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The Cloud Connected Apps Economy: Achieving Frictionless Global Connectivity with New Innovation in Wireless and Wireline Technology Trends and transformations in online multimedia distribution, mobile wireless and cloud computing require new approaches to Internet bandwidth optimization As Internet technology has evolved, our methods of communication, entertainment, education, healthcare and business have evolved as well, radically transforming entire industries and institutions. We consume, produce and share information and multimedia content in brand new ways at previously unimaginable speeds, with profound implications for the global community. With the ever accelerating distribution of HD video and multimedia content, the continued proliferation of wireless devices and infrastructure, and increased reliance on cloud computing platforms, bandwidth requirements are growing exponentially. To keep pace with these demands, new innovation in wireless, cable and optical networking technology will be essential. Sustained progress in these domains will one day yield a true global network that’s accessible from anywhere on the planet, providing near real-time responsiveness with seemingly limitless bandwidth elasticity, in the smallest possible environmental footprint. This is MACOM’s vision of the Infinite Internet, and it will require a new breed of high-performance semiconductor solutions to underpin tomorrow’s wireless and wireline infrastructure.

The Online Video and Multimedia Content Deluge The growing popularity of bandwidth-intensive streaming media and video on demand (VOD) platforms like Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu is changing the way we consume multimedia, giving us access to an ever expanding range of programming whenever and wherever we want it via our set top boxes, PCs, tablets and smartphones. Demand for online multimedia content delivery is growing quickly and is expected to soar in the coming years. Recent research indicates that global Internet video traffic will grow four-fold from 2012 to 2017 - a compound annual growth rate of 30% - and total global


Internet video traffic is projected to be 67% of all Internet traffic in 2017, up from 52% in 2012 (source: Cisco). This accelerating demand for online video and multimedia content is putting increasing strain on our Internet backbone, and this strain can directly impact the user experience. Screen freeze and slow download/buffering speeds remain frustratingly commonplace. In the absence of new and/or upgraded Internet infrastructure, these issues will only grow more pronounced as more and more consumers vie for less and less available bandwidth. The continued roll-out of 3D programming and the advent of the 4K Ultra HD video format will compound these issues considerably, and the bandwidth burdens associated with these formats will likely delay their mass market adoption. For consumers, content providers and carriers alike, realizing the full promise of seamless, ‘anytime anywhere’ HD+ caliber online video and multimedia content delivery hinges on our ability to defy these Internet bandwidth limitations. Wireless for Everyone and Everything Skyrocketing global demand for high-speed mobile/remote broadband access is fueling unprecedented innovation in the wireless domain. From developed to developing countries, from metro to rural communities, global wireless connectivity promises more than just a means to communicate more easily with friends and family or access online entertainment. Global wireless connectivity is the key to unlocking the full potential of telemedicine, long-distance education, mobile commerce, and scientific exploration – essential drivers of prosperity and development. There were more than 1 billion mobile broadband users in 2012; by 2016 there will be 5 billion mobile broadband users (source: Ericsson). This is a staggering growth rate, and yet it only accounts for one dimension of wireless usage – personal wireless communication. The coming era of the ‘Internet of Things’ – comprised of uniquely identifiable/traceable physical objects wirelessly interconnected with the Internet – will introduce a host of new wireless requirements for a wide range of applications including supply chain management, smart metering, home automation, big data analytics, and many more. More than 30 billion devices are expected to be wirelessly connected to the Internet of Things by 2020 (source: ABI Research), and the Internet of Things has the potential to add $10-15 trillion to global GDP by 2030 (source: General Electric). To accommodate these burgeoning demands on our wireless networks, wireless infrastructure will continue to proliferate at a very high rate. The underlying strain on our point-to-point radio backhaul networks and cellular base stations will introduce significant challenges for designers of next-generation wireless communication systems.


Computing in the Cloud The rise of cloud computing has fundamentally transformed the management of information technology for business applications. Where previously businesses relied on dedicated onsite hardware and software to meet their IT requirements, the shift toward globally-accessible, virtual IT resources spanning server, storage and networking platforms has enabled breakthrough management agility and cost efficiencies. The cloud computing value proposition is particularly compelling for the high-growth small and medium businesses (SMB) market. Cloud-based applications and on-demand computing resources help SMBs minimize capital expenditures and maximize IT budget flexibility while allowing them to take advantage of advanced technologies via affordable, pay-as-you-go software as a service (SaaS) subscription models. As more and more SMBs transition to cloud computing platforms, SMB spending on cloud solutions is expected to grow by almost 20% annually over the next five years (source: IDC). As the adoption of cloud computing accelerates for businesses of all sizes, petabytes of aggregate data traffic will shift from local area networks to the Internet. Ironically, the stress this puts on our Internet infrastructure will test cloud providers’ abilities to ensure seamless business continuity and optimal network performance and data access speeds for their customers. Next-generation Internet Infrastructure Requirements Whether building out new Internet infrastructure or upgrading existing network foundations, it’s imperative that network operators make the most of their investments. Hardware must be optimized for maximum performance and future-proofed for maximum longevity. Benefits will be measured across system size, weight, power (SWaP) and performance profiles, and investments prioritized by projected revenue returns. By minimizing design and deployment complexity, time-to-market is accelerated. MACOM is setting the pace for industry innovation across the wireless and wireline domains. Innovations in Wireless Technology With global 2G wireless infrastructure coverage at greater than 95% and 3G coverage at similar rates in the developed world, the market emphasis has clearly shifted to delivering the data capacity that subscribers require to access their rich multimedia and cloud based services on the go. It is estimated that demand for wireless capacity doubles every 18 months. Furthermore, as subscribers grow accustomed to high data rate connections, they expect these services to be accessible everywhere, both indoor and outdoor, from rural areas to high density geographies and large buildings and facilities.


A wireless network’s capacity can effectively be summarized with the following simple equation:

𝑁𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦= 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 ∗ 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑚 𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 ∗ 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦

Network capacity, expressed in Mb/s/km2, quantifies how much data traffic can be delivered to subscribers in a 1km2 area. Spectral efficiency, expressed in Mb/s/Hz, quantifies how efficient the wireless access technology is at utilizing available spectrum. Spectrum availability, expressed in Hz, is simply the licensed spectrum available to an operator. It’s been forecasted that without revolutionary changes to access technologies – for example, use of millimeter waves as a cellular access technology – there is little room to increase available spectrum by more than a factor of 2X, accompanied by a factor of 2X improvement in the spectral efficiency, achievable by refarming existing 2G and 3G spectrum to more efficient LTE or LTE-A, or by means of carrier aggregation and higher order MIMO techniques. It stands to reason that on the current trajectory of data demand, increased improvements in spatial efficiency will be required within a 3 to 5 year timeframe. It has been estimated that small cells could deliver a 10X spatial efficiency improvement relative to macro cells, and thus would extend the useful life of existing wireless protocols such as WCDMA, LTE and LTE-A by up to 5 years. With the exception of low power indoor consumer small cells (otherwise known as femtocells), interference and handover between small cells and the macro cell under which they fall introduce significant network integration challenges, requiring Self-Optimizing Network (SON) strategies and technologies such as Enhanced Inter-cell Interference Coordination (eICIC) to be employed. The initial concept of the small cell was born of the desire to provide capacity enhancements to hot-spots in the network. More recently, however, this perceived role has begun to change, and now small cells are being deployed to address coverage gaps. As such, the required reliability of both the small cell access and its backhaul to the core network is now being held to the highest standards of the macro network. For this reason, technologies with high intrinsic reliability and power efficiency such as Gallium Nitride (GaN) and backhaul using licensed or light licensed spectrum such as microwave and E-Band millimeter-wave point-to-point will be key enablers of optimized hardware solutions for this market. Outdoor small cells are expected to be installed on “street furniture” – lamp posts, for example – and on the sides of buildings, and they need to support 3G, 4G, WiFi and backhaul. Therefore, size, weight, and cost are the key challenges facing engineers


designing small cell base stations, so they are looking for ways to shrink board size and reduce the component count. In addition, due to the shortage of suitable locations, and also due to permitting issues, it’s advantageous to deploy multi-band small cells. This approach reduces the overall number of small cells needed for deployment. Unlike macro base stations, small cell enclosures don’t readily facilitate heat sinking or air cooling, which imposes limitations on the amount of heat and consequently power a small cell can dissipate. Of the major components within the radio, the power amplifier (PA) typically occupies the largest percentage of board area and dissipates the largest percentage of power, thus generating the most heat. The recent integration of PA linearization techniques like digital pre-distortion (DPD) and crest factor reduction (CFR) into the baseband processers of small cells will improve efficiency and reduce power dissipation. It also enables the adoption of GaN power amplifiers, which are more efficient and more correctable than power amplifiers fabricated with other technologies. GaN power amplifiers with linear efficiencies of greater than 70% have been demonstrated. Compared to other mainstream technologies, GaN power devices cover wider bandwidth for any given power level, and facilitate smaller system form factors due to their high power density. MACOM’s GaN in Plastic packaged power amplifiers and modules minimize board space constraints and can reduce the cost of designing and manufacturing small cells. MACOM is the only supplier of dual-fabrication, copy-exact 0.5um and 0.25um GaN processes, ensuring a robust supply chain. In order to support the combined data rates of a macro cell and the small cells which fall under its umbrella – which in combination could be >10X the data rate of a single macro base station – two approaches are being employed. Higher spectral efficiencies are being achieved using higher order modulations, now up to 4096QAM in traditional 6-42 GHz microwave links. It is important to note that higher order modulation schemes offer diminishing returns, as an increase from 1024QAM to 4096QAM improves throughput by just 20%, while dynamic range in the radio must increase by a factor of 4X. Millimeter wave frequency bands, such as Q-Band (38 and 42 GHz) and E-Band (71-76 and 81-86 GHz), offer dramatically wider frequency bands.


The growing demand on cellular data capacity and data rates is leading to greater capacity demands on the microwave backhaul, and MACOM is focusing on the performance requirements and bands of operation that best address this growing need. The 42 GHz band is an emerging band for microwave backhaul, offering the advantage of very little crowding. Also, with high order modulation schemes, the wide channels in this band enable very high data rates to be passed. MACOM has addressed radio manufacturers’ need to use high order modulation in this band by offering the most linear component chipset available on the market. With the ever increasing demand for bandwidth pushing microwave radio backhaul up to the 71-86 GHz band (E-Band), where atmospheric attenuation is high, forming a link over practical distances relies on a relatively high power level in the PA. Data rates up to

10Gbps are achievable in this band with high order modulation schemes, so high PA power is also needed to compensate for the high SNR needed to detect these signals. To meet these demands, MACOM has developed a family of E-band PAs which lead the market in terms of power and linearity. As the E-Band backhaul market grows and matures, there will be

increasing emphasis on next generation E-Band products and systems. There is already a push for components supplied in SMD packages, in contrast to the ‘chip and wire’ technology commonly used for E-Band today. MACOM remains a leader in SMD packaging of traditional millimeter wave backhaul products for bands such as 38 and 42 GHz, and is well positioned to produce leading E-Band SMD products in the future. Further, as the application of E-Band expands into small cell networks, radio volumes are expected to increase rapidly, while the RF performance of each radio will not be as critical. MACOM’s experience in designing chipsets from a system perspective allows for products to be designed and released quickly to meet these changing needs. Further, MACOM couples this system experience with the ability to use a range of semiconductor technologies to best suit the performance and cost required. Advancements in Optoelectronics The core fiber optic network which comprises the backbone of all data and voice communications is transitioning through an upgrade cycle to 100Gbps. This upgrade has been enabled by the use of coherent technology with complex modulation schemes which increases the bandwidth efficiency of a communications link. The fiber bandwidth which was seemingly limitless a few decades ago is being pushed to its real limit, and


more complex transmitters and receivers with high speed electronics are required to enable data rates of 100Gbps and beyond in a cost efficient manner. The upgrade of the core network began in the long haul links, as these were the initial bottlenecks in the telecom network. These systems require the highest levels of performance, while volumes are relatively low and cost and size are therefore not very significant factors. They use expensive, large optical modulators requiring large drive voltage, which in turn drives up power consumption. MACOM’s quad-channel modulator drivers in GPPO modules are targeted at these high end systems. By integrating the multi-channel drivers in this ‘gold box’ type of package, the interface between the driver and Mach Zehnder modulator is optimized, thus guaranteeing the best performance in terms of bit-error-rate (BER) and optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR). The next significant phase in the network upgrade is the transition of metropolitan networks to 100Gbs. Metro links today are typically less than 400 km, able to surround most large metropolitan areas. The number of links required to achieve 100Gbs goes up by an order of magnitude in this type of environment, and cost becomes an increasingly important factor in the decision to upgrade. Size and power also become very important as operators try to squeeze as many ports as possible into their available rack space. Multi-source agreements (MSA) define common form factor transceiver modules with specific levels of performance and interoperability to drive down costs and to enable multiple vendors to provide common solutions which can be hot-plugged into communications line cards. The next generation of coherent 100Gbs systems will use pluggable CFP and CFP2 transceiver modules – with much lower cost, size and power requirements. These modules will use surface mount Indium Phosphide (InP) and Silicon (Si) modulators requiring much lower drive voltages. The CFP and CFP2 form factors introduce significant size constraints that necessitate the integration of four driver channels into ultra compact surface mount packages. MACOM’s line of quad-channel surface mount drivers has been developed in close collaboration with optical modulator suppliers to ensure that both the electrical and mechanical interfaces are optimized. Many new systems also require linear amplification to allow pulse shaping and higher order QAM modulation schemes. MACOM’s portfolio of linear and limiting drivers includes single-ended drivers for LN and Si modulators and differential drivers for InP modulators. The transition to 100Gbps is also happening on the client side and in enterprise networks, and will propagate to the data centers. 100Gbps Ethernet (100GbE) is now a reality with the approval of the IEEE 802.3ba standard. The distances here are much lower, with the majority being less than 10 km, but the cost, size and power requirements are also much lower. CFP form factor modules have been shipping in volume with CFP2, and CFP4 will be released to production very soon. MACOM has the lowest power and smallest form factor EML and DML driver solutions available on the


market today for 100GbE applications up to 10 km. These solutions are available in ultra small surface mount packages or in die form for integration directly into a Transmitter Optical Subassembly (TOSA). As volumes increase and the drive to reduce costs continues, photonic integrated circuits become more and more attractive. Advances in the integration of optical components on both Si and InP substrates have made optical integrated circuits a reality and electro-optic integration a real possibility. Just as monolithic integration in electrical circuits drove down costs by orders of magnitude, the same can be expected in optical circuits as long as the volume is there to support the investment. As a semiconductor supplier, MACOM is a firm believer in this trend and is aligning itself with industry leaders in this space to ensure that it has all of the capabilities in place to provide the optimum solutions to its customers. CATV & Broadband Internet Infrastructure As mentioned previously, one of the primary drivers of next-generation Internet infrastructure is video demand. When it comes to answering this demand, no data pipe offers more customers more bandwidth than cable TV and broadband Internet infrastructure. In North America, for example, 60% of subscribers get their Internet from cable companies, and cable broadband subscribers are growing at 7% CAGR. Despite the perception that the cable industry is challenged by over the top services such as Netflix, in reality, these services are driving increased demand for the value data pipe. Increased data demand is driving cable operators’ average revenue per user (ARPU) and subscriber numbers toward continued growth. Today the cable industry is poised to maintain and even improve profitability as it charges a premium for the provisioning of the bandwidth that enables data intensive services such as Netflix. To keep pace with the exponential growth in data demand while simultaneously leveraging previously deployed fiber and copper, cable networks are working toward the deployment of DOCSIS 3.1 (Data over cable service interface specification)equipment, with three core differentiations: high density modulation schemes to increase the network capacity, channel bonding schemes to increase individual user instantaneous download bandwidth, and new frequency splits to address the legacy asymmetry of the medium, which has heretofore limited upload data rates.


CableTec Expo ’13 Jeff Finkelstein, Cox Communications

Source: www.cablelabs.com/cablemodem/specifications/


All of these changes will require changes to the active and passive components within the infrastructure and customer premise equipment – higher power, linearity and bandwidth amplifiers, improved rejection filters, and a full new suite of power dividers and couplers – essentially a full refresh of the equipment toolkit. To address the toolkit refresh that is now underway, MACOM continues to develop a suite of new product families. GaN infrastructure amplifiers offer MSOs (multiple system operator) significant OPEX and CAPEX benefits. GaN offers the ability to increase output powers without sacrificing linearity. It also allows for DC power reduction in the HFC (Hybrid fiber-coaxial) networks. MACOM offers a family of D3.1 Push-Pull and Power Doubler GaN solutions, such as the MAGA-011003 and MAGA-011004, in both plastic and hybrid formats. The higher power levels combined with extended frequency requirements of DOCSIS3.1 place much greater demands on the passive components in the system amplifier. Diplex filters need to deliver very high isolation and return loss while simultaneously maintaining the lowest possible insertion loss. Passives need to exhibit multi-octave flat response and not contribute to system distortion. MACOM offers the broadest portfolio of DOCSIS3.1 ready transformers, power dividers/combiners, couplers and diplex filters to meet these new system challenges. DOCSIS3.1 extends frequency bands in both the forward and reverse paths. In order to meet the challenges of next generation architecture, MACOM has developed a family of 300 MHz reverse path single-ended, differential and variable gain amplifiers. For example, the MAAM-011186 is a 5V/8V solution exhibiting very low distortion, high linearity and 30.5 dB attenuation range. MACOM continues to invest in a family of FTTx amplifiers, offering the MAAM-010333 and MAAM-008863, which have been developed specifically to meet Radio Frequency over Glass (RFoG) and Passive Optical Network (PON) system requirements. These amplifiers integrate the TIA, analogue attenuator and RF gain stages into a space saving 3mm QFN package. The portfolio roadmap exhibits improved SNR, allowing operators to address broader optical input ranges of -12 to +2dBm in a single device. It is MACOM’s vision that cable will not only remain a competitive data delivery medium to the customers’ premises, but that the value of this delivery medium, coupled with advances in security and authentication, will enable cable operators to extend their reach with the provision of very high speed in-home wired and wireless communication systems, such as MOCA (Multimedia over coax alliance) and 802.11ac. With regard to MOCA, simultaneously supporting next generation MOCA systems and new DOCSIS 3.1 interfaces to the core network requires extremely high performance filter technology. MACOM offers a market leading platform of high performance,


surface mount Triplex filters covering the 42/54, 65/88, 85/108 MHz, and 204/258 MHz bands. These parts are MoCA 2.0 compliant and are fully footprint compatible, allowing for simplified front-end designs and quicker design cycles. To address wireless in-home distribution, MACOM leverages our expertise in 802.11 and differentiated in-house processes to offer highly integrated front end modules. For example, MACOM’s monolithic multifunction SPDT bypass LNA, the MAMF-010614, offers customers a compact 2 mm STQFN, simple frontend implementation in their CPE (customer premises equipment) system. Achieving the Infinite Internet MACOM’s 60+ years of experience, expertise and leadership in advanced wireless and wireline technologies ensures that its customers are well positioned to meet the burgeoning bandwidth demands driven by continued growth in online video and multimedia consumption, wireless infrastructure proliferation and cloud computing adoption – a sweeping transformation that will ultimately yield a seemingly Infinite Internet. To learn more about MACOM’s comprehensive product portfolio for wireless, optoelectronic and CATV/broadband infrastructure, visit www.macom.com

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The Cloud Connected Apps Economy: Achieving … Cloud Connected... · The Cloud Connected Apps Economy: Achieving Frictionless Global Connectivity with New Innovation in ... Ericsson)