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Phyworks Announce Expansion into 8G Fibre Channel

Phyworks develops VCSEL and Laser Drivers with integrated limiting amplifiers for 8Gbps Fibre Channel applications

8th June 2006 - Phyworks, the world’s leading supplier of advanced analog and mixed signal ICs for communications applications, today announced the extension of their Fibre Channel product line to 8Gbps with two key new products in development:

PHY1080 – 8G Integrated VCSEL Driver and Limiting Amplifier -designed for short wave length, multi-mode applications

PHY1085 – 8G Integrated Laser Driver and Limiting Amplifier -designed for long wave length, single-mode applications

Phyworks’ new products are designed to meet the need for backwards compatibility in the imminent 8G Fibre Channel market. Current 8G module prototypes have been designed using high specification 10G drivers and post amplifiers. The PHY1080 and PHY1085 offer highly integrated transmitter and receiver functionality, reducing cost for both optical module manufacturers and end users.

Phyworks, already a leading supplier of highly integrated 1-4Gbps Fibre Channel solutions, is also the world leader at 10Gbps with their 10G LRM compliant EDC IC. The company is drawing on experience from both the successful integration of driver and receiver ICs at 4Gbps, and innovative solutions to the 10G challenges, in developing high performance ICs which will facilitate the 8G Fibre Channel market.

The T11 standards group are currently nearing completion of the FC-PI4 8G Fibre Channel standard which will drive the 8G Fibre Channel market. Commenting on the market, Lawrence Gasman of Communication Industry Researchers Inc (CIR), predicted that "The market for 8 Gbps Fibre Channel ports will exceed five million units by 2011." Gasman notes, "The initial driver for 8 Gbps FC will be for interswitch links in networks with a growing number of 4 Gbps, after which 8 Gbps ports will become the choice on the client side.”

Additionally, the “SFP+” Multi-Source Agreement, expected in 2007, will drive the move to 8Gbps, with high port density applications leading the way. Phyworks’ solution will feature a backwards compatible limiting receiver architecture, designed to meet all requirements for the SFP+ form factor.

In order to meet the lower power and smaller size requirements of optical module vendors, the PHY1080 and PHY1085 will be developed as highly integrated, multi-rate products offering a range of features to meet the needs of multiple system environments.

EMI emissions are minimised, aiding and simplifying the transceiver qualification and design-in process by implementing transmit and receive edge rate control. End users will also benefit from guaranteed optical compliance over environmental conditions and lifetime, whilst further reducing transceiver manufacturing costs by removing the need to setup and test transceivers over temperature.

The new products will enable optical module vendors to meet all Fibre Channel link lengths in the most cost effective way. By offering VSCEL and Laser versions of the highly integrated IC, with identical pin outs, optical module manufacturers will be able to design a complete Fibre Channel product portfolio using a single platform.

Brad Weaterton, Phyworks Director of Marketing, commented “Phyworks has always been committed to providing our customers with highly integrated and high performance solutions which reduce design time and manufacturing costs. Similar to our 4G product family, these two new ICs, along with our PHY1090 TIA already being used in most 10G LRM applications, will give customers a clear competitive advantage in a highly cost sensitive market. Our products will allow for the swift transition from 4GFC to 8GFC and without the need for optical module manufacturers to invest millions of dollars in internal IC developments to create the most cost effective and highest performance solutions.”

The PHY1080 and PHY1085 will be available in RoHS compliant, industry standard QFN packages. Phyworks anticipates silicon being available by the end of 2006. The PHY1080 and PHY1085 will be sampled with SFP+ reference design, and, as with all Phyworks products, full applications support.