CDR-Based Design Kits Cut SFP+ System Costs

Promising lower development costs and faster times to market for next-generation SFP+ copper and optical modules, the company’s SFP+ copper cable assembly and SFP+ optical module reference design kits employ its 8.5 Gb/s and 10 Gb/s clock and data recovery (CDR) technology and allegedly deliver SFP+ solutions with the lowest output jitter on the market. The SFP+ copper cable assembly kit employs CDR technology in both the transmit and receive direction to lower power dissipation below the 1W SFP+ power requirement. According to the company, by using CDRs within the copper cable assembly to reset the jitter budget, the performance at the system level will be robust and consistent. Resetting the jitter budget within the cable assembly also enables longer cable lengths or the use of lower cost cable. A platform for next generation SFP+ modules, the SFP+ optical kit integrates CDR functionality into existing components within the module and does not increase the component count. By integrating CDR with a limiting amplifier in the receive path and a VCSEL driver in the transmit path, the end design is able to maintain a total module power of less than 1W. Both kits include the SFP+ module or assembly, Gerber files, schematics, and a design guide. GENNUM CORP., Ontario, Canada. (905) 632-2996.