Transceivers & Cables

Test. Improve. Repeat.

Transceivers

Transceivers come in a multitude of formats and are a ubiquitous part of most networks and server rooms. Small form-factor (SFP) and enhanced small form-factor pluggable (SFP+) remain the standard for 1GE and 10GE Ethernet but are making way for the next generation that support speeds up to 800GE such as QSFP-DD and OSFP.

Cables

Network cabling remains an intrinsic part of connecting devices in Local Area Networks (LANs). The performance and reliability of twisted pair, coaxial and fiber optic cables can determine the same parameters of the network.

In data centers Active Electrical Cables (AEC) are being used for short distance, inter-rack connections because they typically are more power and cost effective than optical cables.

The main difference between active and passive (Direct Attach Cables, DAC) electrical cables is that the active cables include active components like equalizers, re-timers, and amplifiers. The active components help to counteract signal degradations and enable transmission of very high-speed signals over several meters.

Testing transceivers and cables

Both transceivers, passive and active cables obviously must be tested with focus on the physical Layer 1 but, also Layer 2 and 3 type testing is relevant.

Developers of new components obviously require validation and debugging. Once the products are in production quality assurance and production testing becomes mandatory. For Network and Data Center owners, testing is an essential part of installation and troubleshooting.

Xena solutions for testing transceivers and cables

Broad range of test modules

Teledyne LeCroy offers a selection of test modules for testing all Ethernet speeds from 10Mbps to 800Gbps.

Our Traffic Generators lets you test Layer 1, Layer 2 and Layer 3 functionality using the same test equipment.

Our range extends to include the latest 112G-based SerDes PAM-4 Ethernet in our Z800 Freya product line. For testing and debugging AN/LT protocols, we offer our dedicated Z800 Freya Compact ANLT Test Appliance.

Easy-to-use software

Xena’s test solutions include feature-rich software for generating Ethernet traffic and analyzing the result. The primary tool is XenaManager.

There are also test suites for running standard tests such as RFC2544, RFC2889, RFC3918 and Y.1564, and specialized AN/LT tests along with a comprehensive range of powerful scripting and test automation options such as Xena OpenAutomation (XOA), an open-source test automation framework featuring a Python API that runs on any OS.

Robust chassis choices

Choose between the robust scalable 4U B720/2400 chassis with space for up to 12 test modules, or the small, easy-to-transport 1U XenaCompact with just one test module.

Exceptional value

All our solutions include the Xena Value Pack which consists of 3 years’ SW updates, 3 years’ HW warranty, free online/email support for the lifetime of the product and free product training.

Together with our low port-pricing, this represents significant savings on the TCO of your Ethernet traffic generation and analysis solutions.

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