New Gigabit Ethernet Mapper for Optical Transport Applications

Exar has launched a new Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) Mapper for wavelength division multiplexing applications. The combination of the DeviceManager software and the GEM250 SoC accelerates the development and set up of dual GbE transport devices for C/DWDM (Coarse/Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) networks.

The GEM250, with direct link to the SDH/SONET SerDes and the GbE PHYs, integrates  the entire functions needed to multiplex dual GbE streams into a 2.5 Gbps signal. The Ethernet frames can be enclosed with GLP or HDLC, while the GbE MACs offer Ethernet statistics.

The DeviceManager software provides an API set for customer use and handles all the details of internal hardware provisioning and management. The hardware also includes Trail/Path monitoring and SDH/SONET Regenerator/Multiplex functions. The software package reduces the project development cycle as well as the software development platform to speed up the time to market.

Exar’s General Manager and VP, Rich Deboer, stated that the GEM250 allows effective multiplexing of Gigabit Ethernet links into a STM-16/OC-48 for transport over WDM networks or point-to-point links.