Development of wireless optical communication modules: 5G networks, 25G / 100G optical modules are the trend
In the beginning of 2000, 2G and 2.5G networks were under construction, and the base station connection began to cut from copper cables to optical cables. At first, 1.25G SFP optical modules were used, and then 2.5G SFP modules were used.
3G network construction started in 2008-2009, and the demand for base station optical modules jumped to 6G.
In 2011, the world entered the construction of 4G networks, and the main 10G optical modules used in the prequel.
After 2017, it has gradually evolved to 5G networks and jumped to 25G / 100G optical modules. The 4.5G network (ZTE calls Pre5G) uses the same optical modules as 5G.
Comparison of 5G network architecture and 4G network architecture: In the 5G era, increase the transmission part, it is expected that the demand for optical modules will rise
The 4G network is from RRU to BBU to the core computer room. In the 5G network era, the BBU functions may be split and divided into DU and CU. The original RRU to BBU belongs to the fronthaul, and the BBU to the core computer room belongs to the backhaul. Out of the pass.
How the BBU is divided has a greater impact on the optical module. In the 3G era, domestic equipment vendors have some gaps with international ones. In the 4G era, they are on par with foreign countries, and the 5G era is beginning to lead. Recently, Verizon and AT & T announced that they will start commercial 5G in 19 years, one year earlier than China. Before that, the industry believed that the mainstream supplier would be Nokia Ericsson, and ultimately Verizon chose Samsung. The overall planning of 5G construction in China is stronger, and it is better to predict some. Today, it mainly focuses on the Chinese market.
5G front light transmission module: 100G cost is high, currently 25G is the mainstream
Both fronthaul 25G and 100G will coexist. The interface between the BBU and RRU in the 4G era is CPRI. In order to meet the high bandwidth requirements of 5G, 3GPP proposes a new interface standard eCPRI. If an eCPRI interface is used, the bandwidth requirements of the fronthaul interface will be compressed to 25G, thereby reducing optical Transmission costs.Of course, the use of 25G will also bring many problems. It is necessary to move some functions of the BBU to AAU for signal sampling and compression. As a result, AAU becomes heavier and larger. AAU is hung on the tower, which has higher maintenance costs and higher quality risks. Large, equipment manufacturers have been working to reduce AAU and reduce power consumption, so they are also considering 100G solutions to reduce the AAU burden. If 100G optical module prices can be effectively reduced, equipment manufacturers will still tend to 100G solutions.
5G Intermediate: Optical module options and quantity requirements vary greatly
Different operators have different networking methods. Under different networking, the selection and number of optical modules will vary greatly. Customers have put forward 50G requirements, and we will actively respond to customer needs.
5G Backhaul: Coherent Optical Module
The backhaul will use coherent optical modules with interface bandwidths exceeding 100G. It is estimated that 200G coherent accounts for 2/3 and 400G coherent accounts for 1/3. From front to middle pass to back pass, it converges step by step. The amount of optical modules used for the pass back is smaller than that of the pass pass, but the unit price is higher.
The future: may be the world of chips
The natural advantages of the chip will make it more and more important in the module. For example, MACOM recently launched the industry’s first integrated monolithic chip for short-range 100G optical transceivers, active optical cables (AOC) and on-board optical engines. Send and receive solutions. The new MALD-37845 seamlessly integrates four-channel transmit and receive clock data recovery (CDR) functions, four transimpedance amplifiers (TIA), and four vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VSCEL) drivers to provide customers with unparalleled Ease of use and extremely low cost.
The new MALD-37845 supports full data rates from 24.3 to 28.1 Gbps and is designed for CPRI, 100G Ethernet, 32G Fibre Channel, and 100G EDR unlimited bandwidth applications. It will provide customers with a low-power single-chip solution and is a compact optical Ideal for components. MALD-37845 supports interoperability with various VCSEL lasers and photodetectors, and its firmware is compatible with earlier MACOM solutions.
“Optical module and AOC providers are under tremendous pressure because they need to help customers achieve large-scale 100G connections,” said Marek Tlalka, senior marketing director of the high-performance analog products division at MACOM. “We believe that MALD-37845 can overcome the integration and cost challenges inherent in traditional multi-chip products and provide outstanding high-performance solutions for short-range 100G applications.”
MACOM’s MALD-37845 100G single-chip solution is now sampling to customers and is scheduled to begin production in the first half of 2019.