OTTAWA, ON - Billed as the first fully integrated cable product for connecting enterprise data centers and high-performance computer clusters, Zarlink Semiconductor’s (www.zarlink.com) ZLynx fiber-optic cables with integrated electrical-optical-electrical (EOE) assemblies are designed to drive interconnect reach in the data center 10× further than copper while eliminating weight, interference and flexibility concerns as the data center expands.
ZLynx is capable of 20-Gbits/sec transmission in both directions, and 5-Gbits/sec duplex 4-channel data transmission, for distances up to 100 meters. The optical cable uses 3.3 volts supplied directly from the electrical port connector, with typical power consumption at 1 watt per connector.
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The cables/assemblies target InfiniBand DDR at 4 × 5 Gbits/sec per channel and 10-Gbit Ethernet XAUI at 4 × 3.125 Gbits/sec applications.
“InfiniBand technology is now mainstream for networking high-performance computing clusters and storage,” notes Lloyd Dickman, chief technology officer for InfiniBand products/QLogic Computer Systems Group. “New technologies are needed to support both the increasing bandwidth requirements and the longer link distances needed for scaling clusters, and ZLynx optical cables support 20-Gbits/sec InfiniBand bandwidth at distances up to 100 meters.”
Currently sampling, general availability of ZLynx cables and assemblies is expected this quarter.
