Vitesse Has OC768 Chips

CAMARILLO, Calif. -- Vitesse Semiconductor Corp. (Nasdaq:VTSS) today announced the availability of the first in a series of indium phosphide (InP) circuits for use in communication systems at 10+Gb/s (OC-192) and 40+Gb/s (OC-768). Vitesse has previously announced the development of an InP HBT process in the 4-inch wafer fab located in Camarillo, and has now demonstrated full rate operation of all of the key building blocks necessary to construct the OC-768 physical layer. Vitesse is now announcing seven integrated circuits in a chipset for OC-768. The initial 40+Gb/s products include a transimpedence amplifier (TIA VSC4020), a post amplifier or limiting amplifier (PA VSC4040), a photodiode (PIN) optical detector (VSC4085), a 2:1 and 4:1 Multiplexer (VSC4001/05), and a 2:1 and 4:1 Demultiplexer (VSC4002/06). These OC-768 components are available either as evaluation kits in a MMIC style package or as bare die. Operation has been demonstrated at greater than 56Gb/s with high yield and excellent manufacturability. The 4:1 Mux and Demux are also available in a production package. Design of more highly integrated OC-768 components and chip sets is in progress using these building blocks with additional product introductions scheduled for early 2002. In addition to the OC-768 products, Vitesse also announced the availability of two InP based OC-192 products: A PIN detector (VSC7985) and a monolithically integrated PIN detector and TIA (VSC7987). The VSC7987 is the first in a family Optoelectronic Integrated Circuits (OEICs) and Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) using the VIP-1 process that will lead to monolithic integration of the receive side of an OC-768 transponder in 2002. "The monolithic integration of optoelectronic integrated circuits is essential to reduce system cost at both the circuit level and at the module level where, with a 16:1 monolithically integrated transponder, all data rates in excess of OC-48 (2.5Gb/s) are contained on the IC and do not have to propagate on the circuit board," said Alan Huelsman, director of the InP program.Vitesse Semiconductor Corp.