Here are some of my collection of newest trends and predictions for year 2018. I have not invented those ideas what will happen next year completely myself. I have gone through many articles that have given predictions for year 2018. Then I have picked and mixed here the best part from those articles (sources listed on the end of posting) with some of my own additions to make this posting.This article contains very many quotations from those source articles.
Big Data, mobility and the Internet of Things (IoT) are generating an enormous amount of data, and data center operators must find ways to support higher and higher speeds. Recent data center trends predict bandwidth requirements will continue growing 25 percent to 35 percent per year. Many older data centers were designed to support 1-gigabit or 10-gigabit pathways between servers, routers and switches. Today’s Ethernet roadmap extends from 25- and 40-gigabit up through 100-gigabit, and 400-gigabit and even 1-terabit Ethernet loom within a few years. The biggest sales are forecasted for 25G and 100G ports for next few years. Ethernet switch market has now 100 Gbit/s products in the volumes at the moment, and both 200G and 400G Ethernet versions will be taken to use in 2018.
Broadcom dominates the Ethernet switch chip market today with a 73 to 94 percent share, depending on how market watchers slice the sector valued at nearly a billion dollars. Its closest rival, Cisco Systems, takes most of the rest with systems using its own ASICs. Juniper, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Huawei also make Ethernet switch ASICs for their systems. With seven merchant chips in the pipeline and four in-house ASICs in the works, we will see a record number of unique platforms ship in 2018. Wheeler of the Linley Group expects the competition will drive Ethernet switch costs from about $60/port today to about $36/port by 2020.
Data center giants “are driving their own code and programmable capabilities as close to the server as possible.” The dozen largest data center operators — including the likes of Facebook and Google — build their own switch systems or specify systems built by ODMs. They can drive sales of millions of chips a year but demand maximum bandwidth at minimum cost and power consumption. The Tomahawk-3 is geared for the next-generation of their top-of-rack and aggregation switches, delivering up to 128 100GE or 32 400GE ports, the first merchant chip to support 400GE rates.
China will start making more optical components: Several Western component and subsystems vendors have cited reduced demand from Chinese systems houses such as Huawei and ZTE for revenue declines in 2017. One reason for the slowdown is the fact that these systems houses have begun looking for more local optical technology sources. In addition to doing more development work in-house (particularly in the case of Huawei), the two Chinese systems vendors have begun to work more closely with Chinese companies such as Accelink, Hisense, and HiSilicon as well as Japanese vendors. This can mean that Western firms (particularly in the U.S.) may not see their Chinese orders return to previous levels.
Higher power power over Ethernet: 802.3bt – IEEE Draft Standard for Ethernet Amendment: Physical Layer and Management Parameters for DTE Power via MDI over 4-Pair amendment to IEEE Std 802.3-2015 increases the maximum PD power available by utilizing all four pairs in the specified structured wiring plant. This represents a substantial increase to the capabilities of Ethernet with standardized power – allow delivery of up to 90 watts of power via existing Ethernet cabling. The Ethernet Alliance has announced details of its next plugfest: Dedicated to pre-standard testing of Power over Ethernet (PoE) technologies against Draft 3.2 of the IEEE P802.3bt standard, the event will be held in February 2018. The specification’s ratification is expected in September of 2018.
802.11ax hasn’t been signed off yet, but promises to send WiFi towards 10 Gb/s thanks to its use of both multi-user multiple-input and multiple-output (MU-MIMO) and the new Orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA). 802.11ax is good at combining lots of different links so that users get more connections, more often, and end up with more bandwidth. Marvell claims it’ll have the first chipsets for new 10G WiFi ready for products in H2 2018. Marvell said the chipsets will ship some time in early 2018 and will appear in products in the second half of the year. Widespread 802.11ax adoption in devices probably won’t happen until 2019.
5G something in it for everyone. 5G is big. 5G New Radio (NR) wireless technology will ultimately impact everyone in the electronics and telecommunications industries. Most estimates say 2020 is when we will ultimately see some real 5G deployments on a scale. In the meantime, companies are firming up their plans for whatever 5G products and services they will offer. Though test and measurement solutions will be key in the commercialization cycle. 5G is set to disrupt test processes. If 5G takes off, the technology will propel the development of new chips in both the infrastructure and the handset. Data centers require specialty semiconductors from power management to high-speed optical fiber front-ends. 5G systems will drive more complexity in RF front-ends .
Networks will become more and more virtual, especially on 5G. 5G networks will build on LTE network architecture with the introduction of cloud RANs (C-RANs) and virtualized RANs. Network function virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN) tools and architectures could enable operators to reduce network costs and simplify deployment. For more details read System architecture milestone of 5G Phase 1 is achieved article.
Automotive Ethernet: Automotive Ethernet will replace the Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) bus found on many vehicles today and also compete with systems like Maxim’s Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link (GMSL). The standards include IEEE 802.3bw 100BASE-T1 and IEEE P802.3bp 1000BASE-T1 that adopt the 100-Mb/s and 1-Gb/s Ethernet protocols to run over over a single twisted pair up to 15 meters. Chips, PHYs and switches are now readily available for automotive Ethernet. Automotive switches will support time-sensitive networking (TSN) features like audio video bridging (AVB) ingress policy, rate limiting andalso features 802.1Qav/Qbv queue-shaping support. We will need a Security Blanket for Automotive Ethernet.
Car-to-car communication: The industry and government have defined several versions of vehicular communications. These are vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and vehicle-to-everything (V2X). V2V is the direct communications between vehicles within range of one another. V2V link-up is automatic and cars exchange status information messages Basic Safety Message (BSM) 10 times per second (contains data such as GPS location, speed, direction, brake status, and related conditions). There are competing technologies to make this all work. IEEE802.11p ahead of LTE-V2V for safety critical applications. 5G will offer increased capacity and decreased latency for some critical applications such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) or vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and self-driving vehicles. The big question is whether 5G will disrupt the landscape or fall short of its promises.
TSN (time sensitive networking) will be talked on many application. Success in the IIoT requires that information- and operational-technology networks work in tandem—time-sensitive networking can make it happen. A converged industrial network will address several challenges that currently exist in today’s disparate network architecture, and it is believed that needed convergence is provided by time-sensitive networking (TSN). TSN is a set of IEEE 802 sub-standards that, when implemented, enable deterministic communication over Ethernet networks while keeping the benefits of communication in best effort manner, on that same network. TSN introduces different traffic classes that share the same link. Proper implementation of TSN requires a solution that can provide a low latency and deterministic response at TSN end points and TSN bridges – it is usually implemented with combining a processor and a FPGA or using advanced Ethernet switch chip.
Gartner analyst says on-premises data centers will soon be ‘useless’: Govekar said that as soon as 2019, at least a third of the largest software vendors will have transitioned their products from cloud-first to cloud-only. For this reason Gartner analyst predicts doom for on-premises data centers. If this happens , there will be a lot of work for network operators and cloud service companies to be able to build the infrastructure that can handle all this without problems. I expect that not all on-premises data centers are doomed. There are applications where moving everything to central could does not make sense – for example many IoT applications are moving some of the processing from cloud to edge devices for various reasons (lower latency, reduce needed bandwidth, work also when communications does not work etc..). There is also place for some on-premises data centers on some application (may them be depending on need anything from embedded server to room full of equipment racks). When designing for the IoT, security needs to be addressed from the Cloud down to each and every edge device. Protecting data is both a hardware and a software requirement, as more data is being stored and analyzed in edge devices and gateways.
Network neutrality talks will continue in 2018. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on December 14, 2017 overturned the Title II-based Open Internet Order the previous Democratic-controlled FCC regime put in place in 2015. So what happens next? In the immediate term, nothing. The Restoring Internet Freedom Order won’t go into effect until sometime in the first half of 2018.
IPv6 usage seems to be finally accelerating in 2018. IPv6 has been a “future” since 1998, and an important future since 2007. IPv6 deployments have been increasing and chances are you have already used IPv6 – but haven’t realized it yet. IPv6 deployment is increasing around the world, with over 9 million domain names and 23% of all networks advertising IPv6 connectivity. Network admins will have many concerns about migrating to IPv6 in 2018. China plans to put the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6)-based network into large-scale use, to boost the development of the Internet industry. China aims to have 200 million active users of IPv6 by the end of 2018. IPv6 use is increasing, but that does not mean that IPv4 is no way dying. It seems that both of those technologies will co-exist in Internet for a long time.
Sources:
Chinese systems houses engaging with alternative component, subsystem sources: LightCounting
System architecture milestone of 5G Phase 1 is achieved
Five technology trends for 2018
NI Trend Watch 2018 explores trends driving the future faster
ADAS Needs V2X to Meet ITS Goals
Taking Automotive Ethernet for a Test Drive
A Security Blanket for Automotive Ethernet
TSN: Converging Networks for a Better Industrial IoT
Gartner analyst says on-premises data centers will soon be ‘useless’
Gartner analyst predicts doom for on-premises data centers
M2M within the IoT – Pushing Security from the Cloud Down to Every Last Endpoint
Net Neutrality Overturned: Now What?
B’com Shifts Switch to 12.8 Tbits/s
Planning starts now for high-speed data center migration
China to speed up IPv6-based Internet development
Top 5 Concerns of Network Admins About Migrating to IPv6 in 2018
1,081 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Differences between industrial Ethernet switches and business IT switches
http://www.controleng.com/single-article/differences-between-industrial-ethernet-switches-and-business-it-switches/bfb2b2b0aa8d4f12188acc3f782a36d5.html
Industrial network switches are designed for harsh conditions and environments and last for a long time while business information technology (IT) switches are designed for data center applications and have a shorter overall lifespan.
Dirt. Dust. Vibration. Shocks. Electrical noise. Blistering heat. Freezing cold. The quick answer to the question of why industrial Ethernet switches differ from business information technology (IT) switches is the industrial Ethernet switch is built to withstand all these challenges. The business IT switch, cosseted by air conditioning in data centers or nestling in a quiet corner of an office where dust is a dirty word, doesn’t have to.
Take dirt and dust. Business IT switches with fans for cooling will suck in air and, with it, dirt or dust particles. To compound the problem, fans have moving parts and lower mean time between failure (MTBF). Industrial network switches do not have fans. They rely on rugged design to resist heat better, and any buildup of dirt or dust.
The components used to build authentic industrial network switches are designed and tested for operation in broad operating temperature ranges, for example from -40 to +75°C (-40 to +167°F). Commercial switches are built for operation within much narrower temperature ranges. Outside these limits, their integrated circuits may fail when temperatures are high, or their network connections may lose their contact because of the cold.
Management and security considerations
Often, industrial network switches have been installed, configured, and left to get on with it. The priorities were network speed and reliability. In older installations, network management functionality in the switch was not included, because it interfered with the high communications performance (high speed, low latency) needed. Security is also largely absent because in yesterday’s isolated industrial networks, nobody could get in from the outside to hack them. Business IT switches are typically equipped for both management and cybersecurity.
With industrial networks are being connected to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), they will need suitable management and security. Older industrial switches will gradually be replaced by new ones, although for all the reasons above, business IT switches will not be used. Management and security will need to be done differently, for example, via an industrial network with the intelligence and performance to help meet these requirements.
Software-defined networking
One robust, affordable solution that does have negative impacts on network performance is software-defined networking (SDN). By introducing SDN-compatible switches in the network, for instance, as part of the replacement program for older units, a software-defined network can make it easy to configure, control, and monitor Ethernet switches. This includes managing security policies in the switches on the types of traffic to let through or to block.
Industrial network switches will continue to differentiate themselves from business IT switches, but at the same time be on par with them in terms of external networking, network management, and cybersecurity.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Donald Trump Is the Toast of Sweden and Finland
Nokia and Ericsson will be relieved at the blocking of Broadcom/Qualcomm.
https://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2018-03-13/donald-trump-is-the-toast-of-scandinavia-s-boardrooms
Donald Trump was the toast of Nordic boardrooms on Tuesday morning, after he blocked Broadcom Ltd.’s proposed acquisition of Qualcomm Inc.
Telecoms equipment giants Nokia Oyj and Ericsson AB depend on Qualcomm for crucial chipsets used in their networks. The Finnish and Swedish companies each spend about 1 percent of their revenue on kit from the San Diego-based maker of semiconductors, according to Bloomberg supply chain estimates.
That matters to Nokia and Ericsson because the more advanced Qualcomm’s technology, the better their own equipment will be.
Crucially, the two companies aren’t just competing against each other. The big threat is Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. The Chinese telecoms giant designs its own chips, through its HiSilicon subsidiary, so far largely for cellphones themselves. It buys other gear from Broadcom. Should Qualcomm’s designs fall behind, that would threaten the Nordic manufacturers’ ability to keep pace with Huawei and, increasingly, Samsung. The South Korean company also makes its own chips and is expanding its equipment business.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Molex Optical Solutions Group and Elenion team up to manufacture silicon photonics
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/03/molex-optical-solutions-group-and-elenion-team-up-to-manufacture-silicon-photonics.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2018-03-13&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2032890
Molex Ventures has announced that its Optical Solutions Group (OSG) and Elenion Technologies, LLC (Elenion) will partner to develop, manufacture, and market silicon photonics technology. The strategic investment and collaboration between the Molex OSG and the semiconductor company will use CMOS and high-volume manufacturing processes to develop enhanced interconnect technologies that scale to 400 Gbps and up, Molex Ventures says.
In March of last year, Elenion’s sister company Coriant offered a 200-Gbps short-reach CFP2-ACO pluggable optical transceiver for the Coriant Groove G30 Network Disaggregation Platform (NDP) that uses Elenion’s silicon photonics technology (see “Coriant offers 200-Gbps short-reach CFP2-ACO for Groove G30 platform”).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fujitsu enables 1.2-Tbps coherent transmission with DCO daughter card
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/03/fujitsu-enables-1-2-tbps-coherent-transmission-with-first-dco-daughter-card.html?123&cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2018-03-13&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2032890
Fujitsu Optical Components Ltd. (FOC) said it has developed what it attests is the world’s first digital coherent optics (DCO) daughter card enabling up to 1.2-Tbps coherent transmission for various applications to support baud rates and modulation formats from 32-GBaud QPSK to 64-GBaud 64 QAM in fine resolution.
The card can support applications including metro, 80 to 120km ZR transmission, long-haul, data center interconnect (DCI), and submarine to address capacity needs and system upgrades of data center operators and global network service providers. FOC says it plans to release the 1.2-Tbps daughter card for general availability later this year.
The 1.2-Tbps DCO Daughter card uses in-house L-band LN modulator to support L-band transmission, in addition to the C-band, to enable large capacity coherent transmission in the C + L bands, says FOC.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Broadband: Cable still adding, telcos still shedding
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/03/broadband-cable-still-adding-telcos-still-shedding.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_2018-03-15&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
Continuing a years-long trend, in 2017 cable added about 2.7 million broadband subscribers while telcos lost about 625,000. Cable companies accounted for 130% of the net broadband adds for the year.
According to the Leichtman Research Group, the 14 largest cable and telephone providers in the United States – representing about 95% of the market – acquired about 2.1 million net additional high-speed Internet subscribers in 2017. Annual net broadband additions in 2017 were 78% of the 2.7 million net adds in 2016.
The top broadband providers now account for nearly 95.1 million subscribers, with top cable companies having about 61.2 million broadband subscribers and top telephone companies having 33.9 million subscribers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mixing 4G And 5G
Why a hybrid solution is required, and what that means for future chips.
https://semiengineering.com/mixing-4g-and-5g/
5G networks will impact the number and types of ICs in end-user devices and the base stations used to transmit the signals (including the repeaters that rebroadcast those signals). And this is before we begin to consider the technology impact to the infrastructure required to support the data generated in a 5G ecosystem (servers, memory and so on).
First, 5G is expected to transmit up to 10 times the data rate compared to today’s 4G technology. Additionally, 5G will have a greater number of multiple input (MI) streams/channels as well as multiple output (MO) streams compared to what is achievable today. However, because it is a higher frequency signal, it will only be able to transmit to a distance of about 150-200m and it will face absorption issues. 5G is short range and not suitable as a complete 4G replacement. The final solution will be some combination of 4G and 5G.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lightwave Announces Winners of 2018 Innovation Reviews
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/03/lightwave-announces-winners-of-2018-innovation-reviews.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-03-15&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2035875
Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy revealed the highest scoring entries in 10 product categories as 2018 Innovation Reviews Winners during a reception held on the second day of OFC 2018 in San Diego, CA. The event marked the first time in the program’s five-year history that Lightwave named the top scoring entry in each category a 2018 Lightwave Innovation Reviews Winner!
Tomi Engdahl says:
EXFO unveils new test system for passive components
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/03/exfo-unveils-new-test-system-for-passive-components.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-03-15&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2035875
EXFO Inc. (NASDAQ: EXFO) (TSX: EXF) has released what it asserts is the fastest component test system for insertion loss (IL) and return loss (RL) measurement for an array of passive components, such as photonics integrated circuits. The CTP10 component test platform combines technology obtained from EXFO’s acquisition of test and measurement instrument developer Yenista Optics in September of 2017 (see “EXFO eyes Yenista Optics acquisition”). The new CTP10 platform can be used by research scientists to characterize components, or in automated mode for high volume production, says EXFO.
The growing demand for photonics integrated circuits (PICs) comprised of hundreds of passive components, and for lowering network equipment costs have contributed to passive component manufacturers’ need to decrease their testing time, while maintaining accuracy and reliability. According to EXFO, the CTP10 component test platform has a capability to measure IL and RL in a single sweep up to 1000 Nmps to address these challenges.
“When EXFO acquired Yenista, the objective was to leverage their expertise to bring some of the most innovative testing solutions for the optical telecom industry,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
MACOM and ColorChip use PRISM PAM4 PHY to launch full bi-directional 100G Serial QSFP28 module
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/03/macom-and-colorchip-use-prism-pam4-phy-to-launch-full-bi-directional-100g-serial-qsfp28-module.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-03-15&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2035875
MACOM Technology Solutions Inc. (MACOM) said it has partnered with optical transceiver developer ColorChip to launch a full bi-directional 100G Serial QSFP28 module using the patented MACOM PRISM PAM4 PHY.
A highly integrated PAM4 PHY, the MACOM PRISM converts 100 Gigabit Ethernet traffic from four lanes running at 25 Gbps to a single lane running at 100 Gbps, says MACOM. With only one set of optical components required in a 100GE module, customers will be able to obtain the required cost points for next generation 100G links.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cumulus Networks announces availability of Cumulus Linux for early access on Voyager
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/03/cumulus-networks-announces-availability-of-cumulus-linux-for-early-access-on-voyager.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-03-15&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2035875
The availability of Cumulus Linux on Voyager follows the ADVA Optical Networking and fellow Telecom Infra Project (TIP) member InterNexa S.A. announcement in November 2017 that a successful trial of TIP’s Voyager open whitebox packet DWDM transponder platform was complete
Integrating DWDM technology with switching and routing functionality, Voyager is the industry’s first open packet-optical transport system, Cumulus Networks attests. Cumulus Linux meets operator demand for scalable, affordable backhaul infrastructure to support growing internet usage worldwide and bandwidth-intensive applications, including scientific research, machine learning, video, and virtual reality.
Cumulus says it offers interfaces for programmability and automation, along with delivering a L2/L3 stack, and an open Linux model that provides operators with deep, fabric-wide visibility. With the combination of IP and optical, Cumulus Linux’s routing protocol stack, VXLAN, and EVPN enable customers to build low-cost, high-performance long haul systems. The collaboration creates a market for Cumulus beyond the data center to data center interconnect
Tomi Engdahl says:
Menara Networks announces availability of new OTN tunable SFP+ for commercial and industrial temperature applications
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/03/menara-networks-announces-availability-of-new-otn-tunable-sfp-for-commercial-and-industrial-temperature-applications.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-03-15&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2035875
Menara Networks said its OTN tunable SFP+ transceiver is generally available for commercial and industrial temperature applications. The “system-in-module” features integrated forward error correction (FEC) and improved monitoring capabilities.
According to Menara, its OTN SFP+ is based on the company’s proprietary high speed integrated circuit, and delivers enhanced optical performance, FEC, and full G.709 OTN functionalities similar to functionalities in chassis-based DWDM transponders, in a pluggable small form factor.
Compatible with all key routers and Ethernet/MPLS switches, the OTN tunable SFP+ processes 10G Ethernet, 10G FC, and 9.96 Gbps SONET/SDH transparently, and is the only module in the industry capable of 120 km reach without optical amplification or dispersion compensation at 11.1 Gbps, Menara asserts. With “near-end” and “far-end” in-service monitoring, Menara’s transceiver is well-suited for zero foot-print 10G NID applications, the company says. The Telcordia qualified module is tunable over the entire C-Band on the 50-GHz grid.
Tomi Engdahl says:
So What Is 4.9G Anyway?
https://www.lightreading.com/mobile/lte-a-pro/so-what-is-49g-anyway/a/d-id/730286
Nokia is saying that it will start to offer “4.9G” technology by the end of the year, which could deliver download speeds of up to 3 Gbit/s over the air.
So what is 4.9G anyway? Well, it’s basically another incremental upgrade to 4G LTE, this time super-charged with large antenna arrays. (See Eurobites: Nokia Promises ’4.9G’ in 2017.)
Nokia’s Twist says pushing 4G to get “something close to 5G” speeds is important, because “the early implementations of 5G will be in islands.” At the moment, three carriers in the US — AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), T-Mobile US Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) — have access to 28GHz licenses that could be used for 5G. None have the licenses for nationwide coverage yet.
LTE-A Pro and 4.9G networks are expected to be workhorse data networks long after 5G arrives
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia reaches ultimate capacity of optical networks
https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/5g-waves/4460407/Nokia-reaches-ultimate-capacity-of-optical-networks
Nokia announced a new chipset it says will make it possible to boost the spectrum efficiency of optical networks to close to theoretical limits. The increases in capacity that will result in some instances could be as much as 65 percent.
Nokia said its Photonic Service Engine 3 (PSE-3) coherent DSP is the first chipset to implement a technique called probabilistic constellation shaping (PCS), which improves the spectrum efficiency of nearly any optical network to close to the Shannon limit, while also reducing energy consumption. The figure for energy reductions is nearly as impressive as the capacity gain from the spectrum efficiency boost; it can be as high as 60 percent, Nokia claims.
Tomi Engdahl says:
California Bill Seeks to Adopt Strict Net Neutrality Despite FCC Ruling
https://www.securityweek.com/california-bill-seeks-adopt-strict-net-neutrality-despite-fcc-ruling
As Americans wait to see whether net neutrality can gain enough support among lawmakers to invoke disapproval via the Congressional Review Act, individual states are not waiting — several are working on state laws to maintain net neutrality within their own borders.
In December 2017, under the chairmanship of Ajit Pau, the FCC voted 3-2 to remove net neutrality protections by rolling back its earlier Obama-era classification of ISPs as telecommunications service providers (and therefor under FCC purview) to the common carriers as they had been previously classified. This has now happened. It simply means that existing FCC rules can no longer be applied to ISPs because they are not telecommunications services. This ruling won’t come into effect until April 23; that is, 60 days after publication of the ruling in the Federal Register.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jon Brodkin / Ars Technica:
The NCTA, CTIA, and USTelecom, trade groups that represent nearly the entire broadband industry, file motions to help the FCC to defend repeal of net neutrality
Entire broadband industry will help FCC defend net neutrality repeal
NCTA, CTIA, and USTelecom sign up to defend net neutrality repeal in court.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/03/entire-broadband-industry-will-help-fcc-defend-net-neutrality-repeal/
The biggest lobby groups representing broadband providers will help the Federal Communications Commission defend the repeal of net neutrality rules in court.
Yesterday, three trade groups that collectively represent every major home Internet and mobile broadband provider in the US filed motions to intervene in the case on behalf of the FCC. The motions for leave to intervene were filed by NCTA–The Internet & Television Association, CTIA–The Wireless Association, and USTelecom–The Broadband Association. (Yes, those are the organizations’ correct names.)
NCTA represents cable companies such as Comcast, Charter, Cox, and Altice. CTIA represents the biggest mobile carriers, such as AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, and Sprint. USTelecom represents wireline telcos with copper and fiber networks, such as AT&T and Verizon. All three groups also represent a range of smaller ISPs.
12 lawsuits against FCC combined into one
Twelve lawsuits against the FCC seeking to overturn the net neutrality repeal have been consolidated into one case at the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia touts ultimate in spectral efficiency via PSE-3 chipset and probabilistic constellation shaping
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/03/nokia-touts-ultimate-in-spectral-efficiency-via-pse-3-chipset-and-probabilistic-constellation-shaping.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_friday_5_2018-03-16&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2038165
Nokia has unveiled what a company source described as possibly “the final piece of the puzzle when we talk about coherent transmission.” The company says the Photonic Service Engine 3 (PSE-3) coherent chipset provides the ultimate in spectral efficiency thanks to its use of a digital signal processing (DSP) technology called probabilistic constellation shaping. The technique, paired in the PSE-3 with 64-QAM modulation, can increase fiber capacity by as much as 65% over current deployments, Nokia asserts.
Infinera fifth Infinite Capacity Engine ICE5 supports 2.4 Tbps
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/03/infinera-fifth-infinite-capacity-engine-ice5-supports-2-4-tbps.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_friday_5_2018-03-16&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2038165
Infinera (NASDAQ:INFN) has taken the wraps off the newest version of its Infinite Capacity Engine DSP and photonic integrated circuit (PIC) combo. The ICE5 will support a total of 2.4 Tbps via 600-Gbps wavelengths or superchannels.
The company also unveiled new L-Band capabilities for the ICE4 and offered a quick look at the upcoming ICE6.
The new ICE5, at the top end, will support 66-Gbaud transmission via 64-QAM over four tunable wavelengths, which Jay Gill, principal manager at Infinera, said the company will demonstrate at OFC 2018 in San Diego this week.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MACOM and ColorChip use PRISM PAM4 PHY to launch full bi-directional 100G Serial QSFP28 module
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/03/macom-and-colorchip-use-prism-pam4-phy-to-launch-full-bi-directional-100g-serial-qsfp28-module.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_friday_5_2018-03-16&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2038165
MACOM Technology Solutions Inc. (MACOM) said it has partnered with optical transceiver developer ColorChip to launch a full bi-directional 100G Serial QSFP28 module using the patented MACOM PRISM PAM4 PHY.
A highly integrated PAM4 PHY, the MACOM PRISM converts 100 Gigabit Ethernet traffic from four lanes running at 25 Gbps to a single lane running at 100 Gbps, says MACOM. With only one set of optical components required in a 100GE module, customers will be able to obtain the required cost points for next generation 100G links.
MACOM expects its PRISM device to lessen demands on module designers, and enable seamless integration with current100G switch ports by combining features such as IEEE 100GBASE-DR compliant forward error correction (FEC) and a linear modulator driver.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Consortium for On-Board Optics (COBO)AnnouncesSpecification for EmbeddedOptical Modules
http://onboardoptics.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/OFCThirdAnniversaryPR_COBOvFINAL.pdf
San Diego
, CA
-
OFC
-
March
1
3
, 201
8
—
T
he
Consortium for On
-
Board Optics
(COBO)
today
published
release
1.0
of
its
on
-
board optic
al
module
specification
capable of supporting up to 800Gbps
.
The specification gives switch and networking
systems manufacturers the industry’s first standardized option for on
-
board optical
modules targeting high
-
p
erformance data center networks
.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IEEE Publishes Standard Specifying 200 Gb/s and 400 Gb/s Ethernet
http://www.tarluz.com/industry-news/ieee-publishes-standard-specifying-200-gb-s-and-400-gb-s-ethernet/
IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for humanity, and the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA), today announced the availability of IEEE 802.3bs-2017-Standard Amendment for Media Access Control (MAC) Parameters, Physical Layers and Management Parameters for 200 Gb/s and 400 Gb/s Operation. The new standard amendment addresses the growing diverse bandwidth requirements and cost considerations from network providers needed to meet the burgeoning high-bandwidth requirements driving a range of different application areas, such as cloud-scale data centers, internet exchanges, co-location services, and broadband wireless infrastructure.
“When you consider the notable move to 25-50 Gb/s Ethernet for servers and 100 Gb/s Ethernet for networks, it has become clear through proactive engagement with industry that 200 Gb/s and 400 Gb/s Ethernet is needed to meet growing capacity demand for high-bandwidth services today and for the future,” said John D’Ambrosia, chair, IEEE 802.3bs and senior principal engineer, Futurewei, a subsidiary of Huawei. “The publication of IEEE 802.3bs represents a nearly 5-year endeavour to ensure Ethernet’s continuing support of the accelerating curve for higher bandwidth that can support ongoing robust industry growth and expansion.”
IEEE Publishes Standard Specifying 200 Gb/s and 400 Gb/s Ethernet
http://standards.ieee.org/news/2018/ieee_standard_200gb_400gbs_ethernet.html
IEEE 802.3bs&trade-2017 supports aggregation & high-bandwidth interconnectivity needed to meet rapidly increasing bandwidth demands
Tomi Engdahl says:
IEEE 802.3bs 200-Gbit/sec and 400-Gbit/sec Ethernet standard approved
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2018/01/ieee-8023bs-200g-400g-ethernet-leviton-blog.html
the different iterations of 200/400-Gb Ethernet, namely: 200GBase-DR4, 200GBase-FR4, 200GBase-LR4, 400GBase-DR4, 400GBase-FR8, 400GBase-LR8, and 400GBase-SR16
New IEEE Standard Brings 200 Gb/s and 400 Gb/s to Data Centers
https://blog.leviton.com/new-ieee-standard-brings-200-gbs-and-400-gbs-data-centers
The new standard supports:
200GBASE‐DR4: 200 Gb/s using 200GBASE‐R Encoding and 4‐level pulse amplitude modulation over four lanes of SM fiber, with reach up to at least 500 m.
200GBASE‐FR4: 200 Gb/s using 200GBASE‐R encoding and 4‐level pulse amplitude modulation over four WDM lanes on SM fiber, with reach up to at least 2 km.
200GBASE‐LR4: 200 Gb/s using 200GBASE‐R encoding and 4‐level pulse amplitude modulation over four WDM lanes on SM fiber, with reach up to at least 10 km.
400GBASE‐DR4: 400 Gb/s using 400GBASE‐R encoding and 4‐level pulse amplitude modulation over four lanes of SM fiber, with reach up to at least 500 m.
400GBASE‐FR8: 400 Gb/s using 400GBASE‐R encoding and 4‐level pulse amplitude modulation over eight WDM lanes on SM fiber, with reach up to at least 2 km.
400GBASE‐LR8: 400 Gb/s using 400GBASE‐R encoding and 4‐level pulse amplitude modulation over eight WDM lanes on SM fiber, with reach up to at least 10 km.
400GBASE‐SR16: 400 Gb/s using 400GBASE‐R encoding over sixteen lanes of MM fiber, with reach up to at least 100 m.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Renesas RV2X6376A Laser Diodes for 5G LTE Base Stations and Server Racks
https://www.eeweb.com/profile/eeweb/news/renesas-rv2x6376a-laser-diodes-for-5g-lte-base-stations-and-server-racks
Renesas Electronics Corporation announced the RV2X6376A Series of directly modulated laser (DML) diodes. The DML diodes deliver 25 Gbps x four wavelengths as the light source in 100 Gbps optical transceivers that enable high-speed communications inside 4.9G and 5G LTE base stations, and between data center routers and servers. The RV2X6376A Series are the industry’s first DML diodes that support full 25 Gbps speed (per individual laser) and industrial temperature (-40°C to 95°C) without cooling.
The RV2X6376A Series are designed into compact 100 Gbps QSFP28 optical transceiver modules that use conventional NRZ modulation. They are compatible with the Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM4) standard that specifies four lanes of 25 Gbps optically multiplexed onto and demultiplexed from duplex single mode fiber. The RV2X6376A Series extend the laser diodes family, joining the proven, commercial temperature grade (-5°C to 75°C) NX6375AA Series used in data centers.
Mobile communications and the Internet of Things (IoT) are driving high-speed optical communication systems, which are experiencing rapid growth due to an explosion of data usage. The Cisco® Visual Networking Index (VNI) forecasts global mobile data traffic to grow 44 percent annually from 11,000 Petabytes/month in 2017 to 48,000 Petabytes/month in 2021. To service this hyper-growth, base station manufacturers are transitioning to interim 4.9G and higher throughput, low-latency 5G technology.
Tomi Engdahl says:
PacketLight Networks upgrades PL-2000DC to 2.4 Tbps in 1RU
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/03/packetlight-networks-upgrades-pl-2000dc-to-2-4-tbps-in-1ru.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2018-03-20&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2041077
Optical transport equipment developer PacketLight Networks says it has upgraded its PL-2000DC transponder to offer 2.4 Tbps in a 1RU device using dual drawers of 1.2 Tbps each. The platform supports 600G per wavelength for data center interconnect (DCI) and related applications.
Providing carriers and enterprises 400G and 200G over a single wavelength for metro and long-haul networks, the PL-2000DC reduces cost and footprint for transporting up to 24 x 100G LAN and OTU4. According to PacketLight, it features innovative modularity that supports 600G transmission in 1.2-Tbps pluggable drawers for pay-as-you-grow architectures.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ciena offers 8180 Coherent Networking Platform, 6500 Reconfigurable Line System to aid fiber network densification efforts
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/03/ciena-offers-8180-coherent-networking-platform-6500-reconfigurable-line-system-to-aid-fiber-network-densification-efforts.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2018-03-20&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2041077
Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) used OFC 2018 in San Diego, CA, last week to unveil the 8180 Coherent Networking Platform and 6500 Reconfigurable Line System (RLS). The two platforms are designed to provide the aggregation, scale, and programmability that network operators will need as they embark on fiber network densification strategies.
Operators are looking for scale, operational simplicity and rapid deployment capabilities, a means to grow their competitive edge, and a way to ensure the best customer experience possible as they extend their fiber footprints, to support such applications as data center interconnect
(DCI), 4G/5G backahaul and front haul, and cable systems operator’s “Fiber Deep” initiatives, according to Helen Xenos, senior director, portfolio marketing at Ciena. An optimal approach would leverage highly scalable, small-footprint platforms that provide programmability and built-in Layer 2 capabilities, she said.
The two new platforms aim to meet these requirements. The 8180 Coherent Networking Platform scales to 6.4 Tbps of switching capacity within a 2RU chassis. It also will support tunable 100- to 400-Gbps coherent transmission based on Ciena’s WaveLogic Ai engine as well as 10, 40, 100, and eventually 400 Gigabit Ethernet client side ports. It is fully compatible with Ciena’s full software-defined networking (SDN) and network automation suite, Xenos added.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Full duplex coming soon to a fiber near you
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/03/full-duplex-coming-soon-to-a-fiber-near-you.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_2018-03-20&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
CableLabs is working on a new fiber technology, Full Duplex Coherent Optics, an approach that is being incorporated into CableLabs’ point-to-point coherent optics specification, which is slated to be issued later this year. Changing network topology configurations will not be required.
Full Duplex Coherent Optics enables a coherent signal to be transmitted over the same fiber using the same wavelength, simultaneously in the downstream and upstream directions. This differs from traditional coherent optic links, which use the same wavelength but a separate fiber for the downstream and the upstream. Non-coherent systems, on the other hand, use a single fiber, but two wavelengths.
“The coherent technical approach CableLabs has proposed uses one wavelength and one fiber, meaning it uses only one-half of fiber wavelength resources [compared to] traditional technologies,” said Steve Jia, CableLabs distinguished technologist, wired technologies.
Coherent optics could potentially increase the fiber capacity of any existing access network fiber by 200 times. The way this would play out in a traditional system is that if an operator has 10 wavelengths in the downstream direction and 10 in the upstream direction, carrying coherent signals, the total system requires 20 wavelengths. With the full duplex coherent optics mechanism, the same system can carry these signals using only 10 wavelengths.
Cable operators will be able to meet the increasing bandwidth demand without the need to lay more fiber or redesign chips for signal processing, CableLabs says.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Huawei introduces 400G optical network technology for commercial use
March 20, 2018
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/03/huawei-introduces-400g-optical-network-technology-for-commercial-use.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2018-03-20&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2041077
Huawei used the Optical Networking and Communication Conference & Exhibition (OFC) last week to introduce 400G optical network technology for commercial use. The technology is designed to provide rapid 400G optical network deployment for all service scenarios on carriers’ networks.
Huawei’s 400G offering leverages its latest oDSP chips, which the company claims enables its platforms to surpass industry standards in transmission performance. It supports adjustable bandwidths at a tunable single-wavelength rate ranging from 100 Gbps to 400 Gbps. By delivering a variety of flexible configurations, this technology offers carriers accelerated 400G network deployment on live networks, says Huawei.
Huawei says its 400G optical network technology targets actual commercial scenarios to optimize high-speed optical transmission signals, including slicing, shaping, and compression, and balancing between theoretical limits and commercial use. Huawei asserts that it meets the requirements of a variety of service scenarios by giving the best possible transmission performance within transmission limits, including the following:
Tomi Engdahl says:
No future-oriented IT megatrends without real time capable fiber optics
http://www.rosenberger-osi.com/en/main/news/microblog/edge-computing.html
The digital transformation casts its shadows. The world of applications is thrown upside down. The purpose and size of the project take a back seat. Users with their expectations of a modern, digitized world are in the focus of attention. Edge Computing and the new 5G mobile network are on everyone’s lips. They are the prerequisite for real-time applications and low latency. But are these pure hype topics or concrete solutions that make future-oriented applications possible in the first place?
Experts agree: without a modern, real-time-capable infrastructure, neither the Internet of Things (IoT), nor autonomous driving or Smart Cities can be realized. The fact is that data volumes around the globe are exploding. Real-time applications need to be processed within seconds and in the area where they are created and used.
In the case of autonomous driving cars, for example, all data processing is carried out directly in the vehicle. Reactions must occur within milliseconds, for example to prevent accidents. The necessary real-time data processing is only possible with 5G mobile communications and Edge Computing. The construction of structures is no magic trick, because network nodes for edge computing can be integrated in the next street light, an advertising pillar or near a mobile radio cell, even in the middle of such a cell. Data processing at its best.
A dream of the future? Not at all! At the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, for example, visitors and athletes at the venues have already been able to test a 5G installation and immerse themselves in the world of new applications. At the Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona, 5G was also one of the central themes. Commercial projects based on 5G are already planned for 2018 in the EU. The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Technologies estimates that by 2020, rapid mobile communications technology will then be available everywhere.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The speed of Ethernet quadruples
Ethernet Alliance has announced a new roadmap technology for future development. Even after five years, the data rate of local area network technology can reach up to 1.6 terabytes per second.
In the Alliance Roadmap, the fastest Ethernet speed for this moment is 400G, or 400 gigabytes per second. Fourfold speed requires improvements both in the number of lines, signal sampling, and modulation.
For example, the 400G speed can be implemented in different ways. On four lines it will succeed if one line speed is 400 gigabytes per second. If there are 16 lines, there is enough 25 gigabit speed per line.
To gain 1.6 terabytes it is necessary that the modulation is updated either to the PAM4 signaling input, which transfers two bits of data in each frame. PAM8 signaling increases this to three bits per frame and a new coherent signaling for 4 bits in the frame.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7731&via=n&datum=2018-03-20_15:17:51&mottagare=30929
More:
https://ethernetalliance.org/the-2018-ethernet-roadmap/?utm_source=General%20Distribution&utm_medium=Press%20Release&utm_term=2018%20Roadmap%20Press%20Release
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why Did Swarm Launch Its Rogue Satellites?
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/aerospace/satellites/why-did-swarm-launch-its-rogue-satellites
Nearly two weeks after IEEE Spectrum broke the news that Swarm Technologies had carried out the first ever unauthorized satellite launch, mystery surrounds the company’s reasons for doing so. And uncertainty clouds the air around it because it’s not clear what the consequences for the stealthy start-up might be.
For the past two years, the company has been working on four small SpaceBee satellites, prototypes for an innovative constellation it believes will enable Internet of Things data communications for as little as one-hundredth the cost of existing services.
In November, Swarm’s founder, Sara Spangelo, delivered the four satellites to Spaceflight, a company in Seattle that consolidates multiple small satellites (often called Cubesats) for launch alongside larger payloads.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia reaches ultimate capacity of optical network
https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/5g-waves/4460407/Nokia-reaches-ultimate-capacity-of-optical-networks?utm_source=Aspencore&utm_medium=EDN&utm_campaign=social
Nokia announced a new chipset it says will make it possible to boost the spectrum efficiency of optical networks to close to theoretical limits. The increases in capacity that will result in some instances could be as much as 65 percent.
Nokia said its Photonic Service Engine 3 (PSE-3) coherent DSP is the first chipset to implement a technique called probabilistic constellation shaping (PCS), which improves the spectrum efficiency of nearly any optical network to close to the Shannon limit, while also reducing energy consumption.
Tomi Engdahl says:
TSN solves measurement and control challenges
http://www.controleng.com/single-article/tsn-solves-measurement-and-control-challenges/269f599a75420de83314d8d38f76ae96.html
Time-sensitive networking (TSN) is an evolution of standard Ethernet and adds the bounded latency and guaranteed bandwidth provided by hard real-time Ethernet, which is crucial as more devices are connected to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).
Of the 50 billion devices it is said will be connected by the year 2020, experts estimate that the industrial sector will account for nearly half. This means that engineers and scientists have a big voice when it comes to implementing the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) across factories, test laboratories, power grids, refineries, and infrastructure.
The global processing industry is an early adopter of IIoT, and it’s easy to see why. Unscheduled asset downtime in the industry costs $20 billion annually, 80% of which is preventable, according to ARC Advisory Group. However, it’s not just the global processing industry that can benefit from IIoT. Among business leaders, 95% expect their companies to use the IIoT within the next 36 months.
Engineers can expect to gain three key benefits:
Increased uptime with predictive maintenance
Boosted performance with control at the edge
Improved product design and manufacturing through connected, real-world data.
A few challenges arise when attempting to develop such a system:
Synchronizing the potentially thousands of channels and numerous measurement systems
Synchronizing the control systems such that all actuation happens at the correct time
Synchronizing the measurements and control systems.
These challenges are further exaggerated as systems grow, and more measurement and control capabilities are added to an application. Synchronizing measurement systems with other measurement systems, and control systems with other control systems, is not a new challenge. Typically, this can be achieved with signal-based methods, in which physical cabling is used to route a common time base or signal to distributed nodes. Unfortunately, this has limitations on distance and scalability, as well as a risk of noise.
Another possibility
Figure 2: Time-sensitive networking is the evolution of standard Ethernet to include time-based synchronization, traffic scheduling, and system configuration. Courtesy: National InstrumentsAnother option is to leverage a protocol built on top of a common standard like Ethernet. Ethernet offers openness and interoperability but has no bounds for latency or guarantees for bandwidth. To solve this challenge, custom versions of Ethernet, often referred to as Hard Real-Time Ethernet, have been developed. EtherCAT, Profinet, and EtherNet/IP are prime examples. These custom variants of Ethernet provide hard real-time performance and best-in-class latency and control. However, each variant includes both hardware and software modifications to network infrastructure, which increases costs and means different devices from different vendors cannot function on the same network.
A new technology to solve this synchronization challenge is coming to market now, called time-sensitive networking (TSN). TSN is an evolution of standard Ethernet that provides openness and interoperability but adds the bounded latency and guaranteed bandwidth provided by hard real-time Ethernet. Specifically, TSN delivers three key components: time-based synchronization, traffic scheduling, and system configuration. The synchronization capabilities are based on the IEEE 1588 precision time protocol profile, providing a sub-microsecond level of network synchronization. In addition, traffic scheduling and system configuration power deterministic data communication, so users can schedule and prioritize time-critical data (such as control signals) across the network.
An important aspect of TSN is the convergence of time-critical traffic and other Ethernet traffic. Because TSN is a feature of the Ethernet standard, the new capabilities of time synchronization and deterministic communication run over the same network as other network communication. This means a single port on the measurement or control system can perform deterministic communication while also updating remote user interface terminals and supporting file transfer.
TSN is a key enhancement for many industrial applications, such as process and machine control, in which low communication latency and minimal jitter are critical to meeting closed-loop control requirements. Time-based synchronization over Ethernet also minimizes cabling traditionally found in monitoring applications and physical system testing (like our structural example) leading to a simpler, cost-effective solution without sacrificing reliability.
Tomi Engdahl says:
NFV Virtualization Platforms
https://www.enea.com/products/nfv-virtualization-platforms/
We provide the foundation for tomorrow’s virtualized network functions with best-in-class network virtualization software. Our solutions enable automation and flexibility for network operators and service providers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lanner Partners with Enea and Trend Micro to Showcase Edge SD Security Solutions at MWC 2018
http://www.lannerinc.com/news-and-events/latest-news/lanner-partners-with-enea-and-trend-micro-to-showcase-edge-sd-security-solutions-at-mwc-2018
Lanner Electronics (TAIEX 6245), a global leader in SDN/NFV network appliances, announced that it will premiere its joint PoC of new SD-Security (Software-defined Security) solutions for edge networks at on MWC 2018. The demonstration will include Lanner’s vCPE appliance NCA-4010, Enea’s low-footprint virtualization software platform NFV Access and Trend Micro Virtual Network Function Suite, to present scale-on-demand network security function for SMBs, distributed branches and IoT edge networks.
In this joint showcase, Lanner will present its vCPE device NCA-4010 series optimized for virtualization performance. Powered by the Intel® Xeon® D-1518 4-core/D1548 8-core 14nm CPU, (codenamed Broadwell-DE) and 32GB/2400Mhz memory, NCA-4010 offers unparalleled networking performance to cover multiple resource intensive Virtual network functions (VNF’s) required by SD-WAN and SD-Security.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Enea acquires Openwave Mobility for USD 90 million
https://www.enea.com/press-releases/Item/?pressrelease=B61EE5214A1A87B1
Enea AB (publ) (“Enea”) has signed an agreement to acquire Openwave Mobility, a company offering the industry’s most scalable NFV platform with solutions to mobile operators. Openwave Mobility has a leading position in traffic management for the fast growing area of mobile video traffic. The total consideration amounts to USD 90M and will be financed through cash at hand and the previously issued and announced bond loan of SEK 500M. Openwave Mobility is headquartered in California and generated preliminary adjusted revenues of approximately USD 27M in 2017 and an EBIT of USD 3M. The company has a rapidly growing and profitable core software business with good cash flows Enea is expecting to be able to further improve the company’s operating margins to near Enea’s overall profitability target by the end of 2018. The acquisition is expected to be earnings per share accretive already in 2018. Closing is expected in April 2018, subject to regulatory approvals.
Tomi Engdahl says:
11 Myths About Wireless
http://www.electronicdesign.com/analog/11-myths-about-wireless?NL=ED-003&Issue=ED-003_20180321_ED-003_788&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=16069&utm_medium=email&elq2=4e34b6347bd94ad1a8bbeff4c626c18a
1. Wireless was invented by Marconi.
No, it was not. I would give my vote to Heinrich Hertz
2. The Federal Communications Commission is the primary communications regulator.
But they aren’t the only U.S. regulatory agency.
3. Radio waves work like magnetic induction.
Not so. A radio wave is really a combination of an electric field at a right angle to a magnetic field.
4. The propagation of a radio wave is basically the same for all wireless applications.
No way. Radio signals act differently depending on their frequency.
5. We have totally run out of frequency spectrum.
Not completely, but we’re working toward that it seems. Most of the so-called “good” spectrum (~500 MHz to 6 GHz) is pretty much consumed, but plenty of spectrum exists at the higher frequencies beyond about 30 GHz.
6. Radio broadcasting is dead.
You may have gotten the impression that AM, FM, and TV broadcasting were on their way out thanks to all the internet streaming of music and video. But it’s not. While the number of AM stations has declined a bit, FM is growing. Satellite radio is also healthy. Furthermore, almost 20% of the U.S. population gets its TV by over-the-air (OTA) broadcasts. This includes satellite TV broadcasting. On top of that, short wave broadcasting is still around
7. The most widely used wireless standard is Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi is certainly a heavily used wireless standard. But in terms of sheer volume of radios in use, Bluetooth is probably the more widespread.
8. Cell phones give you a brain tumor.
That myth has been around ever since the first cell phones emerged in the late 1980s. It’s been studied multiple times, and the outcome is that cell phones don’t cause brain tumors.
9. Wireless data transfer is always faster than wired data transfer.
Not true. Wired data communications say by Ethernet or fiber optics, is very solid and usually faster than wireless. Ethernet can do 100 Gb/s and optical is now doing up to 400 Gb/s using PAM4. With a solid link, data can be faster because it doesn’t have to deal with all of the free space link and path problems of wireless.
10. Rain and snow make satellite TV, phones, and data services unreliable.
You have probably heard of this one but it not true. Actually, at some frequencies in older systems, rain does attenuate the signal. But today, most components, equipment, and systems compensate for it with good link margins.
11. Millimeter waves will never be practical.
today mmWaves are widely used thanks to the availability of semiconductor devices to generate and process these signals. Millimeter waves cover the 30- to 300-GHz range.
Tomi Engdahl says:
OTDR – Optical Time Domain Reflectometer
http://www.flukenetworks.com/expertise/learn-about/otdr
An Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) is an important instrument used by organizations to certify the performance of new fiber optics links and detect problems with existing fiber links.
Tier 2 (Extended) Fiber Optic Certification
Better Network Visibility with Tier 2 Certification of Fiber Installations
https://www.viavisolutions.com/en-uk/solutions/enterprise-data-center/fiber-and-copper-test-and-certification/tier-2-extended-fiber-optic-certification
Pass/Fail Inspection and Beyond
While Tier 1 fiber optic tests can identify problems in terms of pass or fail, they cannot determine the root cause or location of the problem. Tier 2 fiber optic testing is used to pinpoint root-cause locations and the amount of loss and optical return loss (ORL) from each problem contributor and is performed selectively in addition to Tier 1 testing under specific conditions and situations. Tier 2 fiber testing provides a deeper level of link visibility unlike any other fiber infrastructure tests. The optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) is used to perform Tier 2 fiber optic testing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Infrastructure Verification as a Service
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/print/volume-26/issue-2/features/project-management/infrastructure-verification-as-a-service.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-03-22&pwhid=e8db06ed14609698465f1047e5984b63cb4378bd1778b17304d68673fe5cbd2798aa8300d050a73d96d04d9ea94e73adc417b4d6e8392599eabc952675516bc0&eid=293591077&bid=2043038
A standardized approach to infrastructure documentation and maintenance
It is a widely accepted truth that all information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructures require some level of documentation in order to be properly maintained. From the specific contents of their spaces and pathways to cable endpoint documentation, most organizations want accurate documentation of their infrastructure, while few actually have it. The disparity between the ICT documentation “haves” and “have-nots” is attributable to the lack of a standardized approach to conducting a comprehensive, and verifiable, survey-documentation-maintenance effort against an existing infrastructure.
In the case of internal survey-documentation-maintenance attempts, organizations often are met with a series of obstacles that prove difficult, if not impossible, to overcome independently; resource limitations coupled with issues such as key person risks, lack of standardized training, conflicting requirements, and access coordination, all amount to fracture points inherent in most internal programs.
As the growth of the infrastructure outstrips the accuracy of the initially collected data, additional surveys are needed to produce a “here-and-now” inventory audit, with little (or false) expectation of any effort to maintain the resulting documentation beyond the immediate need of the current project.
This mentality has helped to cause industry-wide resignation to infrastructure disorganization, resulting in its acceptance as the de facto baseline for new projects.
“The key, I believe, is to have someone ‘own’ the responsibility of keeping documentation updated,” says Cindy Montstream, RCDD, director of technology support and training with Legrand North America.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Siemon’s Valerie Maguire to chart Single-Pair Ethernet cabling’s emergence for Cabling and Networking Standards Summit
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2018/03/siemon-maguire-summit.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-03-22&pwhid=e8db06ed14609698465f1047e5984b63cb4378bd1778b17304d68673fe5cbd2798aa8300d050a73d96d04d9ea94e73adc417b4d6e8392599eabc952675516bc0&eid=293591077&bid=2043038
. TR-42 develops cabling standards including the TIA-568, TIA-942, TIA-569, TIA-606 series and others, as well as Telecommunications Systems Bulletins (TSBs) covering cabling-system specification, design, and installation.
Valerie Maguire’s presentation at the Cabling and Networking Standards Summit is entitled, “Single-Pair Cabling’s Emergence Into Industrial and Enterprise Networks.” The seminar is described thusly: “Single-twisted-pair cabling technology is an established medium in the automotive industry, enabling automobile manufacturers to produce vehicles with advanced capabilities. Data-connectivity needs in environments such as industrial and manufacturing facilities has driven the development of standards for single-pair cabling systems in industrial and enterprise networks. This presentation will detail the TIA’s standard-development activities in this regard, including information about the following standards-under-development: TIA-568.5 Single Twisted-Pair Cabling and Components Standard; TIA-862-B Addendum 2; TIA-568.0-D Addendum 2; and TIA-1005-A Addendum 4, Single Balanced Twisted-Pair use Cases and Topology for Industrial Premises.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Clearfield says pre-connectorized aerial terminal sets benchmark for faster FTTx deployments
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2018/03/clearfield-aerial-fttx.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-03-22&pwhid=e8db06ed14609698465f1047e5984b63cb4378bd1778b17304d68673fe5cbd2798aa8300d050a73d96d04d9ea94e73adc417b4d6e8392599eabc952675516bc0&eid=293591077&bid=2043038
Clearfield, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLFD), a specialist in fiber management for communication service providers, has introduced its YOURx-Aerial Terminal, an enclosure for optical service aerial applications aimed at reducing service provider operational costs.
According to Clearfied, “The YOURx-Aerial Terminal is a free-breathing, aerial interconnection point supporting up to 144 fiber feeds with a distribution capability of up to 24 individual service drops per site. It can mid-span a larger count fiber cable, allowing the service provider to deploy multiple terminal access points along the same cable run, thus maximizing their fiber investment. Another installation headache for both contractors and service providers is excess fiber slack storage, and this has also been addressed by accommodating ample internal slack storage capability of ribbon or loose tube fibers.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Internet Association wants in on the lawsuit challenging net neutrality repeal
https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/22/internet-association-wants-in-on-the-lawsuit-challenging-net-neutrality-repeal/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Tomi Engdahl says:
Edgecore Networks provides AS9716-32X 400G data center switch design to Open Compute Project
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/03/edgecore-networks-provides-as9716-32x-400g-data-center-switch-design-to-open-compute-project.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-03-22&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2044000
Edgecore Networks, a wholly owned subsidiary of Accton Technology Corp., says it is contributing the specification and design package for its AS9716-32X open network switch to the Open Compute Project (OCP) Foundation. The company says the data center switch provides 32 x QSFP-DD ports, each capable of 400 Gigabit Ethernet (400GbE) operation, in a 1RU form factor.
Based on the Broadcom StrataXGS Tomahawk III switch and leveraging an Intel Xeon Processor D control plane processor, the 400GbE data center switch enables public and private network operators to increase infrastructure capacity. Edgecore says it will work with commercial software partners and open software communities to offer commercial and open source Network Operating System (NOS) options for the 400GbE data center switch.
Edgecore says all of its open network switches, including the 400GbE switch, support OCP software standards, such as ONIE, Open Network Linux, the Open Optical Monitoring (OOM) API, and the Redfish hardware management API. The AS9716-32X data center switch is the first 400GbE open design in the industry, the company attests.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IEEE 802.3cc standard for 25 Gigabit Ethernet over single-mode fiber published
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/03/ieee-802-3cc-standard-for-25-gigabit-ethernet-over-single-mode-fiber-published.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-03-22&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2044000
The IEE and the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) say the recently ratified “IEEE 802.3cc-2017—Standard for Ethernet Amendment: Physical Layer and Management Parameters for Serial 25 Gb/s Ethernet Operation Over Single-Mode Fiber” standard has been published and is now available for use. The specifications point the way toward the development of 25 Gigabit Ethernet transmission technology for enterprise, campus, and metro Ethernet applications at reaches up to 10 and 40 km via single-mode fiber (SMF).
IEEE 802.3cc defines single-lane 25-Gbps PHYs for the up to 10 km and 40 km use cases. The IEEE envisions the new specifications will see use in applications require transmission at rates greater than 10 Gbps, likely acting as tributaries to 100-Gbps core networks. The IEEE notes that 25 Gigabit Ethernet matches the per-lane rate of several 100-Gbps PMDs used in these networks.
“IEEE 802.3cc provides network operators a cost-effective upgrade path to 25 Gbps that minimizes network design, installation, and maintenance costs by preserving current network architecture, management, and software,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tektronix unveils 59-GHz DPO7OE2 single mode optical probe for DPO70000SX series oscilloscopes
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/03/tektronix-unveils-59-ghz-dpo7oe2-single-mode-optical-probe-for-dpo70000sx-series-oscilloscopes.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-03-22&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2044000
Tektronix, Inc. used OFC 2018 in San Diego, CA, last week to unveil its 59-GHz DPO7OE2 single mode optical probe for the DPO70000SX series real-time oscilloscopes. The 56-GBaud 400G PAM4 optical probe provides designers with debug capabilities for troubleshooting 400G PAM4 components and decreasing time to market.
400G with PAM4 signaling is more complex than 100G with NRZ modulation, and has increased the required time for design validation, debug, and troubleshooting cycles. There are several validation and debug challenges that the migration from NRZ to PAM4 modulation presents. According to Tektronix, a real-time oscilloscope-based approach will address these challenges.
The DPO7OE2 supplies optical reference receiver (ORR) performance for 56-GBaud PAM4, enabling engineers to efficiently troubleshoot optical devices using a complete set of debug capabilities.
The DPO7OE2 can be used for legacy NRZ applications as well. The analysis packages support PAM4 IEEE and OIF-CEI standard specific measurements including TDECQ. Additionally, ER, AOP, OMA, eye height and eye width, and other standard optical measurements can be supported.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bristol Instruments offers 828A Optical Wavelength Meter for CW and modulated optical signals
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/03/bristol-instruments-offers-828a-optical-wavelength-meter-for-cw-and-modulated-optical-signals.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-03-22&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2044000
Bristol Instruments, Inc. displayed its 828A Optical Wavelength Meter for the first time at OFC 2018 in San Diego last week. The meter measures the absolute wavelength of CW and modulated optical signals. The 828A Optical Wavelength Meter uses a Fizeau etalon design to measure laser wavelength to an accuracy as high as ± 0.3 pm, and provides the fastest available measurement rate, Bristol attests.
The 828A has a sustained measurement rate as high as 1 kHz, enabling a test time reduction from hours to minutes. The speed of the system also offers a time resolution of 1 ms to deliver more detailed wavelength characterization of tunable WDM lasers and other components, asserts the company.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MACOM introduces EML driver family for 100G and 400G data center applications
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/03/macom-introduces-eml-driver-family-for-100g-and-400g-data-center-applications.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-03-22&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2044000
MACOM Technology Solutions Inc. has introduced its MAOM-005311 and MAOM-005411, single- and quad-channel linear externally modulated laser (EML) drivers with 1.8 peak-to-peak voltage (VPp) output. MACOM’s EML driver family enables 100 Gbps per lambda with low power and high bandwidth for 100G and 400G data center applications, the company says.
With the demand for lower cost-per-bit module solutions growing, sending 100 Gbps on a single wavelength using PAM4 modulation at 53 GBaud reduces cost for module vendors by decreasing the number of optical components by a factor of four. MACOM says its surface mount driver family is the industry’s first portfolio to use advanced design and enhanced semiconductor and packaging technology to offer customers a high-performance, integrated device.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Innovium sampling TERALYNX switch silicon for 12.8 Tbps throughput
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/03/innovium-sampling-teralynx-switch-silicon-for-12-8-tbps-throughput.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-03-22&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2044000
Innovium, Inc., a provider of data center networking technology, said it has begun sampling its TERALYNX switch silicon for 12.8 Tbps throughput, while providing line-rate programmability and 70-Mb on-chip buffers. The TERALYNX also features its FLASHLIGHT analytics capabilities for visibility and telemetry, such as P4 In-band Network Telemetry (INT) support, as well as crucial extensions and latency of less than 350 ns.
TERALYNX coincides with PAM4 optics and gearboxes ecosystem availability, and will advance adoption of high-performance, efficient 12.8-Tbps based platforms at key cloud and OEM customers in 2018, says Innovium. Offering 128 ports of 100GbE, 64 ports of 200GbE, or 32 ports of 400GbE in one device, TERALYNX provides support for 10, 25, 40, 50, 100, 200, and 400GbE connectivity using 50G PAM4. It also has as much as 256 SerDes supporting 10 to 25G NRZ and 50G PAM4 IO speeds.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Network connectivity and device protection for industrial networks
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/print/volume-26/issue-2/features/design/network-connectivity-and-device-protection-for-industrial-networks.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-03-22&pwhid=e8db06ed14609698465f1047e5984b63cb4378bd1778b17304d68673fe5cbd2798aa8300d050a73d96d04d9ea94e73adc417b4d6e8392599eabc952675516bc0&eid=293591077&bid=2043038
Whether it’s fiber-optic cabling, single-pair copper, or anything in between, network gear for industrial environments must be housed and protected.
Forecasts predicting enormous growth for the Industrial Internet of Things market are easy to find. What’s not always as easy to find are cabling and networking solutions to effectively, efficiently outfit an industrial environment for the impending onslaught of data flow.
Transition Networks, provider of networking products and technologies, summarizes the situation on its website: “The network needs of industrial or hardened environments require rugged media converters, hardened Ethernet switches, and SFPs that can operate effectively and efficiently under extreme conditions.
“The proliferation of these technologies has expedited the need for industrial networks that can handle the large volumes of data efficiently, securely, and reliably. Industrial environments mandate a different class of products to handle the extreme temperatures, shock, vibration, dirt, and hazardous locations prone to explosion or fire. Products used in these applications need to be manufactured according to strict guidelines and tested to ensure compliance with industry standards.”
“The growing demand for power across IIOT-ready [Industrial Internet of Things] networks necessitates reliable PoE for both legacy equipment and new infrastructure,” said Jurgen Schmid, Belden product manager. “With these injectors, customers can now supply power-hungry devices without needing to rebuild infrastructure.”
Single-pair Ethernet
A technical brief recently published by Anixter explains the efforts currently underway within the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) to specify Ethernet over a single twisted copper pair.
“With the rapid growth of IoT and the need to provide cost-effective power, connectivity and security to billions of connected devices, there are gaps that exist in the current Ethernet wiring and application standards that limit the number of devices that can connect to the network via category-rated twisted-pair cabling,” it says. “The most notable gap is that the physical reach of twisted-pair cable cannot exceed 100 meters … Commercial lighting, building management solutions and physical security are examples of solutions that can take advantage of a standard that provides Ethernet-based distance support beyond 100 meters for both data and low-watt power delivery to endpoint devices.”
The Anixter brief then explains, “The IEEE 802.3 formed the 802.3cg Task Force to develop a standard to address device support [over] twisted-pair cabling beyond 100 meters. The standard—IEEE 802.3cg 10 Mb/s Single Twisted-Pair—envisions a unified network based on single-pair Ethernet as an alternative to the hugely fragmented fieldbus landscape.
“Single-pair Ethernet offers a more-cost-effective solution for connecting IoT devices to a network, which is essential in smart buildings, where all systems and devices are integrated with the network,” Anixter says. “While single-pair Ethernet lacks the higher data rate and remote powering capacities of traditional four-pair Ethernet, it provides a more-compact and cost-efficient solution for IoT devices, most of which do not require nearly as much bandwidth and power as the devices using traditional Ethernet.”
“In nontraditional spaces, the enclosure provides the primary protection for equipment,” they continue. “The main difference between industrial enclosures and standard IT enclosures is that industrial enclosures are completely sealed when closed.”
They describe Ingress Protection (IP) ratings as specified in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard 60529 Degrees of Protection provided by Enclosures (See Table 1). “The first number identifies the degree of protection against hazardous parts and against solid foreign objects (dust penetration),” they explain. “The second number identifies the degree of protection against ingress of water (liquid penetration). A higher number indicates better protection. IP codes do not address corrosion protection.”
The document also dissects the NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) 250 standard Enclosures for Electrical Equipment (1000 V Maximum), “which identifies 16 types of enclosures for nonhazardous locations, each providing a different level of protection against dust and liquid penetration.
“There is no direct comparison between IP code and NEMA types, because NEMA standards include additional product features and tests,”
The authors advise, “When you extend your network into warehouses, manufacturing floors and outdoors, you can satisfy most nonhazardous location requirements by focusing on three enclosure ratings: IP54/NEMA Type 12, IP 66/NEMA Type 4, and NEMA Type 4X … The three enclosures cover the majority of nonhazardous environmental requirements and can be field-adapted with drains, vents, fans or air conditioners.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Renesas RV2X6376A Laser Diodes for 5G LTE Base Stations and Server Racks
https://www.eeweb.com/profile/eeweb/news/renesas-rv2x6376a-laser-diodes-for-5g-lte-base-stations-and-server-racks
Renesas Electronics Corporation announced the RV2X6376A Series of directly modulated laser (DML) diodes. The DML diodes deliver 25 Gbps x four wavelengths as the light source in 100 Gbps optical transceivers that enable high-speed communications inside 4.9G and 5G LTE base stations, and between data center routers and servers. The RV2X6376A Series are the industry’s first DML diodes that support full 25 Gbps speed (per individual laser) and industrial temperature (-40°C to 95°C) without cooling.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia reaches ultimate capacity of optical networks
https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/5g-waves/4460407/Nokia-reaches-ultimate-capacity-of-optical-networks
Nokia announced a new chipset it says will make it possible to boost the spectrum efficiency of optical networks to close to theoretical limits. The increases in capacity that will result in some instances could be as much as 65 percent.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A New Prerequisite for a Modern Cable Communications Architecture
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/03/a-new-prerequisite-for-a-modern-cable-communications-architecture.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_2018-03-22&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
The cable industry began in the 1940s and 1950s to deliver television signals into remote areas. Antennas were placed in advantageous locations, and the signals were distributed along coaxial cable lines to local homes. As technology developed and cable systems grew in size and number, the coaxial cable lines remained in place to offer a wide range of voice, video and data packages. Direct competition for customers intensified over time as ILECs began aggressively rolling out broadband networks over copper and fiber. Rapid advancements and changes in how consumers used technology created a unique race for developing the most attractive service for consumers.
Today’s cable companies face new business and operational pressures. Increased competition from over-the-top (OTT) video services puts significant pressure on top-line revenue. Furthermore, a constant increase in content costs adversely affects profitability. Pressure to develop the most advanced app-based platforms dominates the headlines for many cable operators. Cable networks are often proprietary, yielding inflexible architecture options that are costly to design and customize. They are marked by heavy labor requirements and are time consuming to turn up.
On a positive side, most cable operators are using more fiber-optic networks to keep up with consumer demand and reduce operational expenses. The Internet of Things (IoT), in many of its forms, combined with customers’ focus on mobility and high network performance are driving the need for 5G mobile network implementations. Filling this need provides great revenue potential for cable operators, as 5G will require dramatically more fiber deployments—especially for fronthaul/backhaul of remote radios.
Plugging into plug and play
Let us look at what is happening with communications equipment vendors and the support of software-defined networking (SDN) to remove the need for proprietary, monolithic, chassis-based platforms. Can physical layer companies learn anything here? We fully believe the answer is yes. By applying principles similar to those found in SDN – interoperability, software automation, open application programmable interfaces (APIs) and other interfaces – cable operators can decrease the need to be tied to a specific vendor or product family. This is also the hallmark of plug-and-play techniques found in physical fiber management platforms. Industry standards-based plug-and-play technology in the network creates a physical network design that precisely focuses on resolving key challenges in the network buildout – lowering labor expenses and ensuring faster time-to-revenue.
Labor makes up about 70% of the overall build costs in a fiber-to-the-home network. As fiber gets closer to the end user, labor costs tend to increase. Plug-and-play technology can combat this trend, first because it simplifies labor requirements by removing splicing activity in the universal design – specifically in the distribution and fiber drop areas from the outside plant to the customer premises.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Analyze post-equalization ISI with pulse response
https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/eye-on-standards/4460406/Analyze-post-equalization-ISI-with-pulse-response
Any signal-integrity engineer will tell you that analyzing closed eye diagrams has never been easy. A transmission channel’s frequency response (or lack of bandwidth) causes inter-symbol interference (ISI), the primary eye-closing culprit. While I’ve written about closed eye analysis techniques before, this time we’ll measure the ISI left over after equalization, the so-called residual ISI. In the process, we’ll see the simple guts of decision feedback equalization (DFE).
The pulse response is gaining popularity in technology standards that define high-speed serial buses. You can produce a pulse with a pattern generator by transmitting a long string of zeros, a one, and then another long string of zeros, that is, a pulse is a non-return-to zero (NRZ) bit and the pulse response is the same as the SBR (single bit response).
Like the impulse response, the pulse response includes everything there is to know about the circuit, the impedances of every trace, connector, cable, pin, ball, and so on. It’s all built in, both magnitude and phase.
Analyzing closed eyes: CRJ and CDJ
https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/eye-on-standards/4441189/Analyzing-closed-eyes–CRJ-and-CDJ?utm_source=AspenCore&utm_medium=EDN