Wavelength-tunable Optical Transceivers

What Is Wavelength-tunable Optical Transceiver?

Tunable optical transceivers are similar in operation and appearance to fixed transceivers, however, they have the added capability of allowing you to set the channel (or color) of the emitting laser. This reduces the need to have multiple devices that each operates at fixed wavelengths installed within a network. Instead, you have one transceiver that can be tuned according to the requirements of the operator.

Tunable transceivers are only available in DWDM form, because of the format of the dense wavelength grid. Typical tunable optics are designed for the C-Band 50GHz. They support approximately 88 channels which are set with a 0.4nm interval. They usually start from channel 16 and go up to 61, but this is dependent on the manufacturer of the router or switch and which channels it supports.

Tunable optical transceivers for DWDM systems have been widely available within the telecommunications industry for many years. 

There are two main types of tunable transceivers such as XFP and SFP+. 

XFP Tunable

Tunable XFP transceivers are designed with an integrated full C-Band tunable transmitter and high-performance receiver. This means that wavelengths can be set as default in the 50GHz DWDM grid. With single mode fiber, XFP tunable transceivers can operate at distances up to 80km.

Depending on the manufacturer, the names for these products can vary even though they have the same operational features.

These optics can be tuned in different ways. Most devices make it possible to tune over the CLI (Command Line Interface), but not every switch or router is capable of this.

SFP+ Tunable

Tunable SFP+ transceivers are full duplex, serial optical devices. The transmit and receive functions are contained within a single module which provides a high-speed serial link at 9.95 to 11.3Gbps signaling rates.

Again, these products can operate at distances of up to 80km with single mode fiber.

What Are the Benefits of Tunable Transceivers?

As technology has progressed, tunable transceivers have improved drastically. They are now very popular within DWDM transmission systems because of their capabilities and ease of use.

The key benefits are:

Wide tuning range

Suitable for 100G systems because of reduced line-width

The convenience of wavelength adjustment depending on transmitting needs

Reprogramming takes seconds

Saves money in the long term

Conclusion

Tunable optical transceivers are able to operate at various wavelengths and adjust their wavelength according to each users’ needs. They are very popular in DWDM systems due to cost-saving factors and flexibility of use.

At Carritech, we stock and support a full range of optical transceiver products. To view our stock, learn more about our products or inquire about purchasing visit our optical transceiver page.

Gigalight can provide 10G tunable SFP+ and 10G tunable XFP optical transceivers. The 10G tunable SFP+ is with low power consumption, lower than 1.7W. The wavelength of this module is stable and the transmit optical power is about 0dBm. The extinction ratio is greater than 10dBm; the side die suppression ratio is greater than 51dB, the eye-diagram crossing point is between 47% and 52 %, and the sensitivity of this module can reach above -24dBm. It supports distance up to 80km. And the 10G tunable XFP can be piled into two versions to support FEC coding function (OTN G.709 framing) and non-FEC coding function. The power consumption of the former is less than 4.5W, and the advantage of the FEC coding function is to improve the sensitivity of transmission; while the power consumption of the latter without FEC function is less than 3.5W. The two versions are available to meet maximum distance of 80km as well as to be compatible with the switches and core routers of Cisco, Juniper, and other major equipment suppliers.