Development of a Subminiature FTTH Terminal of Plug-in Type - ONU for Optical Subscribers Integrated with Optical Transceiver Achieving Miniaturization -

Development Background and Features

Furukawa Electric has long been involved in the development and sales of GE-PON equipment to achieve high-speed FTTH networks. GE-PON is an advanced technology that enables shared use of multiple ONUs on a single optical fiber trunk line, thereby realizing FTTH networks that are more economical than the Single Star method which utilizes one-to-one connections. ONU, a GE-PON terminal, is supposed to be positioned in every household on desktops, and when a switch or router is needed on the LAN side of an ONU, as in offices and housing complexes, there arises such problems as the limited installation space for the ONU power supply and the complexity of wiring with switches and routers. See the Figure below.

GE-PON terminal configuration (this product)

To solve these problems, Furukawa Electric previously developed last June a compact ONU module “FITELwave AG8” that enables direct installation of ONU functions to the GBIC (Note 6) interface of the switches and routers. In the present work, in response to the growing use of SFP as a network equipment interface, we have further reduced the module size, thus realizing an SFP-sized module.

Characteristics and Main Specifications of FITELwave AG9

• ONU function for GE-PON in compliance with IEEE802.3ah standard
• SFP specification compliant
• Size in mm: 67(D) x 14.1(W) x 10.6(H)

In this development, by utilizing our proprietary OSA technology and the ingenious mounting for the TK3713 chip by Teknovus Inc., we have succeeded in reducing the volume, in comparison with our conventional desktop ONU and the FITELwave AG8 we developed last year, to approximately 1.5% and 25%, respectively. Also, because power is supplied from the LAN switch, no power supply adapter is required, thereby achieving higher reliability.
Furukawa Electric plans to induce network equipment vendors to adopt this unit as a peripheral device for switches and routers, and to cultivate new GE-PON markets including the office network field. Shipping samples is scheduled for the second quarter of fiscal 2007.

Scheduled Exhibition

• OFC/NFOEC 2007, March 27~29, Anaheim, U.S.A.
  Reference exhibiting in the booths of Furukawa America Inc. and Teknovus Inc.

Glossary

(Note 1) SFP (Small Form factor Pluggable multi-source agreement)

SFP is an industry-wide standard for compact optical transceivers, which is created under the participation of many optical transmission equipment manufacturers, with the view of connecting, using the same physical interface module, the Ethernet-based optical transmission equipment. The standard specifies the module size and pin arrangement, as well as the hot swap function which enables network equipment connection and disconnection while it is operating. While the standard is broadly used in Gigabit Ethernet ports on network equipment, SFP modules with the ONU function for GE-PON were not available before.

(Note 2) ONU (Optical Network Unit)

ONU is a device that is positioned in the inlet point on the user side of the optical access line. It functions as the end terminal of the optical access line and has the function of converting light signals to electrical signals.

(Note 3) GE-PON (Gigabit Ethernet-Passive Optical Network)

PON is the generic term for technology that realizes internet connection services over high-efficiency optical fiber through branching using passive devices in the optical access line. One type of PON is called GE-PON, which is a network that transmits data over Gigabit Ethernet used in conventional LANs. This technology enables economical, high-speed, bi-directional 1Gb/s internet connection services over optical access lines. It is standardized on the IEEE802.3ah standard set in 2004 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). GE-PON becomes widespread rapidly in Japan, and internet service providers are offering 1-Gbps FTTH by GE-PON.

(Note 4) OSA (Optical Sub-Assembly)

OSA is a small optical transceiver device with an optical connector interface, instead of optical fiber (pigtail fiber) that is used in usual optical devices. Furukawa Electric’s OSA is based on our proprietary technology that makes possible non-alignment manufacturing without adjusting the optical axis between the device and fiber, realizing downsizing and surface mounting.

(Note 5) Teknovus Inc.

eknovus develops and markets GE-PON semiconductor chipsets. It has shipped over two million ports to more than 20 telecom carriers worldwide.
Headquarters: Petaluma, CA
President and CEO: Greg Caltabiano
http://www.teknovus.com

(Note 6) GBIC (Gigabit Interface Converter)

GBIC is a detachable transceiver module connecting to network equipment that is Gigabit Ethernet compliant. Because, typically, network equipment has the interface connecting to GBIC only, GBIC has to be inserted in order to connect LAN cables with other network equipment. GBIC also has the hot swap function, which enables network equipment connection and disconnection while it is operating. Due to differing transmission media, wavelengths and connector types, there are several varieties, including 1000BASE-T, 1000BASE-SX and 1000BASE-LX. “FITELwave AG8” that Furukawa Electric developed last June is a GE-PON transceiver with onboard ONU.