Semtech, 14Gbps Chipset for Multi-channel Optical Communications

Semtech Corporation announced the production release of its industry leading GN1090 and GN1190 chipset for quad channel SR optical interconnects operating from 1Gbps up to 14.5Gbps.

The GN1090 is a quad channel transimpedance amplifier (TIA), and the GN1190 is a quad channel vertical cavity surface emitting laser driver. The chipset is designed in leading edge CMOS technology, enabling industry-leading performance at low power dissipation with a high level of integration.

A full suite of on-chip features minimizes external components and serves to speed up customers’ hardware (and firmware) development. The GN1090 and GN1190 offer developing optical modules, active optical cables and optical interconnects best-in-class link performance, high flexibility and lowest overall solution cost.

The chipset’s comprehensive digital circuitry implements a complete set of alarms and monitoring, which simplify module-level firmware design and enable the use of cost-effective Micro Controller Units (MCU). In addition, adjustable equalization simplifies PCB design and optimizes performance to any host system electrical interface.

The GN1090 gain and signal integrity features, combined with the excellent input sensitivity, eliminate the need for additional post amplification in the module and make it ideal for SR as well as LR optical interconnects.

The GN1090 and GN1190 chipset operates from 1Gbps to 14.5Gbps data rates, making it suitable for a wide variety of industrial and commercial applications in data center, manufacturing and consumer markets.  The chipset’s advanced integrated test features simplify module development costs and reduce overall production test costs. Semtech’s high performance PMD and CDR products range from 1Gb/s to 100Gb/s and lead the industry in performance, power and feature-set.

“The GN1090 and GN1190 chipset has been an overwhelming success for Semtech and our customers,” said Timothy Vang, Sr. Director of Datacom Marketing for Semtech’s Signal Integrity Product Group. “The performance and feature set of the GN1090 and GN1190 have enabled our customers to quickly bring to market leading solutions for 40Gbps QSFP+ and Active Optical Cables (AOCs) for data centers and a wide range of other applications.”