Red-C Advances Amplifiers

TEL-AVIV, Israel -- RED-C Optical Networks Ltd. (RED-C), a leading provider of EDFAs, Raman amplifiers and optical monitoring devices for all optical network applications, today announced the launch of advanced amplifiers specifically designed to target next generation ROADM networks. These include a variety of high density EDFA packages for integration in ROADM line cards, as well as a new four-pump Hybrid Raman-EDFA module enabling dynamic path reconfiguration.

Next generation ROADM networks are expected to support colorless, directionless and contentionless (CDC) operation. This requires a number of power splitters, wavelength selective switches (WSSs), MUXes and DeMUXes within each high degree node, together with EDFAs to overcome the resulting high insertion loss. To address this need RED-C has introduced high-density modules containing two, four, or eight EDFAs, which can be integrated on a ROADM line card. Although packaged together in a single module, each EDFA within the module can support full WDM operation including transient suppression, and can be controlled completely separately from the other EDFAs in the module.

Another requirement of next-generation ROADM networks is the support of dynamic optical path reconfiguration. This can lead to a situation where WDM channels traverse very large distances without being regenerated, thus requiring good OSNR throughout the network. To this end RED-C has expanded its existing Hybrid Raman-EDFA product line to include a new model comprising three Raman pumps and one EDFA pumps. This new model provides an exceptionally low noise figure of 0 dB, compared to about 6 dB for a conventional EDFA, allowing up to a four-fold increase in the optical path length between regenerators.

Red-C Optical Networks Ltd.