Quad Small Form Factor Pluggable Double Density MSA releases both Hardware and Common Management Interface Specifications
Rome, Italy – September 18, 2018 – The Quad Small Form Factor Pluggable Double Density (QSFP-DD) Multi Source Agreement (MSA) group today announces the release of an updated 4.0 Hardware specification for the QSFP-DD form factor. In total, 66 companies came together in support of the QSFP-DD MSA to address the industry need for an improved high-density, high-speed networking solution. Other notable features to the updated 4.0 hardware specification include, additions to the thermal section, synchronous clocking and improved keying.
In addition to the successfully updated 4.0 specification that addresses broad market support and overcomes the technical challenges of specifying a QSFP28 compatible double-density interface, the group also announces the release of the 3.0 Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) which provides a set of management interactions and a register map for 8 and 16 lane modules.
The initial work on the CMIS was done by the QSFP-DD MSA and was later expanded to include other industry standards groups. The CMIS is similar to the QSFP module management interface specification with expansion to the management of 8 and 16 lanes using a ‘banking’ feature. The CMIS is the first management specification designed with the intent to cover a wide range of module form factors, functionalities and applications, ranging from passive copper cable assemblies to coherent DWDM modules.
The CMIS defines the host-to-module interactions needed to ensure that modules will initialize and operate consistently through the management interface. The defined state machines simplify operation by allowing the host to identify and control the power up sequencing of new high-power class modules.
“Through strategic collaborations we are able to provide specifications that address the challenges of common management requirements for the mechanical, thermal and electrical parameters,” said Tom Palkert, editor of the QSFP-DD MSA specifications. “The CMIS breaks the barriers to multi-vendor interoperability by addressing the ability of next-generation modules to meet user needs.”
The MSA QSFP-DD HW Specification supports up to 400 Gbps in aggregate over an 8 x 50 Gbps electrical interface. The CMIS supports multiple interface settings and speed negotiation controls and allows support for multiple “Data Paths” where each “Data Path” consists of a sub-group of lanes to be controlled together within the multi-lane module.
Established in March 2016, the QSFP-DD MSA group accepted the challenge to meet the market demand for a next generation high-density, high-speed pluggable backwards compatible module form factor. QSFP-DD MSA founder-promoters include Broadcom, Cisco, Corning, Finisar, Foxconn Interconnect Technology, Huawei, Intel, Juniper Networks, Lumentum, Luxtera, Mellanox Technologies, Molex, Oclaro, and TE Connectivity.
Contributors include Acacia, ACON, Alibaba, Amphenol, Applied Optoelectronics, APRESIA Systems, Cavium, Celestica, Ciena, ColorChip, Credo, Dell EMC, Delta Products, Dust Photonics, Eoptolink, Fourte, Fujitsu Optical Components, Genesis, H3C, Hisense Broadband, Hitachi Metals, Hewlett Packard
Enterprise, InnoLight, Innovium, Inphi, Ixia, JPC, Kaiam, LEONI, Lorom, Luxshare-ICT, MACOM, MaxLinear, MultiLane, NeoPhotonics, Nokia, Panduit, PHY-SI, Ranovus, Samtec, SENKO, Semtech, Sicoya, Siemon, Skorpios Technologies, Source Photonics, Spectra7 Microsystems, Spirent, Sumitomo Electric, US Conec, Xilinx, and Yamaichi Electronics.
It is anticipated that many MSA members will be demonstrating QSFP-DD products at the upcoming European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC), Sept 23rd-27th in Rome, Italy.
The QSFP-DD MSA specifications are available for free download at the QSFP-DD MSA website www.qsfp-dd.com.
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