Sierra Monolithics

Sierra Monolithics Introduces Low-Power 40G Mux and Demux in Compact Surface-Mount Packaging

Packaging Breakthrough Brings Robust DQPSK Modulation Format to Lower-Cost, Smaller-Form-Factor 40G Transponders in Backbone and Metro/Regional Networks

September 9, 2009

IRVINE, CA -- Sierra Monolithics Inc.

Sierra Monolithics (www.monolithics.com), a leading supplier of high-performance ICs and modules for high-speed analog and RF applications, today extended its family of 40G serializer/deserializer (SerDes) components with the introduction of the SMI4029 multiplexer with clock multiplier unit (CMU) and SMI4039 demultiplexer with clock and data recovery (CDR), the first 40G differential quadrature phase shift keying (DQPSK) solution to be packaged in low-cost, small-form-factor surface-mount technology (SMT).

Sierra Monolithics’ highly integrated Mux and Demux devices deliver data rates from 39.8Gbps to 44.6Gbps while also incorporating on-chip, user-enabled DQPSK precoding to make them extremely resilient to impairments encountered in older fiber and Optical Add-Drop Multiplexers in backbone and metro/regional networks. The devices are fabricated in IBM’s proven 8HP silicon germanium (SiGe) bipolar complementary metal oxide semiconductor (BiCMOS) process technology to sharply reduce power consumption, and they use compact surface-mount technology (SMT) to eliminate the cost and complexity of alternative large metal packages with microwave connectors. Their SMT ball-grid array (BGA) packaging will enable transponders to be developed at a significantly lower cost with smaller footprints.

“At half the power consumption of our previous-generation 40G DQPSK SerDes devices, the SMI4029 and SMI4039 solutions deliver breakthrough power efficiency, high performance and superior resiliency in a package that will enable rapid commercial deployment of significantly smaller, lower-cost 40G transponders,” said Craig Hornbuckle, vice president of systems engineering, Sierra Monolithics. “The inclusion of DQPSK modulation precoding circuitry is an important step for next-generation 40G optical transport systems in long-reach applications and networks with older fiber, and will help ensure that carriers can achieve the system performance and reliability they need to manage explosive growth in network bandwidth consumption over the existing fiber infrastructure.”

Product Availability

SMI’s 40G SMI4029 and SMI4039 devices are available in sample quantities now, and scheduled to enter volume production in the fourth quarter of 2009. They are packaged in a full surface mount BGA package.

About Sierra Monolithics

Sierra Monolithics Inc. is a leading supplier of proven analog and mixed-signal IC solutions for optical communications, wireless and microwave/millimeter wave applications. Founded in 1988, Sierra Monolithics has leveraged its mixed-signal UC design and expertise in high-frequency aerospace and defense communications to develop a variety of high-performance optical ICs, RFICs and MMICs. Currently, Sierra Monolithics designs and manufactures products for broadband wireless (WiMAX RFICs), optical communications (OC-768 SerDes) and microwave/millimeter markets. Sierra Monolithics is privately held with headquarters in Irvine, Calif. For more information, please visit www.monolithics.com.

CONTACT: Public Relations, Sierra Monolithics

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