Spirent launches 40-Gbit SONET framing and jitter testing solution

Spirent Communications, a wholly owned business group of Spirent plc, has launched what it claims is the first totally integrated solution with SONET framing and jitter testing for 40-Gigabit electrical and optical devices.

"Unlike existing products, which first de-multiplex the 40-Gbit stream into lower rate channels before performing analysis, the OTA-4400 works at the 40-Gbit stream, allowing for extensive capabilities beyond Layer 1 40-G Bit Error Rate (BER) testing," contends Jason Nutt, director of marketing for the OTA-4400.

Spirent's OTA-4400 supports OC-768 SONET functional testing and 40-Gbit jitter testing, both of which are essential to accelerate the introduction of reliable 40-Gbit components and systems within the next two years, claim company representatives. The OTA-4400 also features:

* Modular architecture that allows for scalability and for multiple interfaces of various types to be used simultaneously

* Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) from Xilinx that allow for flexible support of feature evolution for existing and new protocols

* Testing with an extremely dense, single chassis versus existing solutions that require up to five separate test units.

The OTA-4400 is available today for BER analysis. SONET functional testing and 40-Gbit Jitter analysis will be available in the second half of this year.

For more information about Spirent Communications, visit the company's Web site at www.spirentcom.com.