Alcatel Optronics Offers Transponders

PARIS -- Alcatel Optronics (Paris: CGO and NASDAQ: ALAO), a world leader in opto-electronic components for telecommunications systems, today extends its 300 pin transponder family with two new versions of the Alcatel 1964 TRX, dedicated to Sonet/SDH metro and long haul 10 Gbit/s DWDM markets. The first version integrates an electro absorption-integrated laser modulator (EA-ILM) allowing a reach of 80 to 800 km. The second version reaches 800 to 3,000 km, thanks to an 8-channel tunable locked continuous wave source associated with a Mach-Zehnder lithium niobate modulator. In the complex, high-performance DWDM domain, these standardized transponders provide unrivalled optical and electrical performances and secure sourcing while reducing costs.With these new DWDM transponders, Alcatel Optronics now has MSA compliant products covering all 10 Gbit/s telecommunication applications, from metro to very long haul. Beyond the standardization, Alcatel Optronics adds its mastery of key low-cost high-performance optics and electronics technologies to offer transponders capable of reaching such incredible distances. For the first time, an electro-absorption modulator laser allows a reach of up to 800 km. To reach further distances, Alcatel Optronics proposes a second version integrating a lithium niobate modulator with a CW tunable laser. Packaged in a compact standardized module, both versions integrate an Alcatel Optronics laser using state-of-the-art integrated laser locker technology, which achieves high wavelength stability required for 50 GHz spacing WDM systems. At the receiver side, decision threshold adjustment and highly-sensitive detectors provide excellent optical performance in both amplified and non-amplified lines.“By extending our high performance transponder family, we now cover all 10 Gbit/s applications, from 25 to 3,000 km,” explained Philippe Bregi, Chief Operating Officer of Alcatel Optronics. “With our EA-ILM-based 300 pin transponder, we push the low-cost capability far beyond the classical 100 km barrier. To achieve a step function improvement in distances reached, we can provide our tunable module based on CW source and Mach-Zehnder modulator, always at the best cost.”Alcatel Optronics