At the upcoming OFC 2014 conference in San Francisco, Molex joins a diverse group of industry leaders supporting the newly launched MXC™ optical connector interface.  The MXC connector system was developed collaboratively to address Open Compute disaggregated rack architectures and its associated bandwidth/distance requirements which industry experts estimate will nearly triple over the next five years. 

 Utilizing a custom multimode fiber tuned for 1310nm performance, the MXC connector and cable can have a reach of up to 300m. This is yet again another new fiber for the industry to uptake in the quest for reach beyond 100 meters at 25G.   Supporting up to 64 fibers at a data rate of 25Gbps, the MXC connector can carry up to 1.6Tbps of aggregated data – that’s a huge step in bandwidth in such a small package! MXC interfaces when coupled with Molex’s singlemode silicon photonics will support links up to 4000 meters with standard singlemode fiber alleviating the need for unique fiber types beyond OM4 multimode fiber.

The MXC interface introduces an innovative optical ferrule technology using micro lenses to expand the optical beam path of the fiber.  The technology delivers ease of use for the end user driving down  total cost of ownership by providing greater resistance to dust and debris and fiber damage during mating, which translates to lower maintenance and more reliable performance.

The growth of burgeoning data centers depends on fiber optic performance, system scalability and economic viability.  With a reduced total component count    MXC-based  interconnects support  Molex VersaBeam™ expanded beam MT ferrule technology for up to 64 multimode fibers as well as singlemode fiber types.  The VersaBeam MT ferrule, with recessed micro lenses, prevents physical contact between mating interfaces.  This controlled gap prevents debris from becoming embedded in the connector surface during mating and provides reliable, repeatable optical performance.  The expanded beam technology is not only robust during repeated mating cycles but enables consistent optical performance.

The MXC connector and ferrule technology also integrates well with Molex’s singlemode silicon photonic-based active optical products.  As production on MXC assemblies ramps up, Molex plans to offer MXC patch cords, panel mount receptacles, conversion cables (MXC-to-MPO for QSFP and CXP interfaces as well as LC connectors for SFP interfaces), and other optical interfaces for internal on board optical module connections  to help equipment manufacturers create high-density optical links in servers, storage, and disaggregated systems aligning with Intel’s Open Compute architectures.

We look forward to seeing you at OFC 2014.  Plan to stop by booth 3863 to learn more about Molex high density fiber optic solutions.