Oclaro, Inc. announced that it is integrating its 400 Gbps technology into the QSFP-DD high-density transceiver form factor. This new 400 Gbps (4x100G PAM4) QSFP56-DD module will enable 36 ports of 400 Gbps per 1RU, representing a 400% increase in bandwidth and faceplate density compared to similar-sized 100 Gbps QSFP28 transceivers. Oclaro will be showcasing its 400 Gbps QSFP56-DD FR4 technology at the upcoming OFC show, booth #2812, on March 11-15 in San Diego. The data center market is in constant demand for greater bandwidth to support existing and emerging applications such as streaming video, cloud services, and the Internet of Things. Data center traffic is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27%, reaching 19.5 ZB per year in 2021. Thus, the move to 400 Gbps optical interconnects is critical, but it must be done cost effectively and with power efficiency. The best way to accomplish this is by maximizing the data rate of each individual laser, which is the proven way to minimize cost and power consumption. Oclaro's QSFP56-DD optical transceiver contains four lasers operating at 100 Gbps each and uses PAM4 modulation to realize an aggregate data rate of 400 Gbps. The Oclaro 400 Gbps QSFP56-DD FR4 module offers superior optical performance, quality and reliability through the use of Oclaro's leading 100 Gbps PAM4 (53 GBaud) lasers that enable 4x100G PAM4 solutions. This module is compliant to 53.125 GBd PAM4 x 4 wavelength 400G-FR4 optical interface, the 26.5625 GBd PAM4 x 8 lane 400GAUI-8 electrical interface, and the QSFP-DD MSA form factor specifications. Additional features include the following: Transmission distance of up to 2 km, which supports 95% of the links in data centers; Compact size that enables as many as 36 ports in 1RU; Hot pluggability to allow installation or removal without powering down entire switches or line cards; and Field pluggability to enable a "pay as you grow" approach to capacity increase. Oclaro expects to begin sampling 400G QSFP56-DD modules in calendar third quarter of 2018.