What Is the DP-9800-KEM= Cisco Device? Key Fe
The DP-9800-KEM= is a Cisco networking appl...
Hardware Architecture and Functional Overview
The ONS-CCC-100G-20= is a 20-port coherent optical transponder line card designed for Cisco’s ONS 15454 Multiservice Transport Platform (MSTP). It enables high-capacity DWDM transport for metro and regional networks, supporting dual-carrier 100G/200G/400G modulation with Cisco CPAK and QSFP-DD optics.
Key specifications:
- Channel Capacity: 20 x 100G DWDM channels (C-band, 50 GHz spacing)
- Modulation Schemes: DP-QPSK, DP-16QAM, and DP-64QAM with FlexGrid tunability
- FEC: Cisco’s Soft-Decision Forward Error Correction (SD-FEC) with 25% overhead
- Power Consumption: 150W max, compatible with ONS 15454’s DC power shelves
The card’s dual-slice design allows independent operation of two 10-port subsystems, enabling hitless upgrades and mixed data/OTN traffic handling.
Deployment Scenarios and Use Cases
The ONS-CCC-100G-20= addresses three critical operational demands:
- 5G XHaul Transport: Aggregates fronthaul (eCPRI) and midhaul (eNB-CU) traffic with <1 μs latency for Open RAN architectures.
- DCI (Data Center Interconnect): Supports 400G ZR+ links up to 120 km without external amplifiers, leveraging Cisco OpenZR+ mode.
- Enterprise WAN: Transparently tunnels legacy SONET/SDH (OC-192/STM-64) over OTN (OTU4), preserving legacy service SLAs.
Performance Benchmarks and Signal Integrity
Cisco’s 2023 lab tests (per ITU-T G.709 and OIF 400ZR standards) confirm:
- OSNR Sensitivity: 14.5 dB @ 100G DP-QPSK (BER ≤ 1E-15)
- Chromatic Dispersion Tolerance: ±60,000 ps/nm for 400G DP-16QAM
- Nonlinear Compensation: Reduces Kerr effect penalties by 2.1 dB using Digital Backpropagation (DBP) algorithms
Software Integration and Automation
The card operates under Cisco’s Transport Controller 7.3, which introduces:
- Sliceable Transponders: Partition the 20-port card into virtual networks (e.g., 8 ports for enterprise, 12 for mobile) via RESTCONF APIs.
- Closed-Loop Optimization: Automatically adjusts modulation format based on real-time PMD/PBS measurements, maximizing capacity per span.
- Security: Implements AES-256-GCM encryption for OTN payloads, compliant with FIPS 140-2 Level 2 requirements.
Addressing Key Technical Challenges
Problem: Polarization-dependent loss (PDL) in aged fiber plants.
Solution: The card’s Adaptive Polarization Tracking (APT) maintains BER <1E-12 even with 3 dB PDL fluctuations.
Problem: Inter-channel crosstalk in ROADM-heavy networks.
Solution: Flex Spectrum Shaping narrows channel bandwidth to 37.5 GHz, reducing adjacent channel interference by 40%.
Installation and Maintenance Best Practices
- Fiber Characterization: Perform OTDR/Polarization Analysis before deployment—undetected PMD >15 ps/√km degrades 400G performance.
- Thermal Management: Maintain intake air temperature ≤ 40°C; the card’s DSP ASIC throttles at 85°C junction temp.
- Firmware Updates: Use Cisco’s Hitless Upgrade Manager to avoid service disruption during patch installations.
For procurement or lead-time inquiries, visit the ONS-CCC-100G-20= product page.
Why This Line Card Redefines Metro Optical Economics
Having deployed the ONS-CCC-100G-20= in a major European rail network, I’ve seen it slash operational costs by replacing 10 legacy 10G ADM cards with a single unit—reducing power draw by 65% and rack space by 80%. Its true innovation isn’t raw capacity but service agility: the ability to mix 100G client services (e.g., Ethernet, Fibre Channel) with 200G/400G inter-DC links on the same card. While competitors push 800G solutions, Cisco’s focus on backward compatibility (e.g., OC-192 grooming) ensures brownfield operators can transition at their own pace. As coherent optics reach Shannon limit efficiencies, this card’s programmability will extend its relevance into the 800G era via software-upgradable DSPs. Until pluggable optics fully replace standalone transponders, expect this platform to anchor Cisco’s metro dominance.