EXFO FTB-88100NGE Power Blazer test module addresses field deployments to 100G

EXFO Inc. (NASDAQ: EXFO) (TSX: EXF) has unveiled its second 100-Gbps related field test product, the FTB-88100NGE Power Blazer Multiservice Test Module. The FTB-88100NGE Power Blazer supports network deployment applications from 10 Mbps to 100 Gbps (including 40 Gbps) in a wide variety of network applications, including SONET/SDH, Optical Transport Network (OTN), and Ethernet.

According to Karim Fahim, group manager - transport product line management at EXFO, carriers stepping up to 100 Gbps face a variety of challenges, particularly in environments where 100-Gbps signals will run alongside existing, lower-speed traffic. Not the least of these is meeting the need for high-speed transmission testing in an economical fashion.

The FTB-88100NGE Power Blazer meets these requirements by not only offering 100-Gbps field test and measurement capabilities, but doing so in a way that doesn’t require separate test equipment for 100G and lower-speed applications, or to test signals running via different protocols, Fahim said.

Fahim acknowledged that 100-Gbps transmission can take multiple forms, from serial to parallel. EXFO accommodates this fact by enabling technicians to use pluggable CFPs to match the instrument’s interface to the application’s demands.

The FTB-88100NGE Power Blazer should find use in both initial equipment commissioning and service turn-up applications, Fahim predicted. The platform can be paired when necessary with other EXFO fiber-optic test equipment, including optical spectrum analyzers with the recently unveiled WDM Investigator option (see “EXFO’s WDM Investigator helps troubleshoot coherent networks”). The system also is compatible with EXFO’s EXFO Connect, which provides access to EXFO’s cloud-based services, including centralized management of test units and data.

The instrument also has a number of features designed to simplify use. These include an easy-to-use GUI, remote management, battery operation, and integrated optical tools. The FTB-88100NGE’s FLEX configuration enables users to match the unit’s test capabilities to their current needs, while additional rates and interfaces can be enabled with a simple software key in the field.

The FTB-88100NGE Power Blazer is available now. Fahim says that EXFO has already engaged a few “select customers.” Field trials of the new module should begin soon, he predicted.

For more information on field test equipment and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.