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OIF Unveils CEI-112G-XSR+-PAM4 Extended Extra Short Reach Implementation Agreement, Paving the Way for Advanced Interconnectivity

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Organization also releases C-CMIS IA, publishes AI network operations and 400ZR+ demo white papers and announces next CMIS webinar

Fremont, Calif. – OIF, where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done, has published a new Implementation Agreement (IA) for Common Electrical I/O (CEI) CEI-112G-XSR+-PAM4 Extended Extra Short Reach.

The CEI-112G-XSR+-PAM4 IA specifies a 112 Gb/s PAM4 electrical interface for die-to-die (D2D) and die-to-optical-engine (D2OE) interconnect with bump-to-bump insertion loss up to 13 dB at the Nyquist frequency and baud rate in the range 36 Gsym/s to 58 Gsym/s. The intended applications encompass multiple-chip modules (MCM), co-packaged optics (CPO) and near-package optics (NPO) assemblies. It also details the requirements for the CEI-112G-XSR+-PAM4 extended extra short reach high-speed electrical interface with nominal baud rates between 36 Gsym/s and 58 Gsym/s using PAM4 modulation.

“The CEI-112G-XSR+-PAM4 IA represents a significant milestone, extending the reach of previously published XSR class specifications at this speed range,” said David Stauffer, OIF Physical and Link Layer Working Group Chair and Kandou Bus, S.A. “This IA empowers advanced interconnectivity solutions in die-to-die and die-to-optical-engine scenarios, supporting baud rates up to 112 Gb/s (58 Gsym/s). These specifications have the opportunity to revolutionize multiple-chip modules, co-packaged optics, and near-package optics applications, pushing the boundaries of high-speed data transmission.”

Matt Brown, editor of the CEI-112G-XSR+-PAM4 IA and Alphawave Semi, added, “The CEI-112G-XSR+-PAM4 IA addresses a gap in the set of OIF CEI specifications to address new applications identified by the diverse membership of the OIF.”

OIF also recently released the Coherent Common Management Interface Specification (C-CMIS) IA 1.3, published an Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Enhanced Network Operations technical white paper, published the ECOC 400ZR+ demo white paper and launched a series of CMIS technical webinars.

C-CMIS IA 1.3: This Implementation Agreement extends the Common Management Interface Specification [CMIS] to allow the management of digital coherent optics (DCO) modules. Initially covering 400ZR modules, this IA supports the management of modules that have a single data path with an eight-lane host interface for a 400GBASE-R Ethernet signal and a single-lane 400G coherent media interface based on the 400ZR specification. Future extensions to accommodate other DCO modules are anticipated.

Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Enhanced Network Operations Technical White Paper: This new white paper addresses the interoperability requirements for enhanced network functions that interface between transport networks and their management-control systems. It identifies various use cases for applying AI to guide interoperability and provides insights into data requirements, processing needs, output specifications and interfaces relevant to each use case.

ECOC 400ZR+ Demo White Paper: This paper presents the methodology and results of an interoperability study of OpenZR+ MSA QSFP-DD transceivers conducted during the ECOC 2023 plugfest. Ten different transceivers were cross-connected in a matrix of transmitter-to-receiver combinations using a noise-loaded link to characterize the penalties associated with supplier interoperability. Individual transceiver performance was tested using 400GE traffic over a shortened optical line system link with a DWDM 75GHz fixed channel grid and a separate configuration to capture the transmitter error vector magnitude (EVM) performance. The transceiver receiver OSNR performance is compared against the transceiver transmitter EVM performance for each vendor.

CMIS Technical Webinar Series: OIF is hosting a series of free, public CMIS tutorial webinars. The next webinar, “Data Path State Machine (DPSM) and Application Advertising,” will be held on February 7th. These webinars aim to equip engineers, developers and industry professionals with a comprehensive understanding of CMIS. More information on the series can be found here.

 

About OIF

OIF is where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done. With more than 25 years of effecting forward change in the industry, OIF represents the dynamic ecosystem of 150+ 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.

 

PR Contact:

Leah Wilkinson

Wilkinson + Associates for OIF

leah@wilkinson.associates

703-907-0010

OIF Experts to Provide Technology Updates on Power Consumption in Next Generation Optical AI Networking, Common Electrical I/O (CEI) Trends at DesignCon 2024

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Fremont, Calif. – OIF experts will provide valuable insights into the latest trends and developments in power consumption in optical AI networking and 224 Gbps Common Electrical I/O (CEI) at DesignCon 2024, taking place from January 30 to February 1, 2024, in Santa Clara, California.

DesignCon is the premier event for chip, board and systems design engineers in the high-speed communications and semiconductor industries. This year, OIF will lead two panel discussions:

Panel 1 – Wednesday, January 31, 2024: 12:15pm – 1pm PT

Reining in Power Consumption Trends for Next Generation Optical Networking – this panel will focus on strategies to address the ever-increasing power consumption challenges in the next generation of optical networking, featuring experts from leading companies in the field.

Moderator: Jeff Hutchins, Physical and Link Layer (PLL) Working Group (WG) Energy Efficient Interfaces (EEI) Vice Chair and Board Member, Ranovus

Panelists: Karl Bois, OIF Technical Committee Chair, NVIDIA; Yi Tang, OIF PLL WG Electrical Vice Chair, Cisco; and Nathan Tracy, OIF President, TE Connectivity

Panel 2 – Wednesday, January 31, 2024: 4pm – 5:15pm PT

OIF Update on 224 Gbps CEI Development – in this session, OIF will provide updates on the development of 224 Gbps CEI with insights from industry leaders involved in this cutting-edge technology.

Moderator: Nathan Tracy, OIF President, TE Connectivity

Panelists: John Calvin, Keysight Technologies; Mike Klempa, OIF PLL Interoperability WG Chair, Alphawave Semi; Mike Li, OIF Board Member, Intel and Cathy Liu, OIF Vice President, Broadcom Inc.

“Our participation at DesignCon 2024 underscores OIF’s commitment to driving technological innovation,” said Tracy. “These panel discussions offer a unique opportunity to learn from some of the industry’s foremost thought leaders and gain critical insights into OIF’s work. DesignCon provides a platform for connecting with colleagues, sharing insights and collectively shaping the future of optical networking and CEI. It’s where collaboration meets innovation.”

CMIS Technical Webinar Series: Separate from DesignCon, OIF is also hosting a series of free, public CMIS tutorial webinars. These webinars aim to equip engineers, developers and industry professionals with a comprehensive understanding of CMIS. The next session in the series – Data Path State Machine (DPSM) and Application Advertising – will be held on Wednesday, February 7, 2024. Presenters are Doug Cattarusa, Technical Marketing Engineer, Cisco and Paul Brooks, Applications and Technology, VIAVI Solutions. More information on the series can be found here.

About OIF

OIF is where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done. With more than 25 years of effecting forward change in the industry, OIF represents the dynamic ecosystem of 150+ 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.

 

PR Contact:

Leah Wilkinson

Wilkinson + Associates for OIF

leah@wilkinson.associates

703-907-0010

 

OIF Achieves Milestone with Largest Ever Multi-Vendor Interoperability Demo at ECOC 2023, Featuring 39 Companies Accelerating Implementation of Next-Generation Capabilities

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Demos will highlight interoperability work in four areas – 400ZR+; Co-Packaging solutions; CEI-112G & CEI-224G and CMIS implementations

Fremont, Calif.— OIF, where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done, will showcase its largest-ever multi-vendor interoperability demonstration at ECOC 2023, being held October 2-4 in Glasgow, Scotland. Additionally, during ECOC, OIF will continue its commemoration of 25 years dedicated to driving meaningful progress in the industry.

39 companies will participate in live and static interoperability demos at OIF’s booth #304, highlighting advancements in four key technology areas: 400ZR+ optics, Co-Packaging solutions, Common Electrical I/O (CEI) channels and Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) implementations.

“OIF stands at the forefront of critical multi-vendor interoperability efforts, driving the industry’s evolution and providing the transformative technical solutions to meet the rapidly growing demand for broadband access,” said Mike Klempa, Alphawave Semi and Chair of the OIF Physical & Link Layer Interoperability Working Group. “As a member-driven organization, our work remains at the cutting edge, aligned with the industry’s needs and fostering collaboration to accelerate product development and solutions to market. For 25 years, we have been instrumental in facilitating industry progress. This year’s largest-ever demo underscores the vital role we play in shaping the network and the significance of our work in advancing the industry overall.”

The collaborative efforts of OIF’s network operator, system vendor, component vendor and test equipment vendor members will be on display at ECOC, illustrating their contributions in driving the adoption of technologies for both present and future networks. OIF member companies participating in the demo are Adtran; Alphawave Semi; Amphenol; Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.; Broadcom Inc.; Cadence Design Systems, Inc.; Casela Technologies; Ciena; Cisco Systems; Coherent; Credo Technology Group; Eoptolink; EXFO; Fujitsu Optical Components; Hisense Broadband; Infinera; Juniper Networks; Keysight Technologies; Linktel Technologies; Lumentum; MACOM Technology Solutions; Molex; MultiLane, Inc.; NEC Corporation; Nokia; O-Net Technologies; Precision Optical Transceivers, Inc.; Quantifi Photonics; Samtec; Semtech; Senko Advanced Components; Sicoya; Source Photonics; Sumitomo Electric Industries; Synopsys; Telefonica S.A.; VIAVI Solutions and Wilder Technologies. The interoperability demo is supported by participating companies Telefonica and LightRiver. Telefonica is the hosting consulting network operator, and LightRiver is a host for technology-specific pre-demonstration integration testing.

About OIF

OIF is where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done. Celebrating 25 years of effecting forward change in the industry, OIF represents the dynamic ecosystem of 140+ 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, on Threads and at http://www.oiforum.com.

 

PR Contact:

Leah Wilkinson

Wilkinson + Associates for OIF

leah@wilkinson.associates

703-907-0010

 

OIF to Showcase 25 Years of Driving Optical Networking Transformation at NGON & 5G Transport 2023, Hosts Sessions on Interoperability Advancements in 800LR/ZR, 400ZR, CEI, CMIS and Co-Packaging

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Fremont, Calif.—May 22, 2023 – OIF will share updates on its latest projects and highlight its 25-year legacy of driving critical standards and advancing optical networking at NGON & 5G Transport 2023 in Cote d’Azur, France, May 30 – June 1, 2023.

The sessions will provide attendees with insights into OIF’s latest projects and advancements in 800LR/ZR, 400ZR, CEI, CMIS and Co-Packaging, underscoring OIF’s commitment to advancing the optical networking industry.

“We are excited to showcase our 25 years of work in advancing the optical networking industry and highlight key projects at NGON & 5G Transport 2023,” said Nathan Tracy, TE Connectivity and OIF Market Awareness & Education Committee Co-Chair, Physical & Link Layer (PLL). “Our commitment to progressing technology through interoperability has been integral to the growth and evolution of the optical networking industry, and we look forward to sharing our latest work.”

The workshop titled “OIF: Bringing Order to Chaos,” which will feature Dave Brown, OIF Director of Communications, Nokia and Karl Gass, OIF PLL Working Group Optical Vice Chair, will take place on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, from 9:00 am – 10:30 am CEST.

The “IP-Optical with Coherent Optics” panel will take place on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, from 5:10 pm – 5:40 pm CEST. The OIF-hosted panel, moderated by Karl Gass, OIF PLL Working Group Optical Vice Chair will include panelists Edward Echeverry, Transport and SDN Network Engineer, Telefonica; and Ian Redpath, Research Director, Transport and Components, Omdia.

About OIF

OIF is where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done. Celebrating 25 years of effecting forward change in the industry, OIF represents the dynamic ecosystem of 140+ 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.

 

 

PR Contact:

Leah Wilkinson

Wilkinson + Associates for OIF

leah@wilkinson.associates

703-907-0010

 

 

OIF Highlights 400ZR, Co-Packaging Architectures, CEI-112G & CEI-224G and CMIS Implementations Interoperability Among 30+ Global Companies; Hosts Special Anniversary Events at OFC 2023

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Fremont, Calif.—February 22, 2023 – At OFC 2023, OIF will host more than 30 member companies for its largest-ever interoperability demonstration, a special technology session and reception to commemorate its 25th anniversary and will participate in two show floor program sessions showcasing OIF’s work. OIF also announced the availability of a white paper highlighting the findings from a 400ZR Interoperability Plugfest held in January.

“This year’s OFC is the ideal platform for OIF and its members to showcase multivendor interoperability and to celebrate 25 years of interop work critical in moving the industry forward,” said Nathan Tracy, TE Connectivity and OIF Market Awareness & Education Committee Co-Chair, Physical & Link Layer (PLL).

Record-setting Interoperability Demo – 400ZR, Co-Packaging, CEI-112G & CEI-224G and CMIS

OIF’s multivendor interoperability demo at OFC will feature 34 member companies in live demonstrations in OIF’s booth, #5101, in four areas: 400ZR optics, Co-Packaging architectures, Common Electrical I/O (CEI) architectures and Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) implementations.

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 year’s public demonstration includes nearly double the number of participants over last year, including links to multiple collaborator’s booths using OFCnet, OFC’s high-speed optical network. The demo consists of a full implementation of 400GE across a 75km, DWDM ecosystem using multiple module, router, open line system, and test equipment vendors, demonstrating that the project achieved its interoperability goals.

Co-Packaging Demo

OIF continues to lead the industry’s efforts to enable co-packaging solutions utilizing interoperable electrical and optical interfaces featuring low power and high bandwidth edge densities. This co-packaging demo will show OIF’s considerable progress toward that objective since OFC 2022. This year’s interop demonstrations include pivotal multi-vendor elements to enable co-packaging architectures, including live demos for the External Laser Small Form Factor Pluggable (ELSFP) external laser source form factor, co-packaged 3.2T copper cable assemblies, an operating linear optical module, and a variety of optical connectivity solutions as well as an expanded set of OIF member participants representing the growing ecosystem.

 CEI Demo

As the industry looks forward to higher data rates and increased throughput for the next generation of systems based on 224 Gbps per lane, new specifications and technologies will be required. OIF is leading the charge on 224G hardware interconnection application spaces and definitions, demonstrating 224G transmitter and receiver SerDes operation across different vendor channels.

Multiple live CEI demonstrations featuring interoperability amongst 16 participating members prove the critical role OIF serves as well as the developing supplier ecosystem. The CEI-112G demonstrations will feature multi-party silicon supplier interoperability over various Long Reach (LR) channels, including mated compliance boards, PCB channels, direct attach passive, active, and linearly boosted copper cable channels. Optics modules demonstrating VSR links will also be on display, as well as multi-vendor interop traversing single mode and multimode CEI Linear interfaces. Each configuration demonstrates the technical viability of 112 Gbps operation and multiple industry form factors, including SFP, QSFP, OSFP and QSFP-DD. The demo will also show a measured far-end linear eye diagram on an oscilloscope with analysis to show an example of the silicon signal integrity.

CMIS Implementations Demo

CMIS has established itself as 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 live CMIS demo will show a variety of CMIS managed modules and a copper cable in routers and switches from different vendors and showcases how modules are managed in a real-world application.

Participating Companies

The live and static interoperable optical networking solutions demo will feature 34 OIF member companies – ADVA; Alphawave Semi; Amphenol; Astera Labs; Cadence Design Systems, Inc.; Casela Technologies; Ciena; Cisco Systems; Coherent; ColorChip Group; EXFO; InnoLight Technology; Juniper Networks; Keysight Technologies; Lumentum; MACOM Technology Solutions Inc.; Marvell; Microchip Technology; Molex; MultiLane, Inc.; NEC Corporation; Nokia; O-Net Technologies; Precision Optical Transceivers, Inc.; Quantifi Photonics; Samtec; Senko Advanced Components; Sicoya; Source Photonics; Sumitomo Electric Industries; Synopsys; TE Connectivity; US Conec, and Wilder Technologies.

Special 25th Anniversary Tech Showcase

To commemorate its 25th anniversary during OFC, OIF will host a special one-hour session, “Bringing Order to Chaos – OIF,” on Wednesday, March 8 at 3 pm PT in Theater III.

This dynamic session will feature Stephen Hardy, editorial director of Lightwave, and a panel of industry analysts and OIF experts discussing how OIF has helped bring order to a chaotic marketplace over the past 25 years and debate the challenges ahead for OIF and the optical networking industry.

Attendees will learn:

– How OIF’s member-driven model leverages collaboration and consensus to solve complex industry challenges

– What current and trending challenges are in play

Panelists:

  • Karl Gass, OIF PLL Working Group Optical Vice Chair
  • Vladimir Kozlov, Founder and CEO, LightCounting
  • Sterling Perrin, Senior Principal Analyst, Optical Networks and Transport, Heavy Reading
  • Nathan Tracy, OIF Market Awareness & Education Committee Co-Chair, PLL; Technologist, System Architecture Team, TE Connectivity
  • Alan Weckel, Founder and Technology Analyst, 650 Group

25th Anniversary Reception

A celebration reception will be held Wednesday, March 8, at 4 pm PT at OIF booth #5101.

Show Floor Programs

Wednesday, March 8, 1 pm-2 pm PT in Theater II

“Defining 800ZR and 800LR; An OIF Update”

Moderator: Karl Gass, OIF PLL Working Group Optical Vice Chair

Panelists:

  • Josef Berger, Associate Vice President, Optical and Copper Connectivity Group, Marvell
  • Sebastien Gareau, Systems Architect, Ciena
  • Scott Wilkinson, Lead Analyst, Optical Components, Cignal AI
  • Tom Williams, Director of Technical Marketing, Cisco Systems

Thursday, March 9, 12:15 pm-1:15 pm PT in Theater II

“Enabling Next Generation Co-Packaging Solutions”

Moderator: Jeff Hutchins, OIF PLL Working Group Co-Packaging Vice Chair and Board Member; CTO Office, Ranovus

Panelists:

  • Kenneth Jackson, Product Marketing Director, Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations, USA
  • Yi Tang, Principal Hardware Engineer, Cisco
  • Nathan Tracy, OIF MA&E Committee Co-Chair, PLL; Technologist, System Architecture Team, TE Connectivity
  • Richard Ward, Chief Technologist Data Connectivity, Astera Labs

400ZR Interoperability Plugfest White Paper

This new OIF white paper presents the methodology and results of an interoperability study of 400ZR transceivers conducted during a performance testing plugfest held in late January. Twelve different transceivers were cross-connected in a matrix of combinations (Tx-Rx) using a noise-loaded link to characterize the penalties associated with interoperability between suppliers. The white paper is available here.

About OIF

OIF is where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done. Celebrating 25 years of effecting forward change in the industry, OIF represents the dynamic ecosystem of 140+ 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.

 

PR Contact:

Leah Wilkinson

Wilkinson + Associates for OIF

leah@wilkinson.associates

703-907-0010

 

OIF Hosts Largest Ever Multi-Vendor Interoperability Demonstration of the Solutions Accelerating Next-Generation Capabilities at OFC 2023; Celebrates 25 Years of Interoperability Work

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More than 30 global companies will participate in this year’s interoperability demo in four areas – 400ZR; Co-Packaging architectures, CEI-112G & CEI-224G and CMIS implementations

Fremont, Calif. – OIF, celebrating 25 years of getting the optical networking industry’s interoperability work done, is hosting the largest ever multi-vendor interoperability demonstration at OFC 2023, March 7-9 in San Diego, California.

 

 

 

A record number of participants, more than 30 OIF-member companies, are participating in demonstrations in OIF’s booth, #5101, in four critical areas: 400ZR optics, Co-Packaging architectures, Common Electrical I/O (CEI) architectures and Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) implementations.

“Given the pace of demand for access to broadband and the revolutionary technical advancements needed to support that demand, interoperability is more important than ever,” said Mike Klempa, Alphawave Semi, and OIF Physical & Link Layer Interoperability Working Group Chair. “This year marks 25 years of industry-changing work bringing together an ecosystem of members to solve some of the network’s greatest challenges, so it’s no surprise that OIF’s demo at OFC will be the largest it’s ever hosted.”

The live and static interoperable optical networking solutions demo at OFC will feature 34 OIF member companies – ADVA; Alphawave Semi; Amphenol; Astera Labs; Cadence Design Systems, Inc.; Casela Technologies; Ciena; Cisco Systems; Coherent; ColorChip Group; EXFO; InnoLight Technology; Juniper Networks; Keysight Technologies; Lumentum; MACOM Technology Solutions Inc.; Marvell; Microchip Technology Incorporated; Molex; MultiLane, Inc.; NEC Corporation; Nokia; O-Net Communications; Precision Optical Transceivers, Inc.; Quantifi Photonics; Samtec; Senko Advanced Components; Sicoya; Source Photonics; Sumitomo Electric Industries; Synopsys; TE Connectivity; US Conec and Wilder Technologies.

To commemorate its 25th anniversary during OFC, OIF will host a special session, “Bringing Order to Chaos – OIF,” on Wednesday, March 8 at 3 pm PT, Theater 3. The one-hour session will feature OIF leadership, Karl Gass, OIF and Nathan Tracy, OIF, TE Connectivity, and special guests: Stephen Hardy, Lightwave; Vladimir Kozlov, LightCounting; Sterling Perrin, Heavy Reading/Omdia and Alan Weckel, 650 Group.

A celebration reception will follow at OIF Booth #5101 – Wednesday, March 8, at 4 pm PT.

More details to be announced.

About OIF

OIF is where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done. Celebrating 25 years of effecting forward change in the industry, OIF represents the dynamic ecosystem of 140+ 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.

 

PR Contact:

Leah Wilkinson

Wilkinson + Associates for OIF

leah@wilkinson.associates

703-907-0010

 

OIF Marks 25th Anniversary, Launches New Physical & Link Layer Working Group Electrical Project and Adds 112G VSR Clause to CEI 5.0 IA at Q1 Technical and MA&E Committees Meeting

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The meeting hosted leading analysts from 650 Group and LightCounting as guest speakers giving member participants direct access to research, forecasting of industry growth and the impact of OIF’s work

Fremont, Calif.—January 23, 2023 – OIF’s first Technical and MA&E Committees Meeting of the year kicked off a year-long celebration of OIF’s 25th anniversary, the launch of an enhanced SGMII project – a Physical & Link Layer (PLL) Working Group Electrical track project – and the completion of the Common Electrical I/O (CEI)-112G-VSR, as well as featured guest speakers, Vladimir Kozlov, CEO, LightCounting; and Alan Weckel, Founder and Technology Analyst, 650 Group.

The Q1 Technical and MA&E Committees Meeting was held in person and virtually January 10-12, 2023, in Indian Wells, California.

25th Anniversary

For 25 years, OIF has accelerated progressive transformation in optical networking by serving as the only global industry forum driving the electrical, optical and control interoperability that enables a more efficient and reliable network. Its active member ecosystem of more than 140 companies collaborates through a transparent and fast-paced process to develop, validate and publish Implementation Agreements (IAs) and technical white papers critical to accelerating market adoption of interoperable optical networking technologies.

Opening the week of celebration, Stephen Hardy, Editorial Director of Lightwave, welcomed attendees with a special virtual greeting – a “Friday 5” featuring the five OIF IAs that Hardy believes have been the most transformative to the industry.

Approval of Common Electrical I/O (CEI)-112G-VSR

CEI-112G-VSR-PAM4 specifies a 112 Gb/s chip-to-module PAM4 electrical interface for use in the range 36 to 58 Gsym/s with up to 16 dB loss at the Nyquist frequency, including one connector. Hosts and modules compliant to CEI-112G-VSR-PAM4 from different manufacturers are interoperable.

“CEI-112G-VSR allows for an interoperable environment using optical pluggable modules critical to networking and challenging AI/ML connectivity,” said Dr. Karl Bois, OIF Technical Committee Vice Chair, NVIDIA Corporation. “The networking and data center ecosystems have a new powerful implementation recipe to increase throughput and capacity, especially when the network is part of the Compute infrastructure.”

New Electrical Project – Enhanced SGMII Electrical Specifications

The enhanced SGMII (E-SGMII) specifications will be based on modernized current mode logic (CML) electrical specifications instead of legacy LVDS and provide an optional high-speed 1 GbE interface to supplement the management of modules. Specifically, it will define a 1 GbE (1.25 GBd) high-speed serial interface for modules based on a modernized, enhanced SGMII. E-SGMII will have applications both for next-generation modules and for existing form factors with sufficient pins available.

Guest Speakers – Vladimir Kozlov, Founder and CEO, LightCounting; and Alan Weckel, Founder and Technology Analyst, 650 Group

Kozlov, Founder and CEO of LightCounting, an optical communications market research company:

“It takes a collective mind of the industry experts to filter out the best product ideas enabled by cutting-edge technologies,” said Kozlov. “OIF created a framework to keep the collective mind productive by letting the experts debate respectfully, yet often passionately. Some projects turn into success stories in 2-3 years, with 400ZR being the most recent example. Others take up to 7 years to complete, and many never make it to the market, but they all help chart the industry’s future. I am looking forward to the 50th anniversary of OIF. The next 25 years will be even more fun since the industry has many diverging routes to consider.”

Weckel, Founder and Technology Analyst of 650 Group, a trusted market research firm:

“As OIF celebrates its 25th anniversary, the organization continues to push critical standards and efforts forward that help shape almost every data center and network in the world today,” said Weckel. “If we look at all the recent and upcoming announcements on 56/112/224 Gbps SERDES and ZR optics, the OIF was critical in bringing those products to market.”

About OIF

OIF is where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done. Celebrating 25 years of effecting forward change in the industry, OIF represents the dynamic ecosystem of 140+ 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.

 

PR Contact:

Leah Wilkinson

Wilkinson + Associates for OIF

703-907-0010

leah@wilkinson.associates

 

OIF Releases Common Electrical I/O (CEI) 5.0 Implementation Agreement Reinforcing Leadership in Next-Generation Channel Definition

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New specifications will enable a broad range of applications

Fremont, Calif. – OIF, where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done, has published a new Implementation Agreement (IA) for Common Electrical I/O (CEI) 5.0 specifying the next generation of 112Gb/s electrical interconnects. The IA specifies transmitter, receiver and channel requirements associated with Extra Short Reach (XSR), Medium Reach (MR) and Long Reach (LR) interfaces for multi-chip-module, chip-to-chip, and high-speed backplane applications.

“This IA marks a new generation of specifications for 112G interfaces,” said Klaus-Holger Otto, Nokia and OIF Technical Committee Chair. “It is a continuation of OIF’s proud history of adding next-generation data rates that enable broad interconnect solutions and are critical building blocks for several industry standards and platforms.”

“These new data rate specifications will enable applications including backplane, chip-to-chip, and die-to-die interfaces within a package,” said David Stauffer, Kandou Bus and Chair of OIF’s Physical and Link Layer (PLL) Working Group. “And, it enables multiple applications, such as co-packaged optics. Definitions of interfaces within co-packaged die are unique to this IA and OIF’s work.”

About OIF
OIF is where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done. Building on nearly 25 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.

PR Contact:
Leah Wilkinson
Wilkinson + Associates for OIF
leah@wilkinson.associates
703-907-0010

OIF Q1 2022 Member Meeting Results in New CEI and CMIS Projects, Working Group Election

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Dave Stauffer re-elected as Chair of OIF Physical & Link Layer Working Group

Fremont, Calif.—March 16, 2022 – Highlights from OIF’s first member meeting of the year include four new Common Electrical I/O (CEI) projects, two new Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) project launches, an OIF Working Group election, and an industry talk from Scott Wilkinson, Lead Analyst, Networking Components, Cignal AI. The Q122 Technical and MA&E Committees Meeting was held virtually February 7-11.

NEW PROJECTS

CEI

OIF launched four new CEI projects during the meeting: CEI-224G-Extra Short Reach (XSR) Common Electrical On-Package Interface Project, CEI-224G-Very Short Reach (VSR) Common Electrical Chip-to-Module Interface Project, CEI-224G-Medium Reach (MR) Common Electrical Chip-to-Chip Interface Project, and CEI-224G-Long Reach (LR) Common Electrical Backplane and Copper Cable Interface Project. These projects are the first set to target the 224G generation of electrical interfaces.

In addition to these 224G project launches, OIF membership approved publishing the 224G Framework Project white paper that was kicked off in August 2020. “OIF’s CEI-224G framework project white paper provides a roadmap for the applications, challenges and projects needed to support new specifications and technologies – these four new projects will develop the Implementation Agreements (IAs) to address that roadmap,” said Dave Stauffer, Kandou Bus and Chair, OIF Physical and Link Layer (PLL) Working Group.

CMIS: Form-Factor Specific Hardware Management

OIF initiated a new project to create supplemental specifications to CMIS for Form-factor Specific Hardware Management (FSHM). CMIS has been adopted to manage future generation of small form-factor pluggable (SFP) 112, SFP-DD/SFP-DD112, and quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP) 112. Currently, CMIS does not provide hardware management control for these form-factors. FSHM will define form-factor specific module hardware management registers in CMIS allocated page 05h.

CMIS: Adding CMIS Support for Host-Module Link Training

OIF started another new project that will add CMIS Support for Host-Module Link Training. This project will provide an optional out-of-band, protocol agnostic, management mechanism for optimizing link tuning and training.

OIF ELECTION
Stauffer was re-elected to serve a two-year term as Chair of OIF’s PLL Working Group. Dr. Stauffer has served in this role since 2006. The OIF PLL Working Group develops IAs related to physical and data link layer interfaces between optical internetworking elements and their internal components, reusing existing standards when applicable. The OIF PLL Working Group is guided by requirements developed by the Physical Layer User Group (PLUG) Working Group and Network Operators Working Group and OIF members.

GUEST SPEAKER
The meeting’s guest speaker, Scott Wilkinson, provided attendees with an overview of the pluggable coherent optical technologies market, including trends, forecasts, and expected changes.

“The OIF’s wildly successful 400ZR specification is largely responsible for the recent growth of 400Gbps coherent pluggables and the emergence of IP-over-DWDM as a valid network configuration,” said Wilkinson. “The group’s quarterly meetings are an invaluable source of information on what’s next in optical interfaces.”

 

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.

 

PR Contact:

Leah Wilkinson

Wilkinson + Associates for OIF

Email: leah@wilkinson.associates

Office: 703-907-0010

 

OIF Launches CEI-224G Framework Project White Paper for Next-Generation Data Rate Systems

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The resulting white paper summarizes the consensus findings and guides OIF project starts for future CEI 224 Gbps clauses addressing specific reaches and architectures

Fremont, Calif.— As the industry looks forward to higher data rates and increased throughput for the next generation of systems based on 224 Gbps per lane, new specifications and technologies will be required. OIF, where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done, today announced a framework document representing OIF’s efforts to identify the hardware interconnection application spaces where the communications and computer industries could benefit from interconnection definitions or Implementation Agreements (IA).

The CEI-224G framework project has resulted in a white paper summarizing the consensus findings and guidance for new OIF project starts for future CEI clauses addressing specific 224 Gbps reaches and architectures. Further, it identifies key technical challenges for next-generation systems, defines electrical interconnection applications, and discusses some of the interoperability test challenges.  This provides the OIF and other industry standards bodies with a common language and understanding of the development projects required for the next generation data rate systems. It also establishes baseline materials that will enable 1.6/3.2 Tbps rate architectures and lower cost, lower complexity 800 Gbps and 400 Gbps architectures.

“As demonstrated in the past, most recently at 112 Gbps, OIF plays a key role in driving industry activity to identify and develop critical technical solutions that will enable next-generation data rates to be cost-effectively deployed in future equipment and networks,” said Cathy Liu, Broadcom Inc., and OIF President.

Service providers, network customers, and data center operators have communicated that higher data rates like 224 Gbps are required for client and line-side links to support higher volumes of traffic on the core and backbone networks. These next-generation data rates need to be implemented while also addressing power consumption, density, performance, reach and cost challenges.

“224 Gbps is going to bring many difficult challenges for the industry to address to achieve practical implementations in an interoperable way,” said Nathan Tracy, OIF VP of Marketing, TE Connectivity. “This Framework project and its resultant white paper align OIF members and industry on many of the key hurdles. Overcoming obstacles can be achieved by having consensus amongst a broad cross-section of component, subsystem and system suppliers to leverage new technologies that drive signaling, architecture and integration developments.”

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.

PR Contact:
Leah Wilkinson
Wilkinson + Associates for OIF
leah@wilkinson.associates
703-907-0010

 

OIF Reveals New Common Electrical I/O Project to Strengthen an Open Ecosystem for Near Package Optics Architecture, Launches Management Track and Facebook joins Board of Directors at Q3 2021 Virtual Meeting

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Fremont, Calif.—August 27, 2021 – OIF’s Q3 2021 Technical and MA&E Committees Meeting, held virtually August 2-6, 2021, demonstrated OIF’s leadership in next-generation channel definition by revealing a new Common Electrical I/O (CEI) project. Two projects under the Physical and Link Layer (PLL) newly formed Management track were also initiated. Jimmy Yu, vice president of Dell’Oro Group, was featured as the guest speaker, and a new Board Member was appointed.

NEW PROJECTS:

The CEI-112G-Extra Short Reach (XSR)+ project will allow lower power, multi-source 112Gbps (optimized for 106.25Gbps) electrical I/O interface to be developed with advanced PCB and substrate technology. The project will also support an open ecosystem based on Near Package Optics (NPO) architecture. OIF members are proposing that an “XSR+” type interface is used to add reach for NPO applications over the existing XSR interface to enable a multi-vendor open ecosystem without adding significant power.

The two projects under the PLL Management track include one to transition ownership and maintenance of the Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) from the Quad Small Form Factor Pluggable Double Density (QSFP-DD) Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) to OIF, and the second project will focus on CMIS extensions for co-packaging implementations.

“Our quarterly meetings provide a critical platform for our members to discuss and debate interoperability challenges and industry standards that help OIF continue its mission to accelerate industry innovation,” explained David Stauffer, OIF Physical & Link Layer WG Chair and Kandou. “The new CEI-112G-XSR+ project will help strengthen an open ecosystem for NPO demonstrating OIF’s leadership in next-generation channel definition. Another significant new activity that addresses industry interoperability and standards is OIF’s new Management track. Due to the complementary/synergistic nature of the work with the OIF co-packaged optics, NPO, CEI and coherent optics projects, OIF will take over the ongoing CMIS revisions as well as further enhancements and CMIS extensions under this track.”

BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPOINTMENT

Rob Stone of Facebook was appointed to the OIF Board of Directors, filling an open position. Stone will serve the term for this position that goes through September 2022.

GUEST SPEAKER

Jimmy Yu served as the guest speaker providing OIF members with an update on the optical transport market. He leads Dell’Oro’s Optical Transport, Microwave Transmission and Mobile Backhaul Transport market research.

“OIF is a critical enabler to the optical market’s progression,” commented Yu. “The work of OIF members in these quarterly meetings to help guide interoperability is a significant benefit to the industry.”

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 125+ 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.

 

PR Contact:

Leah Wilkinson

Wilkinson + Associates for OIF

Email: leah@wilkinson.associates

Office: 703-907-0010

 

 

 

OIF Experts to Share CEI Expertise and Provide Channel Standards Update at DesignCon 2021

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What: DesignCon 2021 panel presentation on “Interoperable Common Electrical I/O (CEI) & Channel Standards Update: An OIF Perspective”

Who: Join OIF members and industry experts:

  • Moderator: Nathan Tracy, OIF VP of Marketing, TE Connectivity
    Panelists:
  • Pirooz Tooyserkani, Cisco (presenting for Gary Nicholl, OIF Secretary/Treasurer, Cisco)
  • Mike Li, OIF Board Member, Intel
  • Cathy Liu, Broadcom Inc.
  • Keysight Technologies (presented by Mike Li)

When: Tuesday, August 17, 2021, 4:00-5:15 pm PT

Where: Meeting Room 211AB, Upper Level, San Jose McEnery Convention Center, San Jose, CA

Panel Overview:
With 50 Gbps electrical rates ramping in the industry, it’s the perfect time to understand the 72-116 Gbps common electrical interface (CEI) standardization performance levels coming from the OIF’s next update to their CEI-112G Implementation Agreements. OIF members and industry experts will provide an update on the 112 Gbps challenges and the tradeoffs considered and debated to reach this point in the draft document maturity.

And now that the CEI-112G standards work is wrapping up, OIF is turning its attention to knowledge building on the challenges that an electrical rate at 224 Gbps will bring and ideas to address these challenges, as well as initial ideas and proposals on how CEI-224G ought to be standardized. The industry will need to move to optical rates of 1.6Tbps and electrical interfaces and standards such as CEI-224G to enable 1.6Tbps optics and related networks.

Event Overview:
DesignCon is the premier high-speed communications and system design conference, offering industry-critical engineering education in the heart of electronics innovation — Silicon Valley.

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 125+ 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.

PR Contact:

Leah Wilkinson

Wilkinson + Associates for OIF

Email: leah@wilkinson.associates

Office: 703-907-0010

OIF Approves CEI-224G Development Project, Reviews Co-packaging of Optics with ASICs Workshop, Announces Optical Module Management Interface Survey Results at Q3 Meeting

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Fremont, Calif.—August 26, 2020 – OIF members continued to drive industry interoperability efforts forward during the Q3 2020 Technical and MA&E Committees Meeting, held August 3-7. This quarter’s virtual meeting resulted in the approval of the CEI (Common Electrical I/O) -224G Development Project, a wrap-up of the “Co-packaging of Optics with ASICs” members-only workshop that was held July 20th and a readout of the results of the public Optical Module Management Interface Survey.

“OIF strives to challenge our member companies to achieve more in order to accelerate industry innovation and standards that maintain alignment with network operator trends and needs,” explained Nathan Tracy, TE Connectivity and OIF President. “We are continually advocating for increased interoperability and the OIF quarterly meetings provide the ideal forum for members to debate and discuss the interoperability challenges that the industry is trying to overcome. For example, getting electrical signals to travel at 224 Gbps over workable distances is a challenge we are looking forward to exploring.”

NEW PROJECT – 224 Gbps CEI PROJECT APPROVED

During OIF’s Q2 meeting in May, members previewed a proposed project start to address next generation architectures and data rates around 224 Gbps for CEI interfaces. The project was formally approved during this month’s meeting. The expected result will be a technical white paper summarizing a consensus-based body of knowledge which will then enable several project starts for next generation CEI clauses addressing specific reaches and architectures.

“CO-PACKAGING OF OPTICS WITH ASICs” WORKSHOP RECAP

OIF held a “Co-packaging of Optics with ASICs” workshop on July 20th for OIF members. The workshop explored the various challenges of co-packaging of optics and identified opportunities for industry collaboration. Presenting companies included Applied Optoelectronics, Inc., Facebook, Inphi, Intel, Keysight Technologies, Microsoft, Ranovus, Senko Advanced Components, Inc. and TE Connectivity. Based on the success of the member workshop and increasing interest in the topic industry-wide, OIF is planning a public workshop on co-packaging of optics. Details and registration will be available soon.

OPTICAL MODULE MANAGEMENT INTERFACE SURVEY

OIF recently conducted a public industry survey designed to determine how the Coherent Common Management Interface Specification Implementation Agreement is viewed by the industry and the level of industry alignment and support for further standardization of optical module management. Results of the survey were presented on a public webinar on July 30 and recapped during the Q3 meeting. Click HERE to download the survey results.

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 100+ 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.

 

PR Contact:

Leah Wilkinson

Wilkinson + Associates for OIF

Email: leah@wilkinson.associates

Office: 703-907-0010

 

OIF to Host “Cu (see you) Beyond 112 Gbps” Workshop at OFC 2020

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Workshop will feature leading end-users, equipment developers, and component suppliers discussing the needs and challenges for electrical interfaces beyond 112 Gbps

Fremont, Calif.—February 4, 2020 – OIF, where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done, will hold a half-day workshop “Cu (see you) Beyond 112 Gbps” on Thursday, March 12 during OFC 2020 in San Diego, Ca. The workshop, featuring industry-leading experts from Arista, Broadcom, Cisco, Facebook, Google, Innovium, Intel, MACOM and TE Connectivity, is open to the public.

Leading experts from end-users, equipment developers and component suppliers will discuss the needs for next generation interoperable electrical IO rates as well the challenges and possible technical options to make these rates possible. The panel will address questions such as: Do electrical interfaces hit the wall beyond 112 Gbps? Is 224 Gbps possible? What is a useful reach? Does copper have a future? The workshop will also include a brief summary of OIF’s existing and in-process electrical IO work.

The first half of the workshop will focus on the industry view and need for the next generation electrical interconnects, including networking trends and cloud scale applications. The second half will include presentations and discussion on the technical challenges and directions that could be considered to realize interoperable next generation common electrical IOs that balance density, power, reach and risk.

“OIF has a long history of developing electrical interface specifications known as CEI Implementation Agreements that have been the foundation for almost every industry standards group,” said Nathan Tracy, TE Connectivity and OIF president. “There is little doubt there will be electrical interfaces required beyond 112 Gbps and it is safe to say the OIF will be a part of that development. This workshop is a critical opportunity for OIF members and industry to participate in an open debate and discussion on this topic.”

Details on the workshop are as follows:

March 12, 2020 – 12:00pm-5:30pm

Hilton San Diego Gaslamp, 401 K St (across from the SD Convention Center), San Diego, Ca.

 

Agenda

12:00pm: Registration and distribution of box lunches

12:30pm: Introduction – Nathan Tracy, OIF president and TE Connectivity

 

Session 1 – User Demand 12:40pm-2:30pm

12:40pm-1:30pm – End Users’ Perspective – Srinivas Venkataraman, Facebook; Sara Zebian, Google

1:30pm-2:15pm – Equipment Developers’ Perspective – Andy Bechtolsheim, Arista; Rakesh Chopra, Cisco

2:15pm-2:30pm – Coffee break

 

Session 2 – Component Suppliers’ Analysis/Perspective 2:30pm-5:00pm

2:30pm-3:00pm – Optics and co-packaging – Richard Grzybowski, MACOM

3:00pm-3:30pm – Switch Developer – Kapil Shrikhande, Innovium

3:30pm-4:20pm – SERDES, Modulation and FEC – Adam Healey, Broadcom, Inc; Mike Li, Intel

4:20pm-4:50pm – Improved Copper Components and Channels – Dave Helster, TE Connectivity

5:00pm – Wrap-up

Informal Networking at local bar/grill (TBD) following wrap-up

 

Registration fee for OIF Members: $150.00. OIF Members click HERE to register.

Registration fee for Non-Members: $200.00. Non-Members click HERE to register.

Late Fee: Additional fee of $25.00 USD will be charged after March 6, 2020.

 

About OIF
OIF is where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done. Building on 20 years of effecting forward change in the industry, OIF represents the dynamic ecosystem of 100+ 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.

 

PR Contact:
Leah Wilkinson
Wilkinson + Associates for OIF
Email: leah@wilkinson.associates
Office: 703-907-0010

 

 

OIF Thought Leaders Offer CEI-112G Project Update at DesignCon 2020

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Panel of electrical interface experts will showcase OIF’s latest work on multiple interfaces including CEI-112G MCM, XSR, VSR, MR and LR for 112 Gbps applications

Fremont, Calif. —January 14, 2020 – OIF industry leaders will present and discuss OIF’s ongoing CEI-112G electrical interface development projects, and the new architectures they will enable including chiplet packaging, co-packaged optics and internal cable-based solutions on Wednesday, January 29 at 3:45 pm (local) at DesignCon in Santa Clara, CA.

OIF’s panel “Enabling New Architectures: An Update on OIF’s CEI-112G Electrical Interfaces,” will provide an update on the five new interfaces, including CEI-112G MCM, XSR, VSR, MR and LR for 112 Gbps applications, that will shape the future of next generation designs, ranging from die-to-die implementations all the way up to backplane and copper cable architectures.

Panel speakers include: Nathan Tracy of TE Connectivity and OIF President; Cathy Liu of Broadcom Inc. and OIF Board Member; Steve Sekel of Keysight Technologies and OIF Physical and Link Layer Interoperability Working Group Chair; Ed Frlan of Semtech and OIF Technical Committee Chair; Gary Nicholl of Cisco and OIF Board Member and Mike Li of Intel Corporation and OIF Board Member.
“Electrical interfaces at 112 Gbps are critical for faster, more efficient and cost-effective networks and data centers,” said Tracy. “This panel discussion will provide the opportunity for an engaging industry debate on the issues surrounding OIF’s CEI-112G projects and the architectures they will enable.”

OIF has led the industry for the past 20 years in the development and publication of next generation electrical definitions for transmitters, receivers and channels to enable interoperable electrical links for chip to chip, chip to optical, line card to line card and equipment to equipment applications. OIF is currently in the process of developing electrical link definitions for the next generation 112 Gbps data rate to provide signalling over a multitude of link types including die to die, chip to chip, chip to module, medium reach chip to chip and long reach chip to chip also known as backplane. OIF’s complete work on the CEI-112G can be found here.

About OIF
OIF is where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done. Building on 20 years of effecting forward change in the industry, OIF represents the dynamic ecosystem of 100+ 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.

PR Contact:
Leah Wilkinson
Wilkinson + Associates for OIF
Email: leah@wilkinson.associates
Office: 703-907-0010

Lightwave – Driving Next Generation Network Solutions at OIF – A Network Operator’s Perspective

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For companies like Microsoft, the ability to directly share market needs and provide technical input into OIF’s development process are critical factors in achieving industry alignment and enabling our next generation of data centers.

https://www.lightwaveonline.com/optical-tech/article/14072367/driving-next-generation-network-solutions-at-oif-a-network-operators-perspective

OIF Showcases 400ZR, CEI-112G and IC-TROSA Interoperability Demos at ECOC 2019

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OIF selected to lead Market Focus presentation on deployment of the 400ZR ecosystem

Fremont, Calif.—September 9, 2019 – OIF member companies will showcase their industry leadership with a multi-vendor interoperability demonstration of 400ZR, Common Electrical I/O (CEI)-112G and IC-TROSA during ECOC 2019, September 23-25 in Dublin, Ireland.

Demonstrating how critical interoperability work gets done, 12 OIF member companies including ADVA, Amphenol, Cadence Design System, Credo, Finisar, Inphi, Keysight Technologies, Marvell, Molex, MultiLane, TE Connectivity and YAMAICHI ELECTRONICS will participate in the demonstration in OIF’s booth, # 441.

“Understanding and seeing first-hand how key technologies – 400ZR, CEI-112G and IC-TROSA – are each specified to enable interoperable deployment across the ecosystem is critically important to building market confidence and accelerating adoption,” said Steve Sekel, OIF Physical and Link Layer Interoperability Working Group Chair. “This showcase of 12 companies and key technologies is a clear representation of OIF’s leadership in driving electrical, optical and control interoperability.”

OIF Physical and Link Layer (PLL) Interoperability Demo @ ECOC 2019

OIF Drives Industry Collaboration and Growth Through Timely Interoperability Work.

Live interoperability demonstrations at ECOC 2019 will feature member company solutions that are critical to the global network, including 400ZR, Common Electrical I/O (CEI)-112G and IC-TROSA

400ZR & IC-TROSA Demo

OIF’s 400ZR project is not only facilitating cost and complexity reduction for 400GbE over 80 km DWDM networks, it’s also bringing forward a wave of necessary components and complementary applications. The IC-TROSA features all of the optical building blocks for a coherent module in a single package. The demonstrations will highlight important aspects of IC-TROSA integration as well as real-time EVM measurements with the updated script for 400ZR. In addition, a hardware-based 400ZR installation will show a typical application case.

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 clearly prove the key role OIF provides. The CEI-112G demonstrations in the OIF booth will feature multi-party silicon supplier interoperability over mated compliance board channels, a full host to module channel and direct attach copper cable channels, all demonstrating the technical viability of 112 Gbps operation, along with multiple industry form factors including OSFP and QSFP-DD.

OIF @ ECOC 2019 Market Focus

OIF will present “Deployment of the 400ZR Ecosystem” on Tuesday, September 24, 15:00 – 15:30, during the ECOC Market Focus Service and Content Provider Optical Transmission track. OIF expert and OIF Physical and Link Layer Working Group, Vice Chair Optical, Karl Gass will present.

Check the status of OIF’s current work here.

 

About OIF
OIF is where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done. Building on 20 years of effecting forward change in the industry, OIF represents the dynamic ecosystem of 100+ 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.

 

PR Contact:
Leah Wilkinson
Wilkinson + Associates for OIF
Email: leah@wilkinson.associates
Office: 703-907-0010

OIF’s Optical Masterclass Series at NGON to Include Updates on 400ZR, Common Electrical I/O, Flex Ethernet & SDN Projects

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Fremont, Calif.—May 8, 2019 – At NGON, May 21-23, 2019, OIF experts will kick off the Optical Masterclass Series with a comprehensive update on its 400ZR, Common Electrical I/O (CEI)-112, Flex Ethernet (FlexE) and Software Defined Networking (SDN) projects.

“OIF’s interoperability solutions are vital to the global network and with many of the key network operators in attendance, NGON is the ideal platform to provide updates on OIF’s work in 400ZR, CEI, FlexE and SDN,” said Dave Brown, Nokia and OIF Director of Communications.

The “Optical Masterclass Series – The Optical Internetworking Forum” session is being held Tuesday, May 21, 2019 from 09:00 – 11:00 (NEW TIME AS OF 5/16). Brown and Karl Gass, OIF Physical & Link Layer Working Group Vice Chair, Optical, will discuss how OIF is assuring interoperability in open, agile, next-generation optical networks and provide updates on crucial industry projects.

400ZR

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 Implementation Agreement (IA) will specify an interoperable digital coherent 400ZR interface targeted at short reach (80 km or more) DWDM amplified noise limited links and unamplified loss limited links.

CEI

The CEI project update will include discussion of the multiple 112 Gb/s interfaces being defined by OIF including CEI-112G MCM, XSR, VSR, MR and LR. Applications of these 112 Gb/s interfaces include die-to-die, die-to-OE (optical engine) on package, chip-to-module, chip-to-chip and chip-to-chip long reach over backplane and cables.

FlexE

OIF continues to lead in FlexE aggregation architectures through its newest FlexE 2.1 project for FlexE over 50GbE PHY applications, an extension to its FlexE 2.0 Implementation Agreement (IA). FlexE 2.1 will specify a 50G FlexE frame and multiplexing format and will address FlexE applications with lower bandwidth needs and provide an implementation foundation for applications including the access layer of the future 5G mobile network.

SDN

In November 2018, OIF announced the launch of “Requirements for Integrated Packet Optical SDN.” The project outlines requirements for a multi-layer SDN reference architecture as a use case for packet optical transport networks. It will generate functional requirements, a reference architecture and use cases for packet/optical networks guided by the vision to enable agile, open network solutions that simplify operations and optimize resource utilization.

IC-TROSA

The session will also include an update on the Integrated Coherent Transmit-Receive Optical Sub Assembly (IC-TROSA) project that defines a standard optical component containing a complete coherent modem. The availability of highly integrated components accelerates the adoption of coherent transmission into additional markets.

Additionally, Gass will participate in Wednesday’s Plenary session, 09:30 – 10:10, “Present View: To the terabit & beyond – practicalities for coherent transmission.” Also on Wednesday, from 14:35 – 15:30, Brown will speak on the “Open Source Approach: Looking at disaggregation as a pathway for multi-vendor cooperation, interoperability and driving enhanced network interfaces” panel.

Check the status of OIF’s current work here.

About OIF
Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) is where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done. Celebrating 20 years of effecting progressive change in the industry, OIF represents the dynamic ecosystem of 100+ industry leading network operators, system vendors, component vendors and test equipment vendors, all 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 https://www.oiforum.com/.

 

PR Contact:
Leah Wilkinson
Wilkinson + Associates for OIF
Email: leah@wilkinson.associates
Office: 703-907-0010

 

EE Web – 112G Digs in at DesignCon 2019

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112G serial links have moved out of the lab and onto the exhibit floor. 56G ramps up while 28G goes mainstream.

By Martin Rowe, EE Web, Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Last year at DesignCon 2018, we witnessed high-speed digital designs that moved past 56 Gbits/s (56G) and onto 112 Gbits/s (112G). This year, DesignCon 2019 brought numerous demonstrations of 112G as the connectors and cables caught up with the silicon. While still appearing in technical papers and panels, 112G has certainly moved into the exhibit hall. Meanwhile, 56G has matured and is now a complete ecosystem.

When it comes to signal integrity and high-speed signals, transmission lengths certainly matter, especially with electrical signals over copper connections. Yes, optical transmission is an option, but nobody wants to pay for it. At a panel session on Jan. 31, OIF board president Nathan Tracy presented the table shown in Figure 1 that describes five OIF standards for different electrical transmission lengths.

mar0008-01-oif-standards
Figure 1: The Optical Internetworking Forum has created standards for 112-Gbit/s copper connections. (Source: Optical Internetworking Forum and DesignCon)
Given a rule of thumb of 0.1 dB/in./GHz of insertion loss (Figure 2), PCB traces of, say, 10 inches are simply too long. That’s where cables that jump over PCBs have become popular.

mar0008-02-112gbps
Figure 2: Cable assemblies jump over PCBs to reduce insertion loss. (Source: Optical Internetworking Forum, Broadcom, and DesignCon)
Connectors for 112G took several forms at DesignCon, depending on the length of the transmission. For chip-to-chip or chip-to-module distances, sending 112G four-level pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM4) signals (28 GHz) over PCB traces results in excessive insertion loss. To get past that restriction, several connector companies have developed cable assemblies that jump over sections of boards.

Read more here: https://www.eeweb.com/profile/martin-rowe-2/articles/112g-digs-in-at-designcon-2019

 

OIF Initiates New CEI-112G-XSR Project for D2D/D2OE Common Electrical Interface, Addresses Multiple Chip Integration

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Forum continues efforts to support new and evolving architectures by defining a range of electrical interfaces which enable optimized system design for power, cost and packaging

Fremont, Calif.—June 12, 2018 – The OIF (Optical Internetworking Forum) today announced the launch of the CEI-112G-XSR project for Die-to-Die (D2D) and Die-to-Optical Engine (D2OE) Common Electrical Interface at the Q218 Technical and MA&E Committees meeting held April 24-26, 2018 in Nuremberg, Germany. The project aims at enabling intra-package interconnects to optical engines or between dies with high throughput density and low normalized power operating in the data rate range of 72-116 Gbps with a reach up to 50 mm.

In addition to the already existing CEI-112G-MCM OIF project, which is dedicated to wide, high bandwidth CMOS-to-CMOS interconnects, the new CEI-112G-XSR project proposes to support technology mix, in particular CMOS-to-SiGe (Silicon Germanium), which is frequently used to build optical engines. System-in-package (SIP) leads to a requirement of supporting up to 50 mm trace length between the multiple chips on a common (organic) package substrate.

“We jointly designed this project to address the problem of integrating multiple dies, including driver devices for optical engines on non-CMOS technologies, onto a common substrate within a large multi-chip-package design. Supporting this mix of technology allows combining the high logic density of CMOS devices with the high drive strength of analog components,” explained Klaus-Holger Otto of Nokia and OIF Technical Committee Chair.

The working group for the CEI-112G-XSR project has identified the following benefits for OIF members:

  • Allow lower normalized power, double shoreline throughput density and provide a multi-source 72-116 Gbps D2D and D2OE electrical I/O interface. This will enhance the integration, normalized power reduction, and cost reduction for integrated OE, multiple-die SIPs.
  • Enable 1 to N lanes of 72-116 Gbps electrical I/Os (e.g. on ASIC/FPGA/OE).

OIF Day at Nokia

Following the quarterly meeting, a sizeable group of OIF members participated in an OIF Day event at the Nokia Nuremberg facility on April 27, 2018. The OIF Day Program is a live educational workshop program to expand awareness of, and educate member company employees on the work of the OIF. The OIF Day event is conducted at network operator and/or vendor sites to reach and obtain inputs from a range of support functions, e.g. operations, network planning, network management, marketing, etc. It is custom-tailored to the needs of each hosting company and comprised of general sessions and tracks focused on Networking and/or Physical and Link Layer topics.

OIF Transport-API for Transport SDN Survey

OIF also recently conducted a survey of OIF members and non-members, including network operators and vendors, on the OIF’s proposed certification project for Transport-API (T-API) for Transport SDN. Nearly 30 responses to the survey were received – 20+ from network operators and 9 from vendors.  The OIF will consider the feedback in any proposal to expand the current program to include T-API certification.

About the OIF
The OIF facilitates the development and deployment of interoperable networking solutions and services. Members collaborate to drive Implementation Agreements (IAs) and interoperability demonstrations to accelerate and maximize market adoption of advanced internetworking technologies. OIF work applies to optical and electrical interconnects, optical component and network processing technologies, and to network control and operations including software defined networks and network function virtualization. The OIF actively supports and extends the work of national and international standards bodies. Launched in 1998, the OIF is the only industry group uniting representatives from across the spectrum of networking, including many of the world’s leading service providers, system vendors, component manufacturers, software and testing vendors. Information on the OIF can be found at http://www.oiforum.com

 

PR Contact:
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