This product converts the parallel electrical input signals into parallel optical signals (light), by a driven Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) array. The light propagates through multimode fibers inside the fiber cable individually and is captured by the photo diode array. The optical signals are converted into parallel electrical signals and outputted. Consequently, each terminal of the cable has 8 ports, 4 for data transmission and 4 for data receiving, to provide totally 200Gb/s data exchange. Figure 1 shows the functional block diagram of the parallel AOC.

A single +3.3V power supply is required to power up this product. Both power supply pins VccTx and VccRx are internally connected and should be applied concurrently. As per MSA specifications the module offers 7 low speed hardware control pins (including the 2-wire serial interface): ModSelL, SCL, SDA, ResetL, LPMode, ModPrsL and IntL.

Module Select (ModSelL) is an input pin. When held low by the host, this product responds to 2-wire serial communication commands. The ModSelL allows the use of this product on a single 2-wire interface bus – individual ModSelL lines must be used. Serial Clock (SCL) and Serial Data (SDA) are required for the 2-wire serial bus communication interface and enable the host to access the memory map.

The ResetL pin enables a complete reset, returning the settings to their default state, when a low level on the ResetL pin is held for longer than the minimum pulse length. During the execution of a reset the host shall disregard all status bits until it indicates a completion of the reset interrupt. The product indicates this by posting an IntL (Interrupt) signal with the Data_Not_Ready bit negated in the memory map. Note that on power up (including hot insertion) the module should post this completion of reset interrupt without requiring a reset.

Initialize Mode (InitMode) is an input signal. It is pulled up to Vcc in the QSFP56 module. The InitMode signal allows the host to define whether the QSFP56 module will initialize under host software control (InitMode asserted High) or module hardware control (InitMode deasserted Low). Under host software control, the module shall remain in Low Power Mode until software enables the transition to High Power Mode, as defined in the QSFP56 Management Interface Specification. Under hardware control (InitMode de-asserted Low), the module may immediately transition to High Power Mode after the management interface is initialized. The host shall not change the state of this signal while the module is present. In legacy QSFP applications, this signal is named LPMode. See SFF-8679 for LPMode signal description.

Module Present (ModPrsL) is a signal local to the host board which, in the absence of a product, is normally pulled up to the host Vcc. When the product is inserted into the connector, it completes the path to ground through a resistor on the host board and asserts the signal. ModPrsL then indicates its present by setting ModPrsL to a “Low” state.

Interrupt (IntL) is an output pin. “Low” indicates a possible operational fault or a status critical to the host system. The host identifies the source of the interrupt using the 2-wire serial interface. The IntL pin is an open collector output and must be pulled to the Host Vcc voltage on the Host board.