EXFO introduces handheld test device for multipath interference

11 September 2003 Quebec City, Canada Lightwave--EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering announced today the introduction of the MPI-800 MultiPath Interference Meter for the deployment and provisioning of DWDM and time-division multiplexing (TDM) high-speed optical networks.

The MultiPath Interference Meter, which contains a built-in loss measurement test set, is the only handheld device on the market, according to the company, that can detect multipath interference (MPI), an important physical phenomenon prevalent in ultra long-haul networks containing Raman amplifiers. These amplifiers increase the signal in both directions, causing unwanted ghost reflections. MPI becomes especially problematic on long-distance links since it accumulates throughout the fiber. If not kept under control, MPI can lead to an excessive bit-error rate.

"This unique product was designed through a partnership with a prominent system vendor, allowing them to install their ultra long-haul systems without a hitch," said �tienne Gagnon, EXFO's vice president of product management, Optical Solutions and Communications. "It represents a significant breakthrough because neither an optical spectrum analyzer, polarization-mode-dispersion analyzer, nor chromatic-dispersion analyzer can detect MPI."

Explains Gagnon, "Up until now, network operators were forced to adopt a complex and expensive setup using radio frequency spectrum analyzers that are not designed for field-testing applications."

EXFO is a designer and manufacturer of fiber-optic test, measurement, and monitoring equipment for the global telecommunications industry. The company develops products for two main markets. The Portable and Monitoring Division provides handheld and modular instruments for the physical-, optical- and protocol-layer testing needs of telecommunications carriers and network service providers. The Industrial and Scientific Division offers an extensive line of high-performance instruments and test systems for optical transmission system and component vendors as well as for research and development labs. The company markets more than 90 product families to 2000 customers in 70 countries around the world.