Inphi Intros Mux/Demux and TIA Chips

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. -- Inphi Corporation, a privately held fabless optical components company, today announced the introduction of four highly integrated multiplexer (mux) and demultiplexer (demux) circuits for incorporation into SONET OC-768 and SDH STM-256 communications equipment. Designed in indium phosphide (InP), the 4020MX and 4320MX muxes and 4021DX and 4321DX demuxes achieve data rates up to 43 gigabits per second (Gbps) with low power dissipation (2.5 watts for the muxes and 3 watts for the demuxes). These components used in conjunction with Inphi’s transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs) and modulator drivers enable OEMs for the first time to develop true electrical OC-768 systems instead of today’s optically multiplexed OC-192 systems, thereby significantly reducing system costs.These products are the first commercial integrated circuits (ICs) designed specifically for the Q40™ InP/CMOS architecture, which was announced in November 2001 (see press release at www.inphi-corp.com/news). Developed in conjunction with Broadcom Corporation, the Q40 architecture provides component suppliers and OEMs with a standard physical layer interface and is the first open architecture for OC-768 applications. The Q40 architecture was conceived to take advantage of the high speed and low power of InP in combination with the low cost, low power, and high-density integration characteristics of CMOS. This architecture enables direct coupling of Inphi’s InP mux and demux to the complementary CMOS 16:4 mux and 4:16 demux components. “These products are a natural progression from the simple mux and demux products we announced in October,” said Gary Franzosa, Inphi’s Director of Marketing. “Integrating key functions such as the CMU with the mux and the CDR circuit with the demux onto a single circuit enables equipment manufacturers to reduce the size and cost of their designs and facilitates interoperability among components from multiple suppliers.” In a separate release:Inphi Corporation, a privately held fabless optical components company, today announced the introduction of three high-gain transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs) for integration into SONET OC-768 and SDH STM-256 optical receivers. Fabricated in indium phosphide, the 4330TA, 4332TA, and 5030TA achieve network transmission speeds of 40 gigabits per second (Gbps) and higher at extremely low power levels. All three TIAs are optimized for use with positive-intrinsic-negative (PIN) photodetectors and are capable of amplifying input currents ranging from 40 microamps peak-to-peak (mAp-p) to 3 milliamps peak-to-peak (mAp-p) while maintaining a bit error rate (BER) of 10-12. These amplifiers enable OEMs to customize their receiver modules for a variety of optical network applications.“These high-performance amplifiers round out Inphi’s mux, demux, and driver product lines and enable us to offer a complete solution for 40G systems,” said Kevin Nary, Vice President of Engineering at Inphi. “The combination of high gain, high bandwidth, and excellent input sensitivity will enable OEMs to reduce design costs and at the same time offer their customers a robust receiver module for next-generation networks.”Designed for short-reach, intermediate, and long haul networks, the 4330TA and 4332TA operate at data rates up to 44 Gbps for non–return-to-zero (NRZ) transmission formats. The 4330TA has a differential electrical gain of 2000 Ohms, eliminating the need for additional external amplification between the TIA and the demultiplexer and optimizing it for use with most demultiplexers available today. For applications that use optical amplification and hence have a lower TIA gain requirement, the 4332TA with its 1200 Ohms of differential gain is an ideal solution. Inphi Corp.