How to achieve low cost, low power consumption and high performance of optical modules

The development direction of optical modules

At present, the transmission capacity of the expansion rate communication network has increased, and optical fiber communication has become a modern information network with the main transmission route. In optical communication networks, such as wide area network (WAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), local area network (LAN) As more and more types of optical transceiver modules are the core optoelectronic devices, higher and higher requirements and complexity are developing at an astonishing rate. Optical modules have led to a substantial increase in diversity, and related technologies need to continue to be developed in order to meet this requirement. The following analyzes the development direction of optical modules.

ZR Cable Optical Module

One of the development directions of optical modules: high speed

People demand more and more information, and the speed of information transmission is getting faster and faster. As the mainstay of modern information exchange, processing and transmission, optical communication network is an ultra-high frequency, high speed, large capacity, high transmission rate, Large capacity, the cost of sending each message is getting smaller and smaller. In the consumer space, in place of Fibre Channel, there will be a strong influence on the place of Ethernet. From the current circuit technology, the problems of high rate, loss, signal-induced power loss, electromagnetic radiation (interference) and impedance matching are difficult to solve, even if the solution is costly.

The second direction of optical module development: miniaturization

The optical access network with the optical module as the core device promotes the low development cost of the backbone transmission system and makes the optical network configuration more complete and reasonable. The Guoyang optical module is composed of optoelectronic devices, circuits and optical interface structures. The optoelectronic devices include two parts: transmitting and receiving. The transmission part includes LED, vertical, FPLD, distributed feedback LD and several light sources; the receiving part includes a pin and APD vehicle type Two photodetectors.

In the current increasingly fierce market competition of optical communication, communication equipment needs to be smaller and smaller, and the interface density and interface board contain higher. The traditional laser and detector of the optical module are separated, and it has been difficult to adapt to the requirements of modern communication equipment. In order to meet the needs of optical communication equipment, optical modules are the development of highly integrated small packages. Users of highly integrated optical modules do not have to deal with photoelectric signals with high simulation speed, shorten production cycle, reduce research and intensity of procurement, and reduce production costs, so it attracts more and more equipment manufacturers.

At present, the development of optoelectronic devices and optical modules in the form of large-size dual-in-line packages is mainly composed of coaxial packages; the optical interface structure is from ST, FC to SC and small-size liquid crystal, too rj type connection forms, packaging optical transceivers Correspondingly, the optical module has also been developed from metal packaging to plastic packaging, including an interface separation module developed for dual-interface optical modules.

The small package height advantage of ZR Cable optical module has doubled the number of optical fiber interface network equipment, and the single port rate has reached the level of Gbit to meet the network bandwidth demand in the rapidly growing Internet era. It can be said that the optical module technology represents the development trend of a new generation of optical communication equipment, and is the cornerstone of the next-generation high-speed network. Optical module suppliers produce a variety of small-package optical modules for optical devices of different speeds and distances of light.

The third direction of optical module development: low cost, low power consumption

The development of smaller and smaller communication devices, interface densities and interface boards contains more high demands for optoelectronic devices, low cost, and low power.

Optical devices generally use hybrid integration technology and hermetic packaging process, the next step will be the airtight package, which needs to rely on passive optical coupling (non-accounting of hand and foot direction adjustment) technology to further improve the degree of automated production and reduce costs. With the rapidly developing market demand, suppliers of optical modules and functional circuit ASICs are also gradually increasing, actively investing in suppliers of scale, serialization and making the performance more perfect, the cost of such integrated circuits is also getting lower and lower, thus shortening the development of optical modules. cycle and reduce costs.

Especially the preamplifier handles high speed, small signal and high gain using GaAs technology, developing technology to make this kind of silicon germanium chip product and get a good control of the speed of the processing cost, which can further reduce the power consumption. In addition, the uncooled laser also further reduces the manufacturing cost of the optical module. Optical modules in small packages are currently using low voltage 3.3v power supplies, ensuring that port additions do not increase system power consumption.

The fourth direction of optical module development: remote

Today's optical networks are running farther and farther, matching the requirements of long-range transceivers. Long-range transceiver signals can typically travel at least 100 kilometers without amplification, and its main purpose is optical amplifiers and expensive, cost-reducing optical communications. Based on consideration of transmission distance, many long-range transceivers choose the 1550nm (wavelength range of about 1530 to 1565 nautical miles) operating band, because the optical transmission loss is the smallest range, and optical amplifiers can be used in the band to work.

The fifth direction of optical module development: hot swap

Optical modules must support hot swap in the future, that is, without cutting off the power supply, optical modules can connect or disconnect devices, optical modules are hot-swappable, network managers can upgrade and expand the system without shutting down the network, affecting online users Won't. Hot swapping also simplifies maintenance and enables end users to better manage their optical modules.