X2 MSA Launched

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Eight leading networking component suppliers, including Agere Systems, Agilent Technologies, JDS Uniphase, Mitsubishi Electric, NEC, OpNext, Optillion and Tyco Electronics, today announced "X2," a new multi-source agreement (MSA) for smaller form factor 10 Gigabit-per-second (Gb/s) pluggable fiber optic transceivers. Transceivers developed using this new specification will offer a smaller size that reduces board space on line cards for optical networking systems. The X2 specification supports multiple 10 Gb/s applications, providing network equipment manufacturers (NEMs) with one platform that addresses several 10 Gb/s markets. This flexibility to cover a wider range of applications has in previous product generations enabled higher volumes and lower optics costs. While another MSA also specifies a smaller version of the popular XENPAK transceiver, the X2 MSA has stronger industry support and is more compatible with the existing XENPAK MSA specification. The X2 MSA specifies a module that is physically shorter than XENPAK, mounts on the topside of the host PCB and uses the established electrical I/O specification defined by the XENPAK MSA. X2 is initially focused on optical links to 10 kilometers and is targeted at "second generation" 10 Gb/s enterprise, storage and telecom applications that do not require the thermal capacity provided by XENPAK. Optically, the X2 MSA supports 802.3ae 10 Gb Ethernet, ANSI/ITUT OC192/STM-64 SONET/SDH interfaces, ITUT G.709, OIF OC192 VSR, INCITS/ANSI 10GFC (10 Gigabit Fibre Channel) and others. X2 is ideally suited for Ethernet, Fibre Channel and telecom switches and standard PCI (peripheral component interconnect) based server and storage connections, where a "half size" XENPAK optical transceiver is desired. X2