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Intel Corporation has introduced the world's first 10-Gbps, small-form-factor optical transceiver for multi-mode fiber networks. Designed specifically for data center applications, the Intel® TXN17201/9 Multi-Mode XPAK Optical Transceiver delivers 10-Gigabit Ethernet and 10-Gigabit Fibre Channel transport to the enterprise at half of the cost, a third less power consumption and in one-third the size of earlier solutions.

Earlier this year, PC OEMs announced their first products with Intel Gigabit Ethernet LAN connections built into the motherboard. These faster network connections in corporate desktops and servers, coupled with rising computing power will require IT managers to increase bandwidth capacity in the data center. This in turn requires cost-efficient, low-power optical transceivers that are sized to fit with existing server network interface cards (NICs), storage host bus adapters and high-density switches.

To address the needs of these short-reach, cost-constrained applications, Intel co-founded the XPAK multi-source agreement (MSA) in March of this year. MSAs define electrical interfaces, physical characteristics, signaling schemes and other essential characteristics that enable companies to provide system OEMs with a reliable supply of standard products. The XPAK agreement is the first to result in sample products that fit on a PCI card.

"As Gigabit Ethernet deploys on the desktop, 10-Gigabit solutions are going to become essential in the data center," said Sean Maloney, executive vice president and general manager, Intel Communications Group. "The Intel® TXN17201/9 XPAK Optical Transceiver is proof again of Intel's 20 year leadership in Ethernet technology."

The majority of fiber installed in the data center today is multi-mode, used for transmission over relatively short distances such as those in data center applications. The cost to operate multi-mode fiber networks is lower than single-mode due to lower cost in equipment and lasers. By delivering a 10-Gbps solution for multi-mode fiber, Intel is creating an easy, cost-effective migration path.

The TXN17201/9 transceiver offers single-side mounting, less than a four-square-inch footprint and only 3.5 Watts of power consumption, enabling high port density in switches and placement on PCI NICs. It is hot-pluggable and includes a digital management interface allowing for field configuration, easy setup and remote troubleshooting. With its industry-standard XAUI 4-bit parallel electrical interface, the TXN17201/9 transceiver connects directly to readily available Ethernet and Fibre Channel ICs.

This product will be on display at the European Conference on Optical Communication in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sept. 8-12; the Intel Developer Forum in San Jose, California, Sept. 9-12; and the National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference in Dallas, Texas, Sept. 15-19.

Pricing and Availability
The TXN17201/9 transceiver is currently sampling and will be generally available in Jan., 2003. Production volume pricing is $500.

Infineon Technologies, Intel and Picolight Inc. announced the formation of the XPAK MSA in March of this year. For detailed information about XPAK, visit www.xpak.org.