Spirent Communications Plc (LSE: SPT) has unveiled the DX3-200GO-P2, which the company asserts is the market's first 200 Gigabit Ethernet Test System. The test system is designed to accommodate designs based on 4x50-Gbps transmission using PAM4 modulation.
"Traditionally, combining four electrical interface lanes has been the sweet spot, both technically and economically, for Ethernet technologies," stated Neil Holmquist, vice president, marketing cloud and IP at Spirent. "So just as the use of four 25G lanes has been embraced for 100GbE, it is our belief that the use of four 50G lanes will be widely adopted for 200GbE."
Indeed, the IEEE currently is working on specification for 200 Gigabit Ethernet based on four lanes of 50 Gbps each leveraging PAM4 (see "IEEE approves standards initiatives for 25 Gigabit Ethernet, 50, Gigabit Ethernet, 200 Gigabit Ethernet").
"The 200G Ethernet speed heavily leverages 100G 4x25G NRZ technology now shipping in high volume. Its 4x50G PAM4 architecture re-uses 100G optical packaging and lasers. This enables near-term cost-effective volume deployment," added Chris Cole, vice president of advanced development at Finisar.
The emerging generation of switches and routers based on 50G electrical interfaces will present new challenges for equipment vendors and those who deploy their equipment, Spirent says. These will start with ensuring the integrity and stability of the physical link as the traffic scales up to 200 Gbps. Such applications then will require the validation of a new set of features, functions, performance and scale.
This new 200G release is compatible with Spirent's existing chassis and its other Ethernet products.
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