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Optical chipset runs at 160Gbit/s
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27/03/2007
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A prototype optical chipset from IBM Research is capable of transmitting the equivalent of 4million simultaneous telephone conversations, or one conversation between every two New York City residents.
The chip can transmit data at 160Gbit/s. At this speed, a full length high definition DVD could be downloaded in just one second.
“The explosion in the amount of data being transferred, when downloading movies, TV shows, music or photos, is creating demand for greater bandwidth and higher speeds in connectivity,” said Dr TC Chen, vice president, Science & Technology, IBM Research. “Greater use of optical communications is needed to address this issue. We believe our optical transceiver technology may provide the answer.”
To achieve the level of integration in the chipset, IBM researchers built an optical transceiver with driver and receiver ics in current cmos technology. They then coupled it with other necessary optical components made in more exotic materials in a package measuring 3.25 by 5.25mm.
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Author
Graham Pitcher
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