Spirent, MultiLane partner for QSFP-DD800 test

Sept. 16, 2021
The collaboration focuses on the test and verification of QSFP-DD hardware, including transceivers, switches that use these transceivers, and hyperscaler use cases.

Test equipment suppliers Spirent Communications plc (LSE:SPT) and MultiLane say they have partnered to better address their customers’ 800G test requirements. The collaboration focuses on the test and verification of QSFP-DD hardware, including transceivers, switches that use these transceivers, and hyperscaler use cases.

As QSFP-DD800 is among the first optical transceiver form factors based on 100G electrical lanes, they bring a new challenge in terms of design, optimization, and fabrication, say the companies. “Successful 100G electrical lane design requires novel techniques and robust test procedures,” commented Kees Propstra, vice president of marketing at MultiLane. “Our joint effort with Spirent to tackle these challenges facilitates the transition to the 800G node, the next frontier in data center interconnects.”

Toward this end, the partners will pair Spirent’s 800G validation solutions for such configurations as 1x800G, 2x400G, 4x200G, and 8x100G (see, for example, "InnoLight leverages Spirent to demo 800G Ethernet interoperability") with MultiLane’s QSFPDD-800 thermal load loopbacks, module/host compliance boards, and noise injection bit error rate testers (BERTs; see, for example, "MultiLane offers ML4054B 400G manufacturing BERT and ML4079E 800G R&D BERT").

“Spirent has developed a comprehensive, end-to-end 800G testing suite that leverages our decades of experience in Ethernet testing,” said Aniket Khosla, vice president of product management, cloud and IP at Spirent Communications. “Our partnership with MultiLane will assure successful deployments of this complex new technology while helping customers improve product quality and ensure reliable, high-quality user experiences.”

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About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.

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