Re: Low to Mid Range DWDM Platforms

[Mel Beckman <mel () beckman org>]

One of my clients is Calient Technologies:

https://www.calient.net/

Their S320 optical switch is entirely photonic — no electrical transceivers in any optical path at all — using 3D MEMS 
technology. It’s great for reliable multi-lambda provisioning, and sports built-in power monitoring and passive network 
diagnostics. It doesn’t do DMDM itself, but it is a great way to automate DWDM traffic engineering with real-time 
optical path provisioning.  It’s essentially a zero-latency 400 Mbps matrix switch.

 -mel

On Oct 6, 2023, at 6:44 AM, Mark Tinka <mark@tinka.africa> wrote:



On 10/6/23 15:07, Mike Hammett wrote:

I've been using various forms of passive WDM for years. I have a couple different projects on my plate that require me 
to look at the next level of platform.

In some projects, I'll be looking for needing to have someone long distances of glass without any electronics. Some 
spans could be over 60 miles.

In some projects, I'll need to transport multiple 100-gig waves.

What is the landscape like between basic passive and something like a 30 terabit Ciena? I know of multiple vendors in 
that space, but I like to learn more about what features I need and what features I don't need from somewhere other 
than the vendor's mouth. Obviously, the most reliability at the least cost as well.

400G-ZR pluggables will get you 400Gbps on a p2p dark fibre over 80km - 100km. So your main cost there will be routers 
that will support.

The smallest DCI solution from the leading DWDM vendors is likely to be your cheapest option. Alternatively, if you are 
willing to look at the open market, you can find gear based on older CMOS (40nm, for example), which will now be EoL 
for any large scale optical network, but cost next to nothing for a start-up with considerable capacity value.

There is a DWDM vendor that showed up on the scene back in 2008 or thereabouts. They were selling a very cheap, 1U box 
that had a different approach to DWDM from other vendors at the time. I, for the life of me, cannot remember their name 
- but I do know that Randy introduced them to me back then. Maybe he can remember :-). Not sure if they are still in 
business.

Mark.

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