UWB Crest

OOFDM for Cost Effective Access Networks (OCEAN)

Project description

Optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OOFDM) is one of the hottest optical communications technologies of today. The OCEAN project brings together world-class expertise to develop the OOFDM technology for applications in future optical access networks. The consortium consists of partners with the necessary know-how in research, mass production of electronic components, high-speed optical transceiver design and packaging, professional modelling of optical components and systems and system vendors . The overall objectives are to:

  • Develop world-first, commercially exploitable, cost-effective, versatile, >20Gb/s OOFDM transceiver modules with real-time performance monitoring and adaptive performance optimisation;

  • Develop commercially exploitable, >20Gb/s OOFDM PON system prototypes with per user link parameter awareness and performance optimisation, as well as management system features for upgrading installed legacy access networks;

  • Demonstrate OOFDM WDM PONs capable of supporting 32 wavelengths at 100GHz frequency spacing, >20Gb/s over >60km per wavelength channel with automatic and dynamic link performance optimisation.

  • Undertake comprehensive lab trials of the developed OOFDM prototypes in a carrier-like environment for successfully providing real-time services at >1Gb/s per subscriber.

 

A number of innovative solutions will be proposed, optimised and implemented, which range from key component technologies, OOFDM transceiver design and system architecture. The major targeted innovations are:

  • Development of optimised DACs/ADCs with suitable high-speed digital interfaces for FPGAs;
  • Optimisation of real-time DSP algorithms to considerably reduce the logic element usage and implementation complexity to allow enhanced transceiver functionalities and performances;
  • Novel OOFDM transceiver designs allowing low-cost components to be utilised but offering significantly improved signal capacity, enhanced system flexibility and performance robustness;
  • Colourless OOFDM WDM PONs.

 Towards the end of the project, the following achievements will be made:

  • Commercially exploitable >20Gb/s OOFDM transceiver modules and >20Gb/s OOFDM PON system prototypes with the above-mentioned features;
  • Provision of “future-proof” end-to-end OCEAN solutions capable of offering multi-service capability with guaranteed QoS at minimum 1Gb/s and scalable capacities adaptive to the user link characteristics;
  • Comprehensive techno-economic analysis and OCEAN technology roadmap to drive inputs in standards fora;
  • Recommendations on the feasibility of utilising OOFDM to upgrade installed legacy access networks to provide end-users with >1Gb/s per subscriber