Yokogawa Electric Corporation announced that it has prototyped a 16-to-1 signal multiplexer that multiplexes sixteen 2.5-Gbps signals into one 40-Gbps signal and the prototype has demonstrated that it can successfully produce a 43-Gbps waveform, which makes it viable for commercial applications. Yokogawa will exhibit this prototype system at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibit (OFC2002), a world-renowned optical communication show in Anaheim, California, USA, from March 19 to 21.

Current optical transmission systems mainly adopt 2.5 Gbps and 10 Gbps communication. Switching over to 40-Gbps communication by multiplexing the sixteen 2.5-Gbps signals used in an existing optical communication infrastructure is much more practical with regard to costs than multiplexing four 10-Gbps signals. Therefore the development of a 16-to-1 signal multiplexer was essential for the transition to 40-Gbps systems. A fully operational 16-to-1 signal multiplexer can help configure 40-Gbps optical transmission systems without modifying the conventional 2.5-Gbps infrastructure.

This prototype system for use with commercial communication equipment combines five of the ceramic-packaged 4-to-1 multiplexer modules scheduled for released in April 2002. Sixteen 2.5-Gbps optical signals are converted into four 10-Gbps signals by combining four 4-to-1 multiplexer modules, and then into a single 40-Gbps output with the fifth module.

According to Mamoru Sanagi, Senior Vice President of T&M Business Division, the new prototype system:

1. Does not employ special boards but installs the ceramic packages on a general-purpose PCB
2. Is commercially feasible because it combines ceramic-packaged 4-to-1 multiplexers.
   Sanagi says that this prototype demonstrates that Yokogawa's products and technologies for 40-Gbps optical communication are ready for commercialization and will soon make the practical use of 40-Gbps transmission systems a reality.