4 channels to fit into a tiny chip footprint. Each channel also features RTP’s energy-efficient modulator which is directly driven by the MxL93542’s integrated EA-EML driver. The entire photonic circuit is optimized for low optical insertion loss and features large mode-field-diameter fiber couplers that ensure high yield with standard packaging lines.
The MxL93542 16nm CMOS PAM4 DSP SoC consumes an extremely low 6.7W of power, which includes the integrated EA-EML driver power dissipation. The minimal power consumption of the MxL93542 meets the stringent power constraints of 400Gbps optical module form-factors, including QSFP-DD, OSFP and COBO devices.
“MaxLinear’s MxL93542 PAM4 DSP with integrated quad-channel EML drivers provides outstanding cost benefits for 400G-DR4 optical module customers. Driver integration also simplifies the module design, which together with RTP’s fabless++ approach, improves NPI cycle-time for customer adoption,” said Dr. Huang Ying, Co-founder at Rain Tree Photonics. “The MxL93542’s integrated drivers also work well with the high-efficiency, low-drive silicon photonic modulators in the RTP1908, achieving excellent TDECQ and OMA performance.”
“We are pleased with the successful pairing of the MxL93542 with Rain Tree Photonics’ RTP1908 silicon photonics engine to provide a compelling integrated solution for 400G-DR4 modules,” said Will Torgerson, Vice President and General Manager of MaxLinear’s High-Speed Interconnect Group. “The highly integrated Telluride DSPs offer superior link-margin performance and industry-leading power consumption.”
Technical Details
Rain Tree Photonics’ RTP1908 is part of a family of low-power, high-performance Silicon Photonic engines for 100G/lane applications. The RTP1808 is the single-lane version. Both feature high-performance, low-drive silicon photonic modulators, working with drivers down to 1.5Vpp single-ended (SE) swing, enabling compatibility with a wide range of modulator drivers. The ICs also include integrated photodetectors, low speed phase-shifters, large mode-field-diameter couplers and various low loss optical components. They are available in both bare die and COC form.
For additional information on the RTP1908, contact sales@raintreephotonics.com.
Maxlinear’s MxL93542 is part of the Telluride family of low-power, high-performance PAM4 DSP SoCs that enable 400Gbps optical modules using a 4x100Gbps optics interface. These SoCs are suitable for use within QSFP-DD, OSFP and COBO module form factors. The MxL93542 400G PAM4 DSP integrates an EA-EML driver with 1.8Vpp SE swing.
Asynchronous breakout mode clocking is an essential feature for hyperscale data center customers initiating 400G DR4 deployments. MaxLinear’s 400G Telluride DSPs (MxL9354x) are currently the only PAM4 DSP SoCs that successfully integrate this clocking requirement.
MaxLinear has engineered a very high-performance DSP engine in both the transmit and receive data paths. The resulting superior link-margin enables single-lane 100Gbps optical wavelength technology by mitigating many of the limitations of mass production optical components.
The MxL93542 features a comprehensive digital pre-distortion (DPD) engine in the transmit direction to compensate for laser non-linearity and to cancel packaging limitations that cause reflections and bandwidth degradation at these extremely high signal frequencies. On the receive path, the DSP includes an auto-adaptive signal enhancement engine, which integrates a continuous time linear equalizer (CTLE), automatic gain control (AGC), a feed forward equalizer (FFE), and a decision feedback equalizer (DFE).
For additional information on the MxL93542, visit www.maxlinear.com/MxL93542.
About Rain Tree Photonics Pte. Ltd.
Rain Tree Photonics (RTP) is enabling the next wave of computing with scalable optical interconnect solutions harnessing cutting edge Silicon Photonics technology. As a Silicon Photonics chipmaker, RTP fully leverages the fabless eco-system and extends beyond with a unique fabless++ approach. In conjunction with its DFM Silicon Photonics platform and technology IPs, this enables RTP to deliver high-performance, low-power products at low cost. A spin-off from IME, A*STAR, RTP was established in 2017. The company is headquartered in Singapore, with a presence in China. For more information, please visit www.raintreephotonics.com.
About MaxLinear, Inc.
MaxLinear, Inc. (NYSE: MXL) is a leading provider of radio frequency (RF), analog, digital and mixed-signal integrated circuits for access and connectivity, wired and wireless infrastructure, and industrial and multimarket applications. MaxLinear is headquartered in Carlsbad, California. For more information, please visit www.maxlinear.com.
MxL and the MaxLinear logo are trademarks of MaxLinear, Inc. Other trademarks appearing herein are the property of their respective owners.
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