Traffic between data centers is growing faster than the fiber that connects them. Operators who once lit a few 100G wavelengths between two sites now plan for 400G and 800G per wavelength, and they want that capacity in a small amount of rack space with the protection features of a carrier network. The DCI5800 is a DWDM coherent transport platform designed for exactly that job.
Where it fits
DCI5800 targets point-to-point and small-ring interconnect between data centers, metro aggregation, and AI clusters that are spread across more than one building. It combines coherent line interfaces, client-side service cards, optical line functions and management in one chassis family, so a link can be built from a single platform instead of a stack of separate boxes.
Chassis and capacity
- 1U, 2U and 4U chassis options are described in the product specification.
- Stated system capacity is 3.2T for the 1U chassis and 6.4T for the 2U chassis (manufacturer-announced figures). 4U capacity is available on request.
- Line side: coherent, tunable interfaces at 100G, 200G, 400G and 800G per wavelength.
- Client side: 10G, 100G and 400G services, with service access from 1.25G up to 400GE.
Protection and line functions
Interconnect links are only as useful as their availability. DCI5800 supports dual main control, OLP 1+1 optical line protection and SNCP 1+1 path protection, so a fiber cut or a card failure does not have to take the service down. Built-in optical channel monitoring (OCM) and WSS support let the same platform act as an open optical line system (OLS) white box, which is useful when transponders from more than one source share a line.
800G with the T8E2 board
For 800G, the DCI5800-T8E2 transponder board takes 8 × 100G QSFP28 or 4 × 400G QSFP112 client signals and carries them on two pluggable 400G/800G CFP2-DCO coherent modules, using 16QAM at 800G, oFEC, and 96 tunable C-band channels at 50 GHz spacing. Engineering samples are available for project-based evaluation.
What to confirm before design review
Reach, OSNR margin, power consumption and exact port combinations depend on the transmission mode and the modules used, and they are not part of the public specification. Share your span lengths, fiber type, amplifier plan and target capacity, and we will confirm the figures that apply to your design in writing.