Optical and electrical drivers

Introduction

Fibre Channel has different options for the driving of the Fibre and for the type of media used. These different FC-0 technology options have different speed and distance abilities.

The following different types of drivers exist:

For the optical drivers and receivers simple devices exists such as lasers and diodes, but also more complex devices that control the transmitted and received power and temperature are available. All those drivers accept the 8b10b coded serial bitstream and convert them to optical and do the reverse for the receiving side.

The electrical drivers and receivers are simple Emitter Coupled Logic, but for some of the media used equalizer circuits are necessary to correct for some of the signal distortion caused by the difference in amplitude loss and propagation delay time between frequency components of the transmitted signal. These equalizer circuits include inductors and capacitors. The data links may be transformer or capacitively coupled to provide common mode noise rejection and ground isolation.

Modules that are compatible with the GBIC specification should be used in products that need a driver that can be interchanged by the user. In this case the user can replace easily broken modules, but he can also change drivers from optical into electrical version, or with ones with different connectors. 


Devices

Optical drivers and receivers exist from the following manufacturers: Electrical drivers are made by

Optical Drivers


AMP

AMP sells data link modules for Fibre Channel with standard SC connector types. They come in industry standard footprints, built for process compatibility. The highest speed version is the 269063-1 is a 9-pin transceiver module with SC duplex connector that can run up to 266 Mbps.

Contact USA: AMP Product Information Center; Tel: 800-522-6752; Fax: +1 717 986 7575 or
Switzerland: AMP (Schweiz) AG; Tel: +41 71-47 07 07 Fax: +41 71-47 03 47 


BT& D (Hewlett Packard)

Light to Logic Receivers (tm)

RCV1201-1.2 DLR1040-ST-266

Logic to Light Transmitters (tm)

XMT1300-1.2 DLT1040-ST266 DLT1102-FC See also HP's Fiber Channel Components page

Contact: USA: BT& D Technologies, Tel: +1 215 444 6888, Fax: +1 215 444 6868
Europe: BT& D Technologies Ltd, UK, Tel: +44 473 742 250, Fax: +44 473 241 110
Switzerland: Elbatex group, Tel: +41 56 275 100, Fax: +41 56 275 110 


Finisar

FTR-8510 series

The 8510-2-1-1 can for example be used to convert the electrical signals from an FC-AL disk drive to an optical OLC or GLM output.

Contact: Finisar Corporation, Mountain View, CA; Tel: +1 415-691-4000; Fax: +1 415-691-4010; E-m: sales@finisar.com or tech_info@finisar.com - 23-Jul-1997 


Force Inc

Supporting data transmission at 531.25 Mb/s for Fibre Channel applications, the high-performance fibre channel link Model 2706, is hermetically sealed and meets most of the MIL STD-833 requirements. It features a surface mountable package, low height and power needs. Operating temperature is -40 to 85 degrees Celcius.

The modules (Rx and Tx) are about 1 cm square and feature 11 connection pins. The fibre is coming straight out of the boards. They do not contain the SC connector.

Contact: Forc Inc, USA, Tel: +1 703 382 0462; Fax: +1 703 381 0392; E-m: Force.Inc@bev.net 


Fujikura

FLS-1062 Optical Gigabit Transceiver

Features:

FLS-XXXX Optical Gigabit Transceiver

Features

FLM-1062

The FLM-1062 meets the GLM spec FCSI-301. It meets FCC Class B requirements for short wavelength operation at 1062 Gigabits per second.

Contact:
Pricing, Mike Morando, Tel: +1 408/988-7408, Fax: +1 408/727-3460, E-mail: morando@fujikura.com.
Technical support, Bob Dahlgren, Tel: +1 408/988-7407, Fax: +1 408/727-3460, E-mail: bob@fujikura.com - 23-Jul-1997 


Hewlett Packard

Physical Medium Dependent Modules GBICs, 1x9, GLM

Contact: HP Electronic Components 
HP (Schweiz) AG, Urdorf, Tel: 01-735 71 11, Fax: 01-735 77 07
Elbatex group Switzerland, Tel: 056 275 100, Fax: 056 275 110 - 5-Mar-1998

Methode Electronics

MDX-19-6-X-S Optical 1x9 Fibre Channel Transceiver (.pdf file datasheet)

Methode Electronics Fibre Channel Products

Contact: Tricia Kelly, Methode Electronics - 7-Jan-1998


Microcosm Communications Ltd.

MC2042 high speed LED and laser driver in CMOS

MC2004B 200 MHz PIN diode amplifier in BiCMOS

MC2045 limiting amplifier in BiCMOS

Providing a complete, low-cost, ECL data-to-light-to-data solution, the company offers a 300 Mbps chipset for fibre-based LANs, data and telecomms. This chipset compromises three ICs: Together the chipset performs thy physical layer interface for a wide range of industry standards, for example, 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet, 125 Mbps FDDI, 155 Mbps ATM/SONET, 200 Mbps Escon and 266 Mbps Fibre Channel.

Contact: Microcosm Communications ltd; Units 11/12, Dukes Court, Chicester, W Sussex PO19 2FX, UK
Tel: +44-1243-531530, Fax: +44-1243-531529 - 21-Apr-1997


Molex

Fibre Channel Transceiver (p/n 86990-9010) AC-coupled 1x9

Fibre Channel Transceiver (p/n 86990-9011) DC-coupled 1x9

Contact: Molex - 7-Jan-1998 

Optical Communication Products

The DTR series of fiber-optic transceivers compromise 1300 nm In-GaAsP, surface-emitting LEDs as well as InGaAs/InP PIN photodiodes with low-noise transimpedance amplifiers. The devices are available with data rates from 5 to 320 Mbits/sec. The modules conform to a multi-sourced, 9-pin footprint with the optics pre-aligned with the integrated duplex-SC receptable. Prices are from $70 ea/1000.

Contact: Optical Communication Products, Chatsworth, CA, Alain Iguchi, Tel: +1 818-701-0164, Fax: +1 818-701-1468. 


Siemens

Single Mode 1.0625GBd Fibre Channel Laser Transceiver 1by9

Contact: Siemens - 5-Mar-1988

Vitesse

The VSC7800 series of optoelectronic IC's is designed for optical data communications. The device incorporates a high gain, low noise GaAs transimpedance amplifier along with an integrated metal-semiconducter-metal optical detector that operates over wavelengths between 77 nm and 860 nm. This combination provides higher performance and a more compact solution to optical conversion than discrete silicon or GaAs alternatives. The amplifiers are well-suited to Fibre Channel Applications at 266 Mbps, 531 Mbps and 1063 Mbs. The device has no connector or pigtail attached to it.

Contact: Vitesse Semiconductor, Mr. Dieter Doring; France; Tel: +33 1 3975 6310; Fax: +33 1 3975 2062; Cell: +33 0749 3916 


Vixel

OE1063SW & E1063LW shortwave and longwave GBIC

Contact: Vixel Corporation - 7-Jan-1998


Electrical Drivers


Finisar

FCM-8510 coax, SMA connectors, 75 ohm, 28 pins

FTW-8510 twin-ax, DB-9 connector, 28 pins

Those modules are compatible with the 8510 fibre-optic modules from Finisar.

Contact: Finisar Corporation, Mountain View, CA; Tel: +1 415-691-4000; Fax: +1 415-691-4010; E-m: sales@finisar.com or tech_info@finisar.com - 23-Jul-1997


Maxim

The MAX3260/MAX3261/MAX3262, from Maxim Integrated Products is a complete fibre optic transceiver chipset for 1063 Mbps Fibre Channel applications. The chipset includes a preamplifier, post amplifier and laser driver.

The MAX3260 is a high-speed transimpedance amplifier. Its extended dynamic range makes it useful in optical receiver systems with as much as 25 dB of input signal range. It operates from a single +5V supply.

The MAX3261 is a 1.2 Gbps laser diode driver that has complementary enable inputs that allow it to interface with open-fibre-control architecture. It includes a TTL-compatible laser failure indicator and a programmable slow-start circuit to prevent laser damage.

With its high gain and wide bandwidth, the MAX3262 limiting amplifier with chatter-free loss-of-signal detection is ideal for use as a post amplifier in fiber free receivers with data rates up to 1 Gbps.

Contact: Maxim Integrated Products, Tel: +1 (408) 737-7600. 


Motorola

MC10SX1189

Application note AN1537/D provides SPICE information necessary to accurately model system interconnect situations for designs which utilize the MC10SX1189 Fibre Channel Coaxial Cable Driver and Loop Resiliency Circuit.

Contact: your local Motorola representative. 


Technitrol

Copperhead ® transceivers

The COPTR 133 to COPTR 1062 series deliver Fibre Channel speed to the workstation over IBM Type 1 Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) copper cable. Technitrol's transceivers are designed to be completely interoperable with existing ECL fiber transceiver drivers. The Fibre Channel transceivers incorporate the silicon and magnetics necessary to drive over 100 meters of Shielded Twisted Pair cable. Video and Mini- coax versions are also available. The Copperhead ® transceivers are packaged in a Surface mount Gull Wing DIP and FLAT packages.

The transceivers take a differential ECL level NRZ data signal from the available Fibre Channel silicon. This signal is converted to a drive level and pre-conditioned with an output filter and sent on the cable through an interfacing wideband pulse transformer. The transformer converts the signal to current and voltage levels suitable for transmission on STP cable with exceptionally low transmit jitter. The transceiver matches the impedance of both the ECL circuit and the cable plant, providing a resultant output signal with less jitter and return loss than any other device in the industry. The receiver portion of the transceiver takes the signal off the STP cable and equalizes the signal through a proprietary magnetic interfacing wideband pulse transformer and circuitry. This initiates the conversion process of reducing the compsite signal to an ECL level NRZ data signal for the mating Fibre Channel Silicon.

Contact: Technitrol, Inc, 1952 E. Allegheny Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19134-3194, Tel: +1 215 426 9105, Fax: +1 215 426 2836 


CERN - High Speed Interconnect - FCS
Erik van der Bij - 5 March 1998 - Disclaimer