Project: Knowledge Transfer for Optical Communications

Acronym KTOC (Reference Number: 20SIP05)
Duration 01/08/2021 - 30/01/2023
Project Topic The global market for telecom infrastructure equipment has been forcasted to reach $504.56 billion by 2023. The introduction of such things as 5G fibre-optic connectivity requires the development of next generation optical equipment for deployment in data centres, banking, and the semiconductor industry.Transceiver vendors are expanding manufacturing capacity to keep match demands for 200 Gbit/s modules and faster. To meet increasingly stringent component specifications requires the adoption of improved international standards underpinned by robust measurement methods. The key outputs of EMRP project Morse were a traceable 'Error Vector Magnitude' metrological tool and the establishment of traceability for measurements for high-speed optical communication systems and connectivity calibration at 200 Gbit/s in a single optical channel using coherent technology. However, these research findings need to more widely adopted to accelerate industrial uptake. This project will disseminate the outcomes of the EMRP project via membership and interactions with IEC TC86 SC86B, the standardisation body responsible for revising IEC 62496-4-1:2019. It will also promote and improve adoption of a traceable Error Vector Magnitude metrological tool developed though scientific papers and posters at European conferences. This will aid the photonic sector in the implementation of duplex connectors optimised for 400 Gbit/s data centre operation. This work will help the communications industry, photonic component manufacturers and large-scale data centres upgrade to greater transmission speeds and improved bandwidth optimisation, required to meet the exponential growth in data rates for the next generation of optical networks.
Website visit project website
Network EMPIR
Call EMPIR Call 2020

Project partner

Number Name Role Country
1 NPL Management Limited Coordinator United Kingdom
2 Resolute Photonics UK Ltd Partner United Kingdom
3 SENKO Advanced Components (Euro) Limited Observer United Kingdom