Dense 10GbE Breakout from a 100G (4x25G) Port Using Multi-Link Gearbox

By Scott Irwin
Vice President, LineSpeed Products
MoSys, Inc.

As network equipment vendors implement higher port-rates at 100G and above, the need remains to support 10Gb Ethernet (10GbE) ports. While a 100G port (i.e., 4 x 25Gb/s) can be run at 4 x 10Gb/s, this effectively downgrades to only 40% of the bandwidth available for that switch, ASIC, or FPGA port, which in turn, reduces the aggregate switching, routing, or processing throughput.

Equipment vendors are therefore forced to choose between downgraded aggregate performance or implementing dedicated 10GbE port functions which limits field deployment flexibility of the network platform. The MoSys solution is the MSH322S device which represents the best fit for 100GE optical interfaces. It supports critical industry standards, such as IEEE and OIF 10G, 25G, 100G electrical standards; OIF Multi-Link Gearbox (MLG) 1.0 standard and is compatible with pluggable module interfaces (e.g., SFP, QSFP, CFP).  Each MSH322S supports 10 independent 10GbE links aggregated per 100G port and maintains 100Gb/s port bandwidth while supporting dense 10GbE breakout. The devices available in high volume at around $100 each.

In summary, the MoSys solution adheres to industry standards for interoperability with other available industry devices and interfaces. The single device supports breakout to 10 x 10GbE interconnections and offers strong signal integrity for ease of system design/bring-up and reliable operation along with synchronous Ethernet (SyncE) network timing support. The solution is ideal for Data Centers and Cloud Computing, Datacom, Telecom, 5G Systems and 100G Line Cards and Switch applications. 

Additional Resources:

If you are looking for more technical information or need to discuss your technical challenges with an expert, we are happy to help. Email us and we will arrange to have one of our technical specialists speak with you.  You can also sign up for updates. Finally, please follow us on social media so we can keep in touch.

Share on social media