GigaDevice (Stock Code: 603986), an industry-leading semiconductor device supplier, made its appearance at the 26th China International Optoelectronic Expo (CIOE) held at Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center (Booth No.: 12C12). The company comprehensively showcased innovative application solutions of product portfolios such as GD25 SPI NOR Flash and GD32 MCU in the optical module field, highlighting its technological advantages in the high-speed optical communication industry.
With the rapid development of large AI models, cloud computing services, and 5G/6G networks, the demand for high-speed data transmission has accelerated unprecedentedly. As a core component of optical communication systems, optical modules are evolving rapidly towards the direction of "higher speed, higher density, lower power consumption, and smaller size", with transmission rates iterating from 400G/800G to 1.6T and even higher speeds. Meanwhile, the design of optical modules places higher requirements on internal storage and control chips in terms of high performance, reliability, and small packaging.
In optical communication equipment, SPI NOR Flash is responsible for storing firmware and key data, and can provide storage support for optical module DSPs. In addition, applications such as EDFA (Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifier for wavelength division equipment) and coherent optical modules often require high-capacity products such as 128Mb, 256Mb, or 512Mb to support various complex functional requirements.
GigaDevice's GD25 SPI NOR Flash has become an ideal storage solution for optical communication equipment by virtue of its advantages including full-capacity coverage, high performance, high reliability, and ultra-small packaging. Especially for high-capacity product requirements, this series, with its excellent performance, is the preferred choice for EDFA and coherent optical module applications. The series offers a comprehensive capacity range from 512Kb to 2Gb, supports a maximum clock frequency of 200MHz, and has a maximum temperature rating of 125℃, which can fully meet the high-temperature operation requirements of equipment such as optical modules. In terms of reliability, the product supports 100,000 erase-write cycles, and its outstanding quality has been widely verified in application fields with strict functional safety requirements such as automotive and industrial sectors. At the same time, the series provides ultra-small packaging options such as WLCSP and 1.2x1.2mm USON6, offering great flexibility for the design of optical modules with limited space. At this expo, GigaDevice focused on showcasing application cases of 400G optical modules using SPI NOR Flash from the GD25WD and GD25Q series, fully demonstrating the company's technological strength in the field of optical module storage solutions.
In optical modules, MCUs undertake control and management functions. They not only realize real-time monitoring of key parameters such as temperature, voltage, and optical power, but also ensure the stable operation of optical modules under different transmission distances and complex environments by scheduling and managing the working status of various units inside the module, and coordinating data interaction and protocol conversion between signal processing units and communication interfaces. As optical modules move towards higher speeds and higher integration, MCUs play an increasingly important role in the intelligent control, fault diagnosis, and system security of optical modules.
At this expo, GigaDevice exhibited a variety of optical module application cases based on GD32 MCU, including 800G data center optical modules, 50G PON optical modules, and XG Combo PON optical modules. Among them, the 800G data center optical module based on the GD32G553 series MCU has a transmission distance of 30m~2km, features powerful digital optical monitoring and diagnostic capabilities, and complies with industry standards such as IEEE 802.3ck, CMIS 5.0, and OSFP MSA. The key component of this solution, the GD32G553 series MCU, provides strong performance support for high-speed optical modules. The GD32G553 series has flexible storage space: 512KB Flash supports dual-Bank design, and 128KB SRAM includes 32KB tightly coupled memory (TCMRAM); it is also equipped with abundant ADC, DAC, and other analog and digital resources, providing high-precision, high-speed sampling, and flexible analog signal output capabilities. In addition, the GD32G553 MCU supports WLCSP packaging, meeting the miniaturization design requirements of optical modules.
As an optical communication chip supplier, GigaDevice continuously provides high-performance storage, MCU, and analog product solutions for high-speed optical modules. In the future, the company will continue to enhance the performance, reliability, and integration of its products, provide efficient and stable chip solutions for data centers and next-generation optical communication networks, and contribute to the sustainable development of the optical communication industry.
(Reprinted from https://news.eccn.com/）