OIF Launches Forward-Looking Project to Explore the Next Generation of Energy-Efficient Electrical and Optical Interfaces

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Critical applications driving demand for energy-efficient links include data center networking, artificial intelligence training/machine learning and disaggregation

Fremont, Calif.— OIF, where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done, today announced the launch of an innovative new project, the Energy Efficient Interfaces (EEI) Framework. The project, initiated at the Q2 2023 Technical and MA&E Committees meeting in May, will focus on studying new energy-efficient electrical and optical interfaces (which, among others, includes the next generation of low power optics, also referred to as “Linear” or “Direct Drive”). These new interfaces will be required to meet the demands of various applications such as data center networking, artificial intelligence (AI) training/machine learning (ML) and disaggregation.

“With an increasing industry-wide demand, particularly from data center operators, the focus on energy efficiency is more important than ever,” said Rob Stone, Meta Platforms and OIF Board Member. “Addressing this need head-on, the new OIF framework will explore energy-efficient interfaces for the optical interconnects of next-generation data centers that will support the performance scaling of current internet applications and enable groundbreaking AI-driven applications and immersive experiences.”

Through this project, OIF will explore and study energy-efficient links with less than fully retimed interfaces, which have the potential to unlock a multitude of benefits for diverse stakeholders. The objective is to identify critical applications and their requirements for next-generation electrical and optical links, including die-to-die, co-packaged, near-packaged and pluggable solutions. The project will conduct a thorough study to identify critical issues associated with these links and identify opportunities to pursue interoperability standards. The findings of the study will be outlined in the Framework Document, which will serve as a technical white paper for the project.

“A primary goal of this project is to identify new opportunities for interoperability standards, laying the groundwork for potential future collaborations at OIF or other standards organizations,” added Jeff Hutchins, OIF Board Member and Physical & Link Layer (PLL) Working Group Co-Packaging Vice Chair and Ranovus.

“OIF is always listening to the wants and needs our members bring forward, and this project start proposal authored by several industry leading companies directly addresses a need that exists across many IT applications,” said Nathan Tracy, OIF Co-chair of the Market Awareness and Education committee and TE Connectivity. “This one project has the potential to significantly benefit several critical industry applications.”

Additionally, Yi Tang, Cisco Systems, was recently appointed as PLL Working Group Electrical Vice Chair.

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 Launches Four Innovative Projects Covering a Broad Range of Technologies at Q2 Technical and MA&E Committees Meeting

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Fremont, Calif.—June 6, 2023 – At OIF’s hybrid Q2 2023 Technical and MA&E Committees meeting held in Budapest, Hungary, May 9-11, members voted to initiate four new projects spanning multiple technology tracks. Additionally, a new member of the Board of Directors was appointed, a Working Group Chair was re-elected and a WG Vice Chair was appointed.

The volume of activity reinforces OIF’s significant role in the optical networking industry as the sole global forum driving electrical, optical and control interoperability. This interoperability is crucial in enabling a more efficient and reliable network.

The new projects across the multiple technology tracks showcase the breadth of OIF’s value to the industry and ongoing commitment to driving innovation.

“This quarter’s OIF meeting was a clear testament to the organization’s unwavering dedication to progress,” said Cathy Liu, Broadcom Inc and OIF President. “The overall energy and remarkable productivity within each technology track reflected a collective determination to spearhead innovative projects that foster interoperability.”

New Projects

Management of Smart Optical Modules Project: Current system management paradigms require tight coupling between hosts and pluggable optical modules. As module capabilities advance, host software must be updated. This additional development cycle delays the deployment of these advanced capabilities. In multi-vendor environments, it is becoming challenging for the various equipment developers to implement and track all the advanced features implemented by the various module vendors. There is also the requirement by end users for disaggregation of IPoDWDM solutions. This new OIF project will result in a white paper describing a new paradigm that decouples the controller from host software development, enabling faster realization of advanced module capabilities.

Energy Efficient Interfaces Framework Project: This umbrella framework project will study energy-efficient electrical and optical interfaces (sometimes referred to as “Linear” or “Direct Drive”) necessary to support the energy-efficient application requirements prioritized by OIF’s Physical Layer User Group Working Group.

800G/1.6T FlexE Project: This project will define interoperable next-generation FlexE specifications for 800G/1.6T PHY rates for mobile backhaul and data center interconnect applications. It will result in the revision of the OIF-FLEXE-02.2 implementation agreement by adding support for 800Gb/s and 1.6Tb/s FlexE PHYs.

Digital Twin Optical Network as an Enhanced Network Operation Project: Digital twins can enhance and accelerate network transformations, systems and operational process integrations. Verifying the accuracy of configuration or optimization orders provided by Digital Twin Network (DTN) systems is a challenge. This project will result in a white paper that identifies the challenges and technical requirements for digital twin modeling as an enhanced optical network operation. It will specify the relationship between the DTN and network management and control, interface operation, input/output data requirements and data collection – essential steps to broaden the adoption of digital twin use in optical networks.

Guest Speaker

Andreas Gladisch, Vice President Emerging Technologies, Deutsche Telekom, addressed the member audience and shared his perspectives on disaggregation and its significance in the telecommunications industry. He emphasized the necessity for network operators to collaborate in order to achieve success in this area and that by working together, they can reap the benefits of disaggregation and build more agile, flexible and cost-effective networks.

New Member of the Board of Directors

Prior to the meeting, the Board of Directors appointed Robert Stone, Meta Platforms, to fill an open seat on the Board through September 2023.

Technical Committee Working Group Updates

Jia He, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., was re-elected as Chair of the Networking & Operations Working Group and Tom Huber, Nokia, was appointed as Physical & Link Layer Working Group Protocol Vice Chair.

 

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 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 Launches the Industry’s First Co-Packaging Standard – the 3.2T Co-Packaged Module Implementation Agreement

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Organization’s first project under the umbrella of the Co-packaging Framework Document

Fremont, Calif.—April 5, 2023 – OIF, celebrating 25 years of getting the optical networking industry’s interoperability work done, continues to be at the forefront of the industry, promoting collaboration and coordination among different players in the supply chain and driving efforts to foster a co-packaging ecosystem to support innovative applications.

An industry-first, the OIF-Co-Packaging-3.2T-Module-01.0 – Implementation Agreement for a 3.2Tb/s Co-Packaged (CPO) Module defines a 3.2T co-packaged module that targets Ethernet switching applications utilizing 100G electrical lanes and provides backward compatibility with 50G lanes. The module definition can be in the form of an optical module or a passive copper cable assembly and provides ~140G/mm of bandwidth edge-density. It can enable optical and/or electrical interfaces for a 51.2Tb/s aggregate bandwidth switch.

“OIF’s members are committed to driving innovation and progress in co-packaging, continuously seeking ways to improve and innovate,” said Jeff Hutchins, OIF PLL Working Group Co-Packaging Vice Chair and Board Member, Ranovus. “This IA is part of a trio of projects which include the Framework project and the External Laser Small Form Factor Pluggable (ELSFP) project. Building on OIF’s successful track record of coherent and laser module IAs, it addresses the market need for interoperable integrated optics standardization identified by the CPO Framework IA.”

The new IA includes interoperability specifications for the 3.2 Tb/s CPO modules, including:

  • 8x400Gb/s optical interface options for FR4 and DR4 connectivity
  • 32 x CEI-112G-XSR host interface (or 32 x CEI-56G-XSR in “backwards compatible” mode)
  • Opto-mechanical module specifications
  • Electrical specifications
  • Control and management interface, enabled by enhancements to the existing OIF CMIS specification

“Considerable progress has been made in co-packaging, and this new IA, along with a collaborative ecosystem, is a critical piece to propel the technology so that it meets industry needs, including that of Cloud service providers as they build their next-generation AI networks,” said Richard Ward, Technical Editor of the OIF 3.2T Co-Packaged Module IA, Astera Labs. 

At OFC 2023 in March, OIF revealed its progress in co-packaging specifications in a set of interoperability demonstrations. The demos included 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.

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 to Update Industry on Next-Generation Electrical and Optical Interface Projects, including 224 Gbps & Co-Packaging, at DesignCon 2023

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Industry thought leaders will provide an update on work to deliver electrical interfaces for 224 Gbps equipment architectures, co-packaging of optical and electrical interfaces

Fremont, Calif.—January 11, 2023 –OIF has worked to advance the development of interoperable electrical interface specifications, known as CEI (common electrical I/O), for over two decades, leading to the widespread adoption of industry-changing standards. At DesignCon 2023, Jan 31 – Feb 2, in Santa Clara, CA, industry experts will reveal the work OIF is doing to address electrical interfaces optimized for new electrical and optical architecture aspirations, including 224 Gbps and the co-packaging of optical and electrical interfaces with ASICs.

OIF experts will present its work during two panels at the event:

Tuesday, Jan 31, 2023: 4:45-6:00 pm PT
Enabling Next Generation Co-Packaging Solutions
Moderator: Jeff Hutchins, OIF Physical & Link Layer (PLL)  Working Group Co-Packaging Vice Chair and Board Member, Ranovus

Panelists include Jeff Hutchins; Kenneth Jackson, Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations, USA; Yi Tang, Cisco; Nathan Tracy, OIF Market Awareness & Education Committee Co-Chair, PLL, TE Connectivity; and Richard Ward, Astera Labs

OIF experts will summarize OIF’s work on studying the various co-packaging applications, the technical tradeoffs and choices between different approaches, OIF’s projects, and future co-packaging trends. The panel will also cover OIF’s work to create standards (interoperability agreements) that foster the development of a co-packaging ecosystem.

Wednesday, Feb 1, 2023: 4:00 pm-5:15 pm PT
Enabling Next Generation Architectures: 224 Gbps Electrical Interfaces
Moderator: Nathan Tracy, OIF MA&E Committee Co-Chair PLL, TE Connectivity

Panelists include; John Calvin, Keysight; Mike Klempa, OIF PLL Interoperability Working Group Chair, Alphawave IP Group; Mike Li, OIF Board Member, Intel; Cathy Liu, OIF President, Broadcom Inc.

This session will include lessons learned from 112 Gbps and how those lessons are being leveraged for the new 224 Gbps work in OIF. Experts will also discuss the challenges OIF must overcome to enable 224 Gbps electrical I/O interface solutions where reach, performance, power, and cost optimizations become paramount. These solutions are critical to keep the industry moving forward with the next generation of interoperable electrical I/O interface specifications that address the escalating network power consumption trends.

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 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 Q4 Technical and MA&E Committees Meeting Results in Working Group Chair Re-Elections, White Paper, and 400ZR Demo Survey Availability

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Guest speaker from Hawaiian Telcom shared an overview of its network investment, and its continued efforts to push the network edge closer to the customer

Fremont, Calif.—November 22, 2022 – OIF’s Q4 Technical and MA&E Committees Meeting, held in person and virtually November 1-3, 2022, in Kona, Hawaii, included guest speaker Francis Alueta, Hawaiian Telcom and resulted in the release of a new white paper, a 400ZR survey, and re-elections of two new Working Group chairs.

White Paper – Management of External Light Sources and Co-packaged Optical Engines

Properly managing optical engines and external light sources requires an efficient system management architecture. A newly launched white paper from OIF outlines the recommended system management architecture that enables co-packaged optical transceivers to use lasers as external light sources. It also describes how OIF’s Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) can manage transceivers and light sources. The key feature is placing the intelligence for controlling the continuous wave light sources in the host board controller, not in the optical engines.

Working Group Chairs Re-Election

Also, during the meeting, OIF members re-elected Working Group Chairs (for two-year terms):

  • Mike Klempa, Alphawave IP Group – Physical & Link Layer (PLL) Interoperability Working Group Chair
  • Jeffery Maki, Juniper Networks – Physical Layer User Group Working Group Chair

 

Guest Speaker – Francis Alueta, Hawaiian Telcom

As Director, Network Reliability, Alueta, presented a high-level overview of Hawaiian Telcom’s investment in its next-generation network, the landmark Southeast Asia (SEA) US Trans-Pacific Cable System and backbone transport network. Next generation network plans include pushing a low-latency network edge closer to the customer and deploying a resilient, 400G backbone network. He also outlined some of the unique challenges they face as an island chain, geographic limits to route and path diversity options and climate change.

“Big Mahalo for OIF allowing me to present an overview of the architectural and operational challenges we have to overcome, as we transform our network,” said Alueta. “The work OIF continues to do will allow us to address those challenges and ensure a resilient network for our customers and the people of Hawaii.”

 

400ZR Demonstrations and Plugfests Survey – Deadline December 7

OIF is launching a survey designed to gather feedback from network operators and stakeholders on OIF’s 400ZR demonstrations and plugfests. The survey also includes collecting input on the interest of an 800ZR and/or 800LR OIF demo and reaches of interest for 800G (800LR, 800ZR, > 800ZR).

The survey is available and open to all who can represent their company’s viewpoint – module vendors, system vendors and network operators. Multiple responses per company are also allowed. Responses will be collated anonymously and summarized for presentation to the public. Interested parties, please email survey@oiforum.com. The deadline for completing the survey is December 7.

“OIF members guide its demos and plugfests, and this survey supports new directions encouraged by our Interoperability Working Group Chair,” said Karl Gass, OIF PLL Working Group – Optical Vice Chair. “Leveraging the pre-demonstration plugfest as an opportunity to collect quantitative measurements of interoperability with multiple vendors provides critical input for current and future (800ZR) Implementation Agreements.”

 

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

703-907-0010

leah@wilkinson.associates

 

OIF to Present “Co-Packaging: Charting the Path Ahead” Webinar Providing an Update on Industry Activities and the Developing Ecosystem

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In partnership with Lightwave, the event will feature viewpoints from academia and industry experts, and a live Q&A

Fremont, Calif.—November 15, 2022 – OIF is driving discussion on co-packaging interoperability efforts in an upcoming webinar, “Co-Packaging: Charting the Path Ahead” being held on Tuesday, December 6, 2022 at 8:00am PST/10:00am CST/11:00am EST/4:00pm GMT. The free two-hour event, hosted by Lightwave, will feature unique perspectives from industry thought leaders: Astera Labs, Cisco, Huawei, Marvell, Meta, NVIDIA, Ranovus, TE Connectivity and University of California, Santa Barbara. Register here for this free event.

Join this OIF sponsored workshop to hear from industry leaders, including vendors, academia and network operators, as they provide insight on the latest in co-packaging and address the developing ecosystem and the best path forward.

“We know that co-packaging implementations bring a number of challenges including electrical channels, external lasers, optical connectivity, packaging, etc.,” explained Jeff Hutchins, Ranovus, OIF Board Member and Physical & Link Layer Working Group – Co-Packaging Vice Chair. “In this webinar, we will provide attendees with valuable information to assess this critical integration technology and discuss options for a path forward.”

Webinar agenda and participants include:

December 6, 2022 – 8:00am-10:00am PST

  • Welcome & Introduction – Stephen Hardy, Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
  • Co-Packaging Overview – Jeff Hutchins, Ranovus, OIF Board Member and Physical & Link Layer Working Group – Co-Packaging Vice Chair
  • Co-Packaging State of the Industry – John Bowers, Fred Kavli Distinguished Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering and Distinguished Professor, Materials, University of California, Santa Barbara

Where we are?

  • OIF Overview and Co-Packaging Overview – Nathan Tracy, TE Connectivity, OIF Market Awareness & Education Committee Co-Chair, Physical and Link Layer
  • OIF 3.2T Co-Packaged Optical (CPO) Module – Richard Ward, Astera Labs, OIF Physical & Link Layer Working Group – Co-Packaging Track’s 3.2Tb/s CPO module project editor
  • OIF External Laser Small Form Factor Pluggable (ELSFP) – Jock Bovington, Cisco Systems, OIF Physical & Link Layer Working Group – Co-Packaging Track’s ELSFP project editor
  • OIF Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) – Todd Rope, Marvell
  • OIF Common Electrical I/O (CEI) – Matt Brown, Huawei Technologies, Inc.

What’s next: End-User Perspectives?

  • Drew Alduino, Meta Platforms, Inc.
  • Craig Thompson, NVIDIA

Q&A

 

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

Email: leah@wilkinson.associates

Office: 703-907-0010

OIF Announces 2022-2023 Board of Director Positions and Officers

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Fremont, Calif.—OIF, where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done, today announced its newly elected Board of Directors and Officers. The Technical Committee and Market Awareness & Education Committee Chairs were elected in person at the hybrid Q322 Technical Committee Meeting in Toronto, Canada, while the Board positions were elected via email ballot. The new terms began on October 1, 2022.

2022 – 2023 Election Results

  • Board of Directors: 
    • Ian Betty, Ciena, was elected to the Board (two-year term)
    • Jeff Hutchins, Ranovus, was re-elected to the Board (one-year term) and continues as Physical & Link Layer Working Group – Co-Packaging Vice Chair
    • Mike Li, Intel, was elected to the Board (one-year term)
    • Cathy Liu, Broadcom Inc., was re-elected to the Board (two-year term) and continues as President
    • Gary Nicholl, Cisco, was re-elected to the Board (two-year term) and continues as Secretary/Treasurer; and as Physical & Link Layer Working Group – Management Co-Vice Chair
  • Continuing in their positions are:
    • Dave Brown, Nokia, continues to serve as Director of Communications
    • Mark Filer, Google, continues to serve on the Board as Vice President
    • Jeffery Maki, Juniper Networks, continues to serve as a board member; and as Physical Layer User Group Working Group Chair
  • Officers: 
    • Karl Bois, Nvidia, was re-elected as Technical Committee Vice Chair
    • Lyndon Ong, Ciena, was re-elected as Market Awareness & Education Committee Co-Chair, Networking
    • Klaus-Holger Otto, Nokia, was re-elected as Technical Committee Chair
    • Nathan Tracy, TE Connectivity, was elected Market Awareness & Education Committee Co-Chair, Physical & Link Layer Working Group

“As a member-driven organization, the Board and Officers are critical to furthering OIF’s mission to drive innovation and interoperability in today’s market,” said Cathy Liu, President of OIF. “We congratulate our new and returning members serving on the Board of Directors and Officers and thank them for their continued commitment to OIF.”

 

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

Email: leah@wilkinson.associates

Office: 703-907-0010

 

OIF to Present “Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) – Demystified” Webinar to Educate Industry on the Interface and Its Importance for Current and Future Generation Designs

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In partnership with Lightwave, the online event will feature perspectives from module vendors, systems vendors, and network providers, followed by a Q&A

Fremont, Calif. —  OIF continues to lead industry discussion on interoperability efforts through an upcoming webinar, “Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) -Demystified,” being held on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, at 8:00am PDT/10:00am CDT/11:00am EDT/4:00pm GMT/5:00pm CEST. The free online event, hosted by Lightwave, will feature unique perspectives from industry leaders: Ciena, Cisco, Google and Marvell. Register for this free event.

The webinar, open to the public, will feature presentations from module vendors, systems vendors, and network operators. With widespread deployments and continuous feature additions, CMIS is the leading management interface for modules ranging from copper cables to coherent pluggables.

“CMIS is a powerful, far-reaching toolset that 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,” explained Ian Alderdice, OIF Physical & Link Layer (PLL) Working Group (WG) Management Co-Vice Chair, Ciena. “This commonality makes integrating into different host platforms easier for host and module vendors.”

Understanding the features and implications of the current generation of CMIS and future planned additions is critical whether you provide host silicon, module silicon, optics, copper cables, and if you design and build equipment or are a network operator.

Webinar details and participants are:

October 4, 2022 – 8:00am-9:30am PDT

8:00am – 8:05am – Welcome & Intro – Nathan Tracy, OIF VP of Marketing, TE Connectivity

8:05am – 8:20am – CMIS History & OIF’s Role – Gary Nicholl, OIF PLL WG Management Co-Vice Chair and Board Secretary/Treasurer, Cisco Systems

8:20am – 8:45am – CMIS High Level Technical Overview & System Vendor Perspective – Ian Alderdice, OIF PLL WG Management Co-Vice Chair, Ciena

8:45am – 9:00am – Module Provider Perspective – Todd Rope, Associate Vice President, Firmware, Optics, Marvell

9:00am – 9:15am – Network Operator Perspective – An Nguyen, Optical Transport Network Engineer, Google

9:15am – 9:30am – Q&A – Stephen Hardy, Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave

To register for the free event, click here. The webinar is open to the public, and a certificate of attendance will be offered.

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

Email: leah@wilkinson.associates

Office: 703-907-0010

OIF Members to Showcase Multivendor Interoperability for Critical Networking Technologies at ECOC 2022

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A record number of companies will demonstrate interoperability in 400ZR; Co-Packaging architectures, CEI-112G & CEI-224G and CMIS implementations

Fremont, Calif. – OIF will host the largest global interoperability showcase at OIF’s booth, #701, during ECOC 2022, September 19-21, in Basel, Switzerland. Nearly 30 member companies are participating in demonstrations in four critical areas: 400ZR optics, Co-Packaging architectures, Common Electrical I/O (CEI) architectures and Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) implementations.

OIF experts will also participate in the Market Focus program at ECOC, discussing its work in CMIS in one session, which defines current and future generations of management control for optical and copper modules, and a second session addressing the successful development of 400ZR optics, and OIF’s work to define 800ZR/LR.

“The high level of participation in this year’s interoperability demonstration at ECOC demonstrates the global importance of OIF’s work and the collective efforts of its members to showcase how their solutions establish an ecosystem and work together to drive implementation of next-generation capabilities,” said Mike Klempa, Alphawave IP Group, and OIF Physical & Link Layer Interoperability Working Group Chair.

The interoperable optical networking solutions demo—live and static—at ECOC will feature 28 OIF member companies—a record number of participants: Alphawave IP; Amphenol; Applied Optoelectronics Inc.; Cadence Design Systems; Ciena; Cisco; Corning; Credo; EXFO; Fujitsu Optical Components; Juniper Networks, Inc.; Keysight Technologies; Lumentum; Marvell; MaxLinear, Inc.; Microchip Technology Incorporated; Molex; MultiLane, Inc.; Nokia; O-Net Communications; Senko Advanced Components Inc.; Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.; Synopsys, Inc.; TE Connectivity; US Conec; VIAVI Solutions Inc.; Wilder Technologies and Yamaichi Electronics.

400ZR Demo

OIF’s 400ZR project is proving successful in facilitating new and simplified architectures for high bandwidth inter-data center interconnects and promoting interoperability among coherent optical module manufacturers. This 400ZR interop demo shows a full implementation across an 80km DWDM ecosystem using multiple form-factor pluggable modules, 400GbE routers, a 75 GHz C-band open line system, and test equipment solutions from multiple vendors. The demo provides evidence of widescale 400ZR deployment readiness based on a broad ecosystem of interoperable solutions.

Co-Packaging Demo

While individual companies consider options to optimize power and density, OIF has seen the need to lead industry standardization discussions for co-packaging architectures that promise to reduce power consumption and increase bandwidth edge density. OIF is leading the industry’s interoperability discussions for co-packaging solutions and will showcase its progress with multi-party demonstrations of its 3.2T Module project and External Laser Small Form Factor Pluggable project (ELSFP). A variety of interoperable components that enable co-packaging will be shown, along with a system implementation.

Common Electrical I/O (CEI) Demo

OIF played a lead role in moving the industry to the next generation by developing electrical interface specifications for 112 Gbps per differential pair. Multiple live demonstrations featuring interoperability amongst 14 participating members prove the critical role OIF serves 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, direct attach copper cable channels, a cabled backplane 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.

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, is leading the charge on 224G hardware interconnection application spaces and definitions, unveiling publicly at ECOC the first live 224G demo.

Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) Implementations Demo

CMIS is now established as the management interface of choice for next-generation pluggable modules, capable of managing both simple and advanced modules. CMIS provides a well-defined common mechanism to initialize and manage optical and copper modules while still providing the ability to support 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.

OIF @ ECOC 2022 Market Focus

TUESDAY, September 20 – 4:10:00 PM – 4:30:00 PM (16:10 – 16:30)    

CMIS – Management control of Optical Modules

Speaker: Gary Nicholl, Cisco, OIF Physical & Link Layer Working Group Management Co-Vice Chair, Secretary/Treasurer and Board Member

CMIS addresses the industry’s need for commonality in managing pluggable modules, and it has been widely and successfully adopted across the industry. As the complexity of pluggable modules continues to increase and the industry continues a trend towards 3rd party pluggable modules, the management interface is becoming as important an interoperability interface as the electrical and optical interfaces (where the OIF has been actively involved for many years). This session will provide a high-level overview of CMIS, explain the reasons why the effort was transferred to the OIF, discuss the current status of CMIS within the OIF and highlight some of the new CMIS features that the OIF will be working on during the upcoming year, such as adding support for co-packaging/External Laser Small Form Factor Pluggable (ELSFP) projects and electrical link training.

WEDNESDAY, September 21 – 12:00:00 PM – 12:25:00 PM (12:00 – 12:25)

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

Speaker: Karl Gass, OIF Physical & Link Layer Working Group Optical Vice Chair

400ZR coherent deployment is underway and shows a strong ecosystem already exists for this new interoperable standard developed by the OIF. In this presentation, an OIF expert will give an overview of 400ZR and discuss its deployment status, including continued optimization. The presentation will then provide an overview of current 800ZR and 800LR technical work to create the next core network architecture components and bring coherent networking into the datacenter.

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 Experts to Discuss Overcoming Implementation Challenges to Enable Interoperability, Open Optical Networking at NGON & DCI World 2022

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Fremont, Calif. – OIF experts to present project updates, discuss overcoming implementation challenges through interoperability and open optical networking and disaggregation at NGON & DCI World 2022 being held in Barcelona, Spain June 21–23, 2022.

Speakers will give an overview of OIF’s 400ZR work, including results from a recent interoperability demonstration, co-packaging, Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS), common electrical interfaces (112G and 224G) and Transport Software Defined Networking (SDN) Application Program Interface (API).

Panels:

Tuesday, June 21, 2022 – 1:30pm-3:00pm CEST

OIF Pre-Conference Workshop – OIF Project Updates

Speakers: Dave Brown, OIF Director of Communications, Nokia; Karl Gass, OIF Physical & Link Layer Working Group – Optical Vice Chair

Wednesday, June 22, 2022 – 9:40am-10:20am CEST

Open Optical Networking and Disaggregation – A Requirement?

Moderator: Ian Redpath, Practice Leader, Omdia

Panelist: Dave Brown, OIF Director of Communications, Nokia

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 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 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 Releases New Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) Implementation Agreement and Launches New CMIS Project at Q2 Technical and MA&E Committees Meeting

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Fremont, Calif.—OIF’s Q2 2022 Technical and MA&E Committees Meeting, held in person and virtually May 10-12, 2022 in Porto, Portugal, resulted in the release of a Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) Implementation Agreement (IA) and the initiation of a new CMIS project.

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 and module vendors.

IA—CMIS 5.2:

The importance of CMIS continues to expand as higher-speed systems require more complex modules demanding more sophisticated management interfaces.

This IA marks the first OIF-approved CMIS IA and the completion of the transition of the work to OIF.

“One of the reasons OIF adopted the CMIS work is its close coupling and application to ongoing OIF projects,” said Ian Alderdice, Ciena and OIF Physical & Link Layer Working Group – Management Co-Vice Chair. “This IA includes new features supporting a wide variety of form factors, most importantly fiber channel enhancements which expands the range of end-user applications.”

NEW PROJECT—Version update to CMIS:

CMIS addresses commonality in managing pluggable modules and is a critical interface working hand-in-hand with other OIF areas, including co-packaging and electrical. The project work to create the next version of CMIS will add the necessary support for co-packaging/External Laser Small Form Factor Pluggable (ELSFP) projects and link training.

“This new project work represents the next steps in the evolution of CMIS and its alignment with other OIF PLL Working Groups tracks to enable an interoperable ecosystem,” said Gary Nicholl, Cisco and OIF PLL Working Group – Management Co-Vice Chair and Secretary/Treasurer.

 

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

Email: leah@wilkinson.associates

Office: 703-907-0010

OIF to Provide Update on Electrical Interface Projects at DesignCon 2022; Industry thought leaders will provide an overview of OIF’s lessons learned on CEI 112G and progress on 224G (Gbps)

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Fremont, Calif. – Over the last 20+ years, OIF’s interoperable electrical interface specifications known as CEI (common electrical I/O) have been adopted across many applications to become critical building blocks for several industry standards and platforms.

At this year’s DesignCon, April 5-7, 2022, in Santa Clara, CA, OIF experts will discuss its seven 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. The panel will also provide an update on OIF’s recently launched first set of new CEI projects targeting the 224G generation of electrical interfaces and the published 224G Framework Project white paper. The white paper provides a roadmap for the applications, challenges and projects needed to support new generations of architectures and equipment.

PANEL DETAILS:
April 6, 2022: 4:00pm-5:15pm PT
OIF Electrical I/O Specifications – Progress on CEI 112G and 224G (Gbps)
Moderator: Nathan Tracy, OIF VP of Marketing, TE Connectivity
Panelists include: John Calvin, Keysight Technologies; Mike Li, Intel; Cathy Liu, OIF President, Broadcom Inc.; and Jeffery Maki, OIF Board Member and Physical Layer User Group WG Chair, Juniper Networks

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

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

Fremont, Calif. – 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.

 

PR Contact:
Leah Wilkinson
Wilkinson + Associates for OIF
leah@wilkinson.associates
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