ClariPhy Announces Bookham Design Win Enabling First MLSE-Based 10 Gb/s Small Form Factor 300 Pin Transponder

ClariPhy Communications, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company specializing in high speed communications ICs, today announced that Bookham, Inc., (Nasdaq: BKHM), a provider of optical components and modules to the telecom industry, has incorporated ClariPhy’s CL1012 clock and data recovery (CDR) IC with maximum likelihood sequence estimation (MLSE) into its new TL9000M small form factor (SFF) 300 pin transponder. Bookham announced the launch of its new product today at the OFC/NFOEC tradeshow (www.ofcnfoec.org) in San Diego, California. ClariPhy’s CL1012 IC is the first and only 10 gigabit per second (Gb/s) MLSE solution available in single-chip CMOS technology, and delivers industry-leading power and performance in the electronic dispersion compensation (EDC) of impairments inherent to optical fiber in telecommunications (telecom) networks.

“The significant performance, cost, size and power dissipation advantages this solution offers have been enabled by the combination of the Bookham indium phosphide building blocks and the MLSE technology provided by ClariPhy. We look forward to delivering significant cost savings to network equipment manufacturers, and seeing widespread deployment of this application over a greater percentage of installed fiber routes,” said Chris Clarke, Vice President of Strategy and Chief Engineer at Bookham.

“We are very excited to contribute to Bookham’s milestone product,” said Dr. Paul Voois, Co-founder and CEO of ClariPhy. “By delivering the proven benefits of MLSE in a small form factor 300 pin transponder, Bookham has established a new benchmark in power and performance for dispersion-tolerant modules, and has presented a significant value proposition to telecom equipment providers and carriers. We commend Bookham on its achievement.”

The CL1012 IC delivers the known benefits of MLSE – improved tolerance to chromatic dispersion (CD), polarization mode dispersion (PMD) and nonlinear distortion, impairments that are prevalent in telecom networks – in a 10x10 mm2 package that dissipates less than 2 watts of power, thereby enabling these benefits for the first time in a small form factor 300 pin transponder. Carriers deploying the CL1012 in their optical modules will realize both opex and capex savings by reducing or eliminating expensive and bulky optical dispersion compensation equipment, avoiding the need for fiber characterization, and enabling the use of a greater percentage of their installed fiber.

ClariPhy will demonstrate its MLSE ICs in a private suite at the OFC/NFOEC conference (www.ofcnfoec.org) in San Diego, California on March 22-26, 2009. To arrange to see the demo at OFC, please contact Oswin Schreiber at 858-531-7012 or [e-mail].

About ClariPhy

ClariPhy Communications, Inc. develops mixed-signal CMOS integrated circuits (ICs) that enable ubiquitous adoption of advanced signal processing technology in 10, 40 and 100 Gb/s optical networks, thereby eliminating the cost and legacy infrastructure barriers to widespread deployment. ClariPhy is headquartered in Irvine, CA, and has an office in Silicon Valley and a design center in Cordoba, Argentina. ClariPhy’s investors include Norwest Venture Partners, Onset Ventures, Allegis Capital and Pacific General Ventures. For more information, please visit www.clariphy.com.