As an example, Acacia’s high-performance Pico DSP-based 1.2 Terabit solution is currently deployed in well over one hundred networks around the globe and has been adopted by three of the four largest hyperscalers. In 2020 alone, Acacia shipped more than 30,000 Pico-based ports as customers increasingly recognized the competitive benefits that high-performance, flexible coherent transmission solutions can provide.

Network Transmission Flexibility Benefits

Multi-haul coherent solutions like the Pico DSP-based 1.2 Terabit solution are software configurable transponder modules that provide various transmission capacities and reaches. By varying the modulation order and baud rate settings, it can provide flexible options for service providers.

A multi-haul coherent solution addresses a range of network applications.

Balancing Modulation Order and Baud Rate

A common method of increasing throughput of a coherent channel is to increase the modulation order. However, this may result in a reduction in reach due to reduced optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR) tolerance for the higher modulation orders. Alternatively, the baud rate could be increased while maintaining a lower modulation order which provides additional capacity per channel with minimal sacrifice to reach.

Maximizing the channel capacity using continuously tunable baud rate can convert unused spectrum into usable capacity, with the goal to fill up the available channel bandwidth. However, as discussed in this whitepaper, increasing baud rate provides minimal improvements in fiber capacity once the transmission is well-matched to the channel.

Increasing transmission baud rate proportionally increases the transmission spectrum and can be used to convert unused spectrum into useable extra capacity.

With transmission flexibility, service providers can configure their client traffic with the following flexible options:

• 12×100 GbE or 3×400 GbE with 64 QAM modulation for DCI edge applications
• 8×100 GbE or 2×400 GbE with 16 QAM modulation for metro/regional and long haul
• 4×100 GbE or 1×400 GbE QPSK for the most challenging terrestrial and submarine networks

To ensure a smooth migration from 100GbE to 400GbE, it’s important to have a solution that can efficiently transport either type of traffic, or a combination of both, without restrictions on performance and functionality.

Increase Performance and Reach with 400GbE Long Haul

With 400GbE becoming the “common currency” for high-capacity Ethernet transmission, it’s important to have a solution that can support this traffic over long distances. For service providers supporting 400GbE traffic they can use Acacia’s Pico DSP-based solution and choose from various configurations, as previously mentioned, including the option to combine two 400GbE client signals into an 800G 150 GHz channel for transmission over their metro and long-haul networks.

Leveraging Acacia’s Pico DSP-based solution service providers can combine two 400GbE client signals into an 800G 150GHz channel for long haul transmission.

Migrating from 100G to Higher Speeds Just Got Easier

Multi-haul coherent solutions enable network operators to easily migrate from 100G traffic toward 400G and higher speeds to deploy new and exciting applications and services. Networks utilizing flexible coherent transmission can provide support for growing client traffic across the entire network—from DCI edge, metro, long-haul, and all the way to submarine. Learn more in this video.

Acacia is gearing up for a great show at ECOC 2019 – and Dublin is a great place to host Europe’s largest optical communications event. We look forward to having another opportunity to discuss the latest trends and innovations with our customers and partners including multi-haul applications, 400GbE, 400ZR and open optical standards.

Network operators are looking to support today’s 100GbE clients, as well as emerging 400GbE clients, across key network segments such as DCI edge, metro, long-haul and submarine in an efficient, scalable, and cost-effective manner. Multi-haul coherent solutions, software configurable transponders that provide various transmission capacities and reaches by varying the modulation order and baud rate settings, can provide flexible options for network operators.

Introducing the AC1200-SC² Coherent 1.2T Single-Chip, Single-Channel Module

One such solution is the AC1200-SC² (‘SC squared’). Powered by Acacia’s 1.2T Pico DSP chip, the AC1200-SC² coherent 1.2T single-chip, single-channel module was designed to enable network operators to support today’s 100GbE clients, as well as emerging 400GbE clients.

Figure 1: Acacia’s AC1200-SC² Coherent 1.2T Single-Chip, Single-Channel Module

We are excited to demonstrate our newest AC1200 family member just announced last week. The AC1200-SC²’s high-performance and flexibility make it ideally suited for multi-haul applications ranging from high-capacity 1.2T DCI edge to the most challenging terrestrial and submarine networks that require 400G transport over QPSK modulation. The module also features Acacia’s 3D shaping technology designed to optimize fiber capacity and reach by filling gaps in margin and spectrum. Check out this video to learn how 3D shaping allows for the fine-tune adjustment of the modulation order and baud rate to provide network operators with the ability to adapt the transmission characteristics to meet the requirements of both greenfield and brownfield deployments.

Standardized Coherent Interconnects

Standardization activities have defined a variety of interoperability modes supporting operation ranging from 100G to 400G. Recently there have been many opinions on the idea of ZR+. What if a mode was created to combine the benefits of elements from 400ZR and OpenROADM, two existing standards, to define and deliver an interoperable ZR+ mode called OpenZR+?

The result is an open, flexible and interoperable coherent solution in a small form factor pluggable module. By simply defining a data path that includes the appropriate functionality, an interoperable OpenZR+ mode can be established. These enhanced modes will allow an OpenZR+ module in a QSFP-DD or OSFP form factor to support reaches well beyond 400ZR. The OpenZR+ modes are supported by merchant DSP vendors who have exchanged test vectors to ensure the interoperability of these OpenZR+ implementations. The availability of merchant DSP solutions supporting OpenZR+ will further expand the ecosystem of module vendors supporting OpenZR+. We’re sure to hear more about OpenZR+ at ECOC. For a more detailed explanation of OpenZR+ and its growing momentum please refer to the Optical Connections Magazine contributed article titled “OpenZR+ Offers Performance and Interoperability.”

Acacia Thought Leaders Speaking at ECOC

We are proud to have our Acacia experts sharing their views about some of the topics mentioned above.

• Tom Williams, Acacia’s Vice President of Marketing, is speaking on a Market Focus Panel titled “Next Generation Coherent – Beyond Transport Networks.” Tom’s panel is scheduled for Tuesday, September 24^th at 13:15.
• Hongbin Zhang, Acacia’s Principal DSP Designer, is speaking on a panel titled “Real-Time Transmission of Single-Carrier 400 Gb/S And 600 Gb/S 64QAM Over 200km-Span Link, scheduled for Tuesday, September 24^th at 14:45.

If We are “Lucky,” We’ll See you there!

If you are attending ECOC 2019, we’d love to see you. To set up a meeting at the show, contact us.

The Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC) annual conference is the “Pacific Rim’s premier telecommunications event,” and Acacia will have a front row seat for it this year. PTC ‘19 kicks off Sunday, January 20 and runs through Wednesday, January 23, 2019, where subsea communications will be a hot topic, as organizations are faced with the challenge to enable increased utilization of deployed fiber for improved network capacity.

Given the fact subsea is of particular importance to Acacia and its customers, we’re excited it will be a big part of the “From Pipes to Platforms” theme at the conference – and that it comes on the heels of three subsea trials Acacia collaborated on and a blog article on the topic:

• Acacia announced the first 400G Transmission Across 6,600km Trans-Atlantic Marea Cable Using the Acacia AC1200 Coherent Module
• Cisco demonstrated the NCS 1004 driving a single wavelength of 300G over a 10,000km sub-sea link
• ADVA delivered 300G over trans-Atlantic distance in FSP 3000 TeraFlex trial
• Hongbin Zhang shared Two Key Elements Needed for Future Transponders in Submarine Systems in his recent blog post which discusses power limitations of submarine systems and reducing cost per bit for both transponder and wet-plant

“Transmission of 400G over 6,600 km is a significant milestone and demonstrates what can be achieved with higher performance transmission optics combined with a well-designed line system. This field demonstration of an advanced solution that is just becoming commercially available highlights the value of Marea’s open architecture to evolve with the latest technology. By allowing early adoption of new technologies such as Acacia’s AC1200, we are able to increase the utilization of our deployed fiber, maximize our investment and improve network capacity.”

—Mark Filer, Principle Optical Engineer, Azure Networking, Microsoft Corp.

The 400G subsea field demonstration, conducted by Acacia in collaboration with Microsoft and Facebook, helped to demonstrate that improvements in capacity and spectral efficiency can enable increased utilization of deployed fiber and improved network capacity. Modulation formats greater than 4 bits/symbol were utilized to achieve a spectral efficiency of 6.41 b/s/Hz on the 6,600 km cable. This was achieved using Acacia’s suite of 3D Shaping features that enable fine-tune adjustment of the modulation characteristics to provide network operators with the flexibility to customize the transmission to their network requirements. This is especially important in a submarine network where multiple providers share the same fiber link, and are trying to optimize its capacity utilization of their assigned spectrum.

In his recent blog post on the growth of submarine cables and how the Cisco NCS 1004 fits, Cisco’s Product Manager Optical Systems & Optics Group, Sushin Suresan, talks about how spectral efficiency is the key metric to maximizing capacity on expensive submarine cable assets.

The Cisco NCS 1004 is the latest product in the DCI form-factor NCS 1000 series. It delivers multi-haul coherent DWDM transponders that provide state of the art performance for sub-sea applications using granular baud-rate + bits per symbol tuning, time-hybrid modulation, transmit signal shaping and non-linear equalization. Each 2RU form-factor NCS 1004, powered by Acacia’s Pico Digital Signal Processor chip, provides 8 coherent DWDM ports that operate from 100G to 600G.

ADVA announced that its FSP 3000 CloudConnect TeraFlex succeeded in transporting 300Gbit/s of data per wavelength over a 6,800km fiber link. ADVA and Acacia conducted the trial, which was the first in the industry to cover the trans-Atlantic distance with a fiber link typical of a cost-optimized submarine cable using 300Gbit/s channels and a commercially available transponder with real-time digital signal processing (DSP). The demo, which also achieved the highest spectral efficiency for such a link carrying 300Gbit/s per wavelength with 70GHz channel spacing, highlights the capabilities of the ADVA FSP 3000 TeraFlex solution, which incorporates the suite of advanced performance features in Acacia’s Pico coherent DSP, to support flexible, ultra-high-capacity, long-haul and subsea data transport.

Triggered by the increasing demand for data driven by cloud-based services, we’re seeing a significant expansion in long-haul and subsea cable networks. We believe these trials give a major boost not only to long-haul and submarine network operators but also to cloud-content and digital media providers looking for ways to cost-efficiently deliver more to their customers around the globe.

Attending PTC? Alan Gibbemeyer, senior director of global business development at Acacia, will be on hand at the conference along with other members of the team to discuss these developments. To schedule a meeting at PTC ’19 contact us.