EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering Inc. has released the Packet Blazer Gigabit Ethernet test module for its FTB-400 portable field-testing platform. This test module offers telecommunication carriers and network service providers the assurance that Gigabit Ethernet capabilities in their optical transport systems are working to their fullest potential.
Gigabit Ethernet is an advanced transmission protocol typically used in high-speed Wide Area Networks (WANs) and Storage Area Networks (SANs). Many carriers are extending Gigabit Ethernet services to access and metro networks to handle the increasing number of bandwidth-intensive applications over larger areas. According to a report from Gartner Inc., the global Ethernet metro market will increase from US$3 billion in 2001 to nearly US$50 billion in 2005.
"The development of this Gigabit Ethernet module highlights the beginning of great things to come on the protocol-layer testing side," contends Sami Yazdi, President of EXFO Protocol Inc., formerly Avantas Networks Corp. "This is the first of many protocol-based test modules we plan to integrate inside the FTB-400 Universal Test System."
The Packet Blazer Gigabit Ethernet module, the first protocol-layer test solution integrated into EXFO's FTB-400 platform since EXFO's acquisition of Avantas Networks, is mainly used for the commissioning and troubleshooting of multichannel DWDM systems. According to the company, its patent-pending EtherBERT technology provides field technicians with accurate bit-error rate values that reflect the quality of their transmission systems. Other key parameters measured include throughput, burst-ability, frame loss and latency.
EXFO (Quebec) designs and manufactures fiber-optic test, measurement, and automation equipment for the global telecommunications industry. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.exfo.com.