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The FTB-8000 from EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering is a Sonet/SDH 10Gbit/s test module for protocol testing of high-performance optical networks.
The new FTB-8000, a test unit contained inside the FTB-400 platform, enables EXFO to become the first fibre-optic test and measurement manufacturer to fully integrate protocol-, optical- and physical-layer testing capabilities inside a single box for networks with data transmission rates as high as 10Gbit/s.
This best-of-class test module is ideally suited for metro and access networks since it can handle transmission rates from OC-192 (10Gbit/s) down to DS0 (64Kbit/s) in North America and STM-64 (10Gbit/s) down to E0 (64Kbit/s) in Europe and abroad within a single platform.
Altogether, the value-added FTB-400 platform supports a wide range of protocols, such as Sonet, SDH, T-Carrier, PDH, 10/100 Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet, through easily exchangeable test modules.
With this all-in-one test solution, a field technician can now correlate protocol-layer anomalies like bit or parity errors with optical- and physical-layer defects such as low optical-signal-to-noise-ratio (OSNR), excessive polarisation mode dispersion (PMD) or chromatic dispersion (CD).
As a result, the FTB-400 field-testing platform provides significant savings in terms of efficiency, testing time and cost-effectiveness.
Like all EXFO protocol-layer test instruments, the FTB-8000 comes with a smart user interface (SUI) for unparalleled ease of use and test scripting to automate field-testing processes.
It can also be operated remotely via the Visual Guardian Element Management System (EMS), a critical feature at the time of system turn-ups where long-term testing is required.
"Carriers are increasingly transporting OC-192c/STM-64c (10Gbit/s), OC-48c/STM-16c (2.5Gbit/s) and gigabit Ethernet across protocol-independent DWDM networks", said Sami Yazdi, President of EXFO Protocol, a wholly owned subsidiary of EXFO.
"These three interfaces, plus the best-in-class suite of optical- and physical-layer test modules inside a single test platform, create a unique value proposition that covers everything a carrier needs to turn-up a DWDM system and certify service to customers".
The FTB-8000 marks the second in a series of protocol-layer test modules that EXFO has introduced for its FTB-400 field-testing platform since the acquisition of Avantas Networks (now EXFO Protocol) in November 2001.
EXFO also released the Packet Blazer Gigabit Ethernet test module, which offers telecommunications carriers and network service providers the assurance that Gigabit Ethernet capabilities in their next-generation optical transport systems are working to their fullest potential.
"The integration of our protocol-layer testing technology into EXFO's platform has been swift and efficient", Yazdi added.
"We informed customers that we would have a fully integrated test solution ready for early 2002 and now we're delivering on our promise".
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