Hitachi Releases New Low-Power, High-Integration 800-Mbit/s Per Channel Optical Interconnect for High-Speed, Mass-Multimedia Transmission - the MDS4212A/MDR4212A - Product Announcement

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, August 16, 1999

Hitachi Semiconductor (America) Inc. announced Monday the availability of its new 800-megabits-per-second (Mbit/s), per channel, optical interconnect, designed to meet the development challenges of high-density wiring devices in network systems that requires mass information processing capability.

Significance Ideal for constructing high-speed mass-multimedia communication devices and large-scale computer systems, this new 800 Mbit/s optical interconnect implements a high maximum throughput of 10 gigabits per second (Gbit/s) and is virtually free from electromagnetic interference, ensuring data integrity.

By arranging 12 optical fibers in parallel, the 800 Mbit/s optical interconnect simultaneously transmits signals and parity bits as well as standard 8-bit parallel data to implement a highly reliable transmission. Transmission can take place regardless of the data sign format, including DC direct coupling, since the operation is from a DC level.

In addition, a transmission rate of a maximum 800 Mbit/s per channel, transmits mass information such as speech, data and image at high speed. Since a transmission range of maximum 100 meters is possible, wiring topographies are simplified. By integrating the circuits of the transmitter and receiver onto a single chip, the interconnect has a compact size of 3.9 cubic centimeters. Due to this degree of integration, the device has a low power-consumption of 300 milliwatts (mW) per channel and a laser with a low-threshold electric current.

Comprising four optical transmitter devices which produce 11 signals and one clock (12 channels), the 800 Mbit/s optical interconnect has a receiver that converts the optical signals into electrical signals, a cable that bundles the fibers into an array form, and a relay adapter connecting these components.

Pricing and Availability The 800 Mbit/s optical interconnect (Hitachi part number MDS4212A/MDR4212A) is currently available and is US$2,600/pair in one- to ten-unit quantities. This device, as well as a 200 Mbit/s optical interconnect and other optoelectronic components, are also currently available in volume.

FMI: http://www.hitachi.com/semiconductor or 800/285-1601.

Hitachi Semiconductor (America) Inc. -- a subsidiary of Hitachi America, Ltd., in turn a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE:HIT) -- supports the requirements of the North American marketplace with a broad range of standard and low-power semiconductor solutions. Offering some of the industry's most popular RISC microprocessors and memory components among other semiconductor solutions, Hitachi provides chips to the world's leading device manufacturers within industrial, consumer and emerging market applications.