Hitachi Cable is pleased to announce that it has begun distribution of a low-priced short-range (2 km) direct modulation 10 Gbit/s fiber-optic transceiver. This product helps keep down the cost of super high-speed fiber-optic transmission devices.

A fiber-optic transceiver is installed in a high-speed fiber-optic transmission device to convert electric signals to fiber-optic signals and vice versa. We expect that demand for this fiber-optic transceiver will increase as the construction of metro networks continues.

Use of transmission devices that transmit data at speeds of 155 Mbit/s or 622 Mbit/s is widespread in the public communications network field, but rapid expansion of the Internet has created demand for more and more information. This has driven the development of transmission devices that can transmit information at 2.5 Gbit/s and 10 Gbit/s speeds much faster than previous devices could handle. In addition, large-scale network nodes need more and more connections between routers, or between routers and WDM transmission devices. It is forecast that demand for short-range, high-speed fiber-optic transceivers will increase due to their potential as a solution to the growing need for connections. Fiber-optic transceivers must be developed quickly to meet this increasing demand.

Hitachi Cable has previously brought to market a strong line-up of fiber-optic transceivers with transmission speeds from 155 Mbit/s to 2.5 Gbit/s, as well as other types of transceivers in line with market specifications for transmission distance and optical interface. In June of last year, Hitachi Cable brought to market a medium-range (40 km) 10Gbit/s fiber-optic transceiver for use as an optical interface in high-end communications devices. This product has been popular with both domestic and international communications device makers.

Using knowledge gained from our considerable experiences with circuit technology, as well as from the manufacturing of our medium-range 10 Gbit/s fiber-optic transceivers, Hitachi Cable has successfully brought to market our short range (2 km) 10 Gbit/s fiber-optic transceiver.

Hitachi Cable's short-range (2 km) 10 Gbit/s fiber-optic transceiver possesses the following advantages:

1. Low cost

Low cost is important because nodes use a large number of short-range products. Hitachi Cable's product uses the inexpensive 1.3 µm Distributed Feedback Laser Diode (DFB-LD). At the same time, LD modulation is direct, meaning that no external modulation device is necessary. This means that temperature control, which is indispensable for external modulation, is also unnecessary, and cooling elements are not needed. Using this design, the price of short-range 10 Gbit/s fiber-optic transceiver can be cheaper than a medium-range 10 Gbit/s fiber-optic transceiver.

2. Same size as older products

Our product is 109.2mm long, 88.9mm wide, and 13.4mm high, the same size as a mid-range 10 Gbit/s fiber-optic transceiver. Therefore, it is easy to replace this older product with our newer one, and there is no need for our customers to change the internal design of their existing routers and other communications devices.

Hitachi Cable's expanding product line-up includes 10 Gbit/s fiber-optic transceivers for long-distance (80km) use, Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) use, and smaller next-generation product use. Hitachi Cable also boasts medium-range fiber-optic transceivers and the new short-range transceivers. These products will meet the needs of a wide variety of users.

Our sales target for this product's first fiscal year is 2 billion yen.

Manufacturing Site for This Product:

Takasago Works
880, Isagosawa-cho, Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture, 319-1418