Agilent introduces complete optical receiver stress test solution

March 28, 2007, Anaheim, CA--Agilent Technologies (Santa Clara, CA) introduced a complete optical receiver stress test solution at the OFCC/NFOEC conference this week. The Agilent N4917A optical receiver stress test set provides repeatable conformance and characterization test results. Design and test engineers in the communications and storage industry can now accurately characterize and verify standard conformance of receive optical sub assemblies and transceiver modules operating up to 12.5 Gb/s.

Optical component vendors are experiencing a certain revival after years of industry consolidation -- especially due to increasing demand for 10 Gb Ethernet and next-generation Fibre Channel deployments, which are driving optical component redesigns and optimizations. Most multi-source agreements require 10 Gb/s components that tolerate Ethernet and Fibre Channel data rates and encodings.

In the past, engineers had to select, calibrate and operate test equipment, adapters and cables from many different vendors. For each standard, different instrument setups, filters and cabling were required. Correct interpretation of the test approach for each standard required in-depth insight of experienced engineers in the lab. All this led to difficult-to-reproduce and hard-to-compare test results between different labs or even between suppliers and users. The new Agilent N4917A optical receiver stress test set provides R&D and test engineers with a complete test solution.

The automation software controls all instruments and allows the user to inject compliant and variable extinction ratio and optical modulation amplitude to stress the receiver under test. The Agilent 81490A reference transmitter supports 1310 nm as well as 1550 nm single mode fibers, reducing the amount of test equipment needed when testing devices for multiple standards. The new Agilent adapter kits with verified filters and cables make measurements more reproducible across different test sites.

"Agilent's complete optical receiver stress test solution combines the strengths of Agilent's leading physical layer test products with our decades of expertise in optical measurement," said Siegfried Gross, vice president and general manager of Agilent's Digital Verification Solutions. "Custom test setups required lots of tuning, which occupied engineering resources and were hard to reproduce."

For more information, contact Agilent.