EXFO debuts portable 100G Ethernet tester/GigOptix enables sub-1-W for 120-Gbps parallel optics links

MAY 29, 2009 -- EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering Inc. (search Lightwave for EXFO) has launched the FTB-85100G Packet Blazer, which it asserts is the industry's first portable 100-Gbps and 40-Gbps Ethernet tester in a single module. Built for applications demanding portability, ruggedness, and ease of use, the FTB-85100G is designed to enable multiple teams to efficiently execute lab, trial, and deployment testing using a single Ethernet tester, thus maximizing testing investment across the entire product lifecycle. Housed in the recently introduced FTB-500 platform, the FTB-85100G Packet Blazer is engineered to be a rugged, portable 100-Gbps Ethernet test instrument offering Layer 1/2/3 traffic generation and analysis features to stress and validate network elements and network services against demanding corner cases. The FTB-85100G supports multiple transceiver interfaces (CFP, CXP, and QSFP) to provide flexibility to cover all possible equipment and network designs for high-speed transport alternatives. Users can also generate and analyze 100- and 40-Gbps line-rate Ethernet and IP packets, as well as perform EtherBERT tests, all via an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI). The FTB-85100G can execute multilayer testing to rapidly validate physical-layer characteristics and accurately benchmark Ethernet/IP performance of equipment and high-speed packet transport networks, EXFO asserts. "Transport capacity constraints must be addressed quickly, but expansion must still be cost-efficient. To establish performance expectations, sound and comprehensive testing strategies are critical at every stage of the product lifecycle -- especially with emerging technologies," said Etienne Gagnon, EXFO's vice-president of product management and marketing. JUNE 18, 2009 -- GigOptix Inc. (search Lightwave for GigOptix) says it has successfully demonstrated error-free 10-Gbps optical links over 100 m of multimode fiber (MMF) operating with less than 81 mW per channel or 8 mW/Gbps. These links used "off the shelf" 850-nm O/E components and GigOptix's HXT/R4 series of multichannel VCSEL driver and receiver arrays with a single power supply. The company calls it "a major step in parallel optics solutions" as it will enable 12-channel links used in SNAP12, CXP, and 100GBase-SR10 standards to achieve sub-1-W power dissipation. Commercially available 12-channel parallel optics modules operating at 6.25 Gbps/channel offer an aggregate bandwidth of 75 Gbps with power consumption of 53 mW/Gbps or in the range of 300 mW/channel. GigOptix says its 10-Gbps solution offers 120 Gbps and results demonstrate more than 6x improvement over the previous generations with a single power supply. "Network demand continues to grow at a fast pace and parallel optics provides many benefits over traditional copper connections in broadband networks," says Daryl Inniss, vice president and practice leader of communications component of Ovum. "Continuously driving down the energy per bit is key to accelerating the adoption in the enterprise segment. GigOptix is setting a significant benchmark with these results." "This is a great result that confirms the value of the 10-Gbps implementation with new technology concepts to reduce power. We also have more system optimization ideas which, we believe, can improve on these results with further cooperation with our customers," says Joerg Wieland, vice president and general manager of GigOptix-Helix. "System integrators can now produce unprecedented power efficiency for high-density, board-to-board interconnects for high-end servers and routers. This new generation provides higher bandwidths and greatly reduces system power dissipation, which will enable data center managers to save significantly on energy costs due to heat management." The HXT/R4 family is designed for use in active optical cables (AOCs) and SNAP12 and QSFP optical modules while serving the fast-growing markets of high-performance computing optical interconnects, switch and router optical backplanes, and the new 40G and 100G Ethernet standards.