Alcatel‑Lucent KFA720 WMOTCMVLAB Optical System Interface Carrier

The Alcatel‑Lucent KFA720, identified by the hardware code WMOTCMVLAB, is a universal optical system interface carrier designed for high‑density optical transport and switching systems. This versatile carrier board accepts a wide range of pluggable optical transceivers, including SFP, SFP+, and XFP, and provides essential signal conditioning, clock and data recovery (CDR), and management functions necessary for reliable high‑speed optical communication.

Product Description

This carrier module acts as a physical and electrical bridge between the host system's backplane and the optical network. It supports data rates from 1 Gbps to 10 Gbps per port and includes advanced equalization and re‑timing circuits to compensate for signal degradation over backplane traces. The WMOTCMVLAB variant includes an enhanced microcontroller for improved digital optical monitoring (DOM) accuracy and supports both serial and parallel management interfaces.

Designed for use in Alcatel‑Lucent's 7750 SR, 1830 PSS, and other high‑end platforms, this carrier enables operators to select the optimal optics for each link – whether for short‑reach intra‑data‑center connections or long‑haul DWDM links – without replacing the entire line card.

Technical Specifications

• Product Type: Optical Interface Carrier

• Model: KFA720

• Variant Code: WMOTCMVLAB

• Transceiver Support: SFP (1G), SFP+ (10G), XFP (10G), and some SFP28 (25G) with limitations

• Number of Ports: 8 (SFP/SFP+) or 4 (XFP) – software configurable

• Data Rates per Port: 100 Mbps to 11.3 Gbps

• Signal Conditioning: Adaptive equalization, pre‑emphasis, de‑emphasis

• Clock and Data Recovery: Integrated CDR per lane with jitter attenuation

• Management Interface: I²C (SFF‑8472) and MDIO

• Diagnostics: Digital optical monitoring per port

• Power Supply: +3.3 V and +5 V from backplane

• Power Consumption: 30 W (fully loaded)

• Operating Temperature: 0°C to 55°C

• Dimensions: Standard full‑height, half‑length module

Key Features

• Multi‑rate and multi‑protocol support (Ethernet, SONET/SDH, Fibre Channel).

• Advanced signal integrity features for error‑free operation.

• Real‑time monitoring of optical parameters (temperature, voltage, bias, Tx/Rx power).

• Hot‑swappable transceivers with live insertion/removal.

• Per‑port loopback and pattern generator for diagnostics.

• Support for both copper DAC (direct attach cables) and optical modules.

Deployment Scenarios

The KFA720 is deployed in high‑density routers and optical transport platforms to terminate client‑side optics. For instance, in a data center interconnect (DCI) application, it can host 10GBASE‑LR transceivers to connect to metro DWDM equipment, while simultaneously hosting 10GBASE‑SR transceivers for intra‑rack connections. This flexibility reduces spare inventory and simplifies logistics.

In core routing, it aggregates 10G Ethernet streams from multiple customer edge routers and forwards them to the fabric for processing.

Management and Maintenance

The carrier board communicates with the host CPU via a PCIe or similar bus, exposing a comprehensive register set for each port. The management software can poll DOM values to predict transceiver failures. Firmware for the on‑board microcontroller is upgradable via the host system.

Compliance

The carrier is compliant with SFF‑8431, SFF‑8074i (SFP), and XFP MSA standards. It also meets IEEE 802.3ae (10GE) and ITU‑T G.709 requirements.

Conclusion

The Alcatel‑Lucent KFA720 WMOTCMVLAB optical system interface carrier is a powerful, flexible solution for optical connectivity. Its support for multiple transceiver types, advanced signal conditioning, and comprehensive diagnostics make it an indispensable component for modern packet‑optical networking.