Award Winning Solutions
Xena has won multiple global awards for price/performance and technical innovation. Learn more.
Technical Expertise
Copyright © 2009-2025 Teledyne LeCroy Xena ApS, Denmark
The era of Terabit Ethernet has arrived
AI, cloud, and hyperscalers are redefining the digital landscape, accelerating the demand for ultra-high-speed, low-latency connectivity.
Teledyne LeCroy’s Terabit Ethernet solutions are engineered to meet this moment – delivering precision, scalability, and insight at 800G, 1.6T, and beyond. The Xena Ethernet Test Platform gives developers of semiconductor, NEMs, and hyperscalers the solutions they need to validate next-gen silicon, optics, and interconnects with confidence.
From Layer 1 signal integrity and Layer 2 traffic generation and analysis, here are the tools you need to simulate, stress, and certify real-world performance. Support for 224Gbps electrical lanes, advanced FEC, and PCS diagnostics ensure readiness for tomorrow’s networks. Compact, desktop-friendly hardware combined with intuitive software and powerful automation ensure seamless lab-to-production workflows.
Whether you’re path-finding 1.6T or optimizing 800G deployments, Xena can fast-track your innovation cycle. If you test smarter, you can deploy faster and reap the rewards.
Z1608 Edun is the future of Ethernet validation
Z1608 Edun delivers ease-of-use, performance and flexibility for developers working on terabit Ethernet networking solutions in a scalable, lab-friendly form factor.
The Z1608 Edun is engineered to support 1.6TE, 800GE, 400GE, 200GE and 100GE Ethernet speeds – using both 224G and 112G SerDes – making it an essential tool for validating the performance of next-gen AI devices, switches, NICs, transceivers, and cables. With its OSFP-1600 interface, it supports both optical and copper media, offering broad compatibility and deployment flexibility.
The Z1608 Edun builds on Teledyne LeCroy’s legacy of innovation in Ethernet testing. Leveraging the intuitive XenaManager and the powerful Python-based Xena OpenAutomation (XOA) software, users can easily conduct performance, QA, functional, and benchmark testing. The platform supports the classic RFC test suites such as RFC2544 and RFC2889 as well as Ultra Ethernet Compliance testing.
“Our mission is to empower developers with the tools they need to bring next-generation networking products to market faster and with greater confidence,” said Nick Kriczky, VP Products, Networks, Storage and Services in PSG at Teledyne LeCroy. “Like its predecessor, the Xena Z800 Freya, the Z1608 Edun is tangible proof of our commitment to being at the forefront of Ethernet testing.”
With the Z1608 Edun, Teledyne LeCroy continues to lead the way in enabling the future of high-speed Ethernet. Its compact form factor and broad compatibility make it an indispensable tool for Ethernet developers pushing the boundaries of speed and reliability.
VISIT ALSO:
Four Test Scenarios for Terabit Ethernet
1. Silicon Chip Testing
Testing a new semiconductor device for terabit Ethernet starts at Layer 1. Once the basic bring-up tests are passed it is time for signal integrity tests. The silicon is tested on a test PCB which might only have SMPX connectors, instead of a full transceiver.
Using PRBS, it is possible to verify the overall BER performance of a device. However, to verify the functionality of each sub-module – like FEC, PCS lane distribution and alignment – it necessary to test these individually. This can be done by deliberately inserting specific errors, such as FEC symbol errors, and check that the device handles these situations correctly.
Here is an example showing the Xena Z1608 Edun traffic generator being used with an OSFP-to-SMPX connector for testing of a high-speed chip.
When the chip is mounted with a PHY it is important to test and tune the C2M equalizers and the CMIS-LT.
In addition to the Layer 1 testing, it is important to verify the switch’s Layer 2 performance e.g. frame forwarding, MAC address learning, latency, jitter, VLANs, and QoS.
RFC2544 and RFC2889 are good starting points for benchmarking. Both are available as test suites for all Teledyne LeCroy traffic generators.
2. Active Cable Testing
While active cables can extend the reach of passive DACs, they also include equalizers that must be tuned to optimize the BER at various speeds and lengths.
Manual equalization tuning can be slow and tedious, requiring hours of testing to find the right tap setting.
That’s why Teledyne LeCroy has developed automated test sequences that run equalizer tests of active cables quickly and efficiently via the CMIS interface of XenaManager.
Opposite you can see a typical example of such a test using two Z1608 Edun traffic generators. The test is typically done in one direction at a time using one traffic generator to adjust the equalizer and generate PRBS and the other traffic generator to calculate the BER.
3. Network Equipment Testing
Verifying the Layer 1-3 functionality of switches and NICs is critical for Network Equipment Manufacturers (NEMs) developing solutions supporting 1.6Tbps.
However, emulating realistic traffic patterns and stress conditions – at wire speed! – is difficult to do cost-effectively without building massive test networks.
That’s why traffic generators like the Z1600 Edun are indispensable for validating functionality, performance and multi-vendor interoperability with minimum network building.
For example here is the commonly-used “snake test”, where all ports on a switch are tested using two traffic generators as shown opposite.
4. Data Center Testing
All the previously discussed components come together in large data centers, where the increase in per-port speed plays a key role in boosting overall network capacity and efficiency.
As operators gradually upgrade their infrastructure to 1.6Tbps Ethernet, interoperability with existing equipment becomes essential. Thorough testing before deployment allows potential performance issues to be identified and resolved in a controlled environment, reducing the risk of disruptions in live networks.
Troubleshooting can be complex, with possible root causes including faulty cables, transceivers, network elements, or configuration errors.
Teledyne LeCroy traffic generators and analyzers are designed to address these challenges. They enable comprehensive testing of high-speed links, from verifying Layer 1 signal integrity and link training to validating Layer 2/3 protocol functionality.
This lets data center operators assess interoperability, ensure standards compliance, and fine-tune system performance—before going live.
Whether for development, qualification, or troubleshooting, Teledyne LeCroy solutions provide the visibility and precision needed to confidently deploy next-generation Ethernet technologies.