100G DWDM PAM4 DCI Solution – High-Speed, Cost-Efficient Data Center Connectivity

100G DWDM PAM4 DCI Solution – High-Speed, Cost-Efficient Data Center Connectivity

OptechTW

100G DWDM PAM4 DCI Solution

As data volumes surge and cloud architecture becomes increasingly distributed, the demand for high-capacity, low-latency, and long-distance optical transmission has never been greater. A 100G DWDM PAM4 DCI (Data Center Interconnect) solution provides an ideal balance between scalability, performance, and cost-efficiency—making it the go-to choice for enterprise and hyperscale environments.

🚀 What Is 100G DWDM PAM4?

DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) technology allows multiple optical signals to be transmitted simultaneously over a single fiber by assigning different wavelengths (or channels) to each data stream.

PAM4 (Pulse Amplitude Modulation 4-level) encoding doubles the data rate per optical carrier by using four amplitude levels to represent two bits per symbol, making it a cost-effective solution for 100G transmission over existing fiber infrastructure.

🧠 Why Use 100G DWDM PAM4 for DCI?

✅ 1. Rapid Deployment

  • Pluggable transceivers (such as QSFP28 100G DWDM PAM4 modules) simplify deployment by eliminating the need for external DSPs or coherent optics.

  • Can be installed directly into switches or routers—no complicated fiber infrastructure or shelf-based platforms required.

  • Ideal for edge data centers, metro reach or cloud POPs requiring immediate interconnectivity.

✅ 2. Long-Distance, High-Quality Optical Links

  • Supports transmission distances of up to 80 km with forward error correction (FEC) and optical amplification.

  • PAM4’s reduced baud rate allows operation over legacy optical fiber, reducing CAPEX by reusing installed infrastructure.

✅ 3. Cost Efficiency

  • Compared to coherent optics, PAM4 modules are:

    • Less expensive

    • Lower in power consumption

    • Smaller in size (pluggable form factor)

  • Significantly lowers OPEX for operators who need multiple 100G connections over dense, metro-scale fiber routes.

✅ 4. Maximum Scalability and Wavelength Flexibility

  • A single fiber pair can transmit up to 48+ 100G channels using DWDM grid spacing (50 GHz or 100 GHz).

  • Fully compatible with existing mux/demux, ROADM, and EDFA amplifiers in the DCI infrastructure.

🔗 Application Scenarios

Use Case Description
🌐 Enterprise Data Centers Connect multiple branches or backup data centers in different cities or metro zones.
☁️ Cloud Providers High-density 100G links between regional POPs, availability zones, or cloud exchanges.
🏭 Colocation Facilities Seamless interconnects between customers’ cages using dark fiber or shared DWDM infrastructure.
🚀 AI/ML Workloads Satisfies the latency and bandwidth demands of large-volume model training with distributed compute nodes.

🧰 Recommended Components

  • 100G QSFP28 DWDM PAM4 Transceivers

  • DWDM Mux/Demux Units (40–48 channels)

  • EDFA (Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifiers)

  • Dispersion Compensation Modules (if required)

  • FEC-enabled switches or routers (e.g., Arista, Cisco, Juniper)

🛠️ Performance Highlights

Metric Value
Data Rate 100 Gbps (per wavelength)
Modulation PAM4
Max Distance Up to 80 km
FEC RS-FEC / KP4 FEC (on host)
Channel Count Up to 48 channels DWDM
Power Consumption <5W (typical)
Form Factor QSFP28 or CFP2

🏁 Conclusion

The 100G DWDM PAM4 DCI solution is a future-ready, cost-efficient architecture that supports high-speed, long-range transmission over existing fiber networks. Whether you're operating a hyperscale data center, expanding regional presence, or enhancing private cloud connectivity, this solution enables fast deployment, minimal operational overhead, and ultimate network flexibility.

📩 Need help designing your 100G DCI network?
Contact our experts for customized PAM4 DWDM solutions tailored to your enterprise or carrier environment.

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