WoW!.. ===> Spectra7 begins offering GC2801 product <=== 2020-10-19 08:55 ET - News Release
Mr. Dave Mier reports
SPECTRA7 ANNOUNCES ENTRY INTO 5G MOBILE INFRASTRUCTURE MARKET WITH ITS GAUGECHANGERA TECHNOLOGY
Spectra7 Microsystems Inc. has entered the 5G mobile infrastructure market. The company's new GC2801 product will support extended temperature range requirements for ruggedized outdoor 5G network deployments.
The 5G infrastructure market is estimated to be valued at $784-million (U.S.) in 2019 and is projected to reach $48-billion (U.S.) by 2027, at a compounded annual growth rate of 67.1 per cent. Major growth drivers include lower latency in 5G, growing adoption of virtual networking architecture in telecommunications, and growth in mobile data traffic (1).
Market opportunity expansion
Spectra7 believes interconnect opportunities in the 5G mobile infrastructure market represent a high growth and immediately addressable expansion of the addressable market for Spectra7 GaugeChanger products over the next several years. As recently announced in the company's Q2 2020 earnings release on Aug. 31, 2020, the company's first 5G mobile operator is already in qualification and is expected to ramp production in 2021.
Spectra7's opportunities encompass each end of the 5G mobile network, both at the edge and in the core.
5G network edge
At the mobile network edge, there is an urgent need for single channel high bandwidth connections between remote radio units and baseband units using an open standard protocol called enhanced common public radio interface (eCPRI). Here, a ruggedized version of the standard SFP connector is typically used. Using optics for longer length connections is a must, but for the many shorter lengths up to 12 metres, Spectra7's solution is much lower power and less expensive than specialized wide temperature range optical components.
5G network core
In the core, mobile operators are embracing a new core switching architecture called distributed, disaggregated chassis which eliminates traditional large monolithic modular switches and moves to a more flexible design using 1U and 2U pizza box switches. This architecture is being led by AT&T who released a 400-gigabit-per-second PAM4 switch reference design (2) in late 2019 to the Open Compute Project. In this architecture, cables replace the traditional backplane. Spectra7 enabled active copper cables (ACCs) are ideal here due to their much thinner gauge, low power and lower cost compared with optics.
GaugeChanger GC2801
The GC2801 is the latest addition to the GaugeChanger product line and supports a single channel of 56-gigabit-per-second PAM4 signalling over an extended temperature range of minus 40 to 85 C that is required for the extreme conditions of outdoor 5G deployments. Standard optical components will not support this temperature range, forcing interconnect suppliers to use much more expensive premium priced optical components. Spectra7's GC2801 provides a low-power, cost-effective solution for lengths up to 12 metres. The GC2801 enables ACC interconnects compliant with the eCPRI standard that is widely used by mobile carriers.
"We are thrilled to extend our unique technology to an entirely new market," said Spectra7 chief executive officer Raouf Halim. "We have several customers ready to start building qualification samples with these new GC2801 parts."
GaugeChanger is an innovative and disruptive technology that allows copper to extend much longer lengths without the cost and power penalty of optics. It works equally well at 25 Gbps NRZ and 50 Gbps PAM-4 enabling new connector standards of 100, 200 and 400 Gbps.
About Spectra7 Microsystems Inc.
Spectra7 Microsystems is a high performance analog semiconductor company delivering unprecedented bandwidth, speed and resolution to enable disruptive industrial design for leading electronics manufacturers in virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, data centres and other connectivity markets. Spectra7 is based in San Jose, Calif., with a design centre in Cork, Ireland, and technical support location in Dongguan, China.