Keysight AresONE 800GE QSFP — DD800 4-Port Test System

Challenge: Testing PAM4 with 106.25G Lanes

The 800GE component ecosystem is evolving rapidly. Most major networking companies are developing networking equipment that have 800GE front panel or upload ports. The same PAM4 encoded signaling and Forward Error Correction (FEC) technologies, that are widely adopted today for 400GE ports, is being used with 106.25Gb/s (namely, 53 Gbaud) electrical lanes. Switch ASICs now support up to 112Gb/s lanes with PAM4 modulation and FEC—easing the transition from 400GE to 800GE. Testing new speeds 1x800GE, 2x400GE, 4x200GE, and 8x100GE is the new challenge. Bandwidth requirements for internet applications are driving the need for testing line-rate traffic of 25.6 and 51.2 Tbps networking equipment.

Keysight has extended its industry leading AresONE 400GE platforms to the 800GE and related speeds to address evolving market test needs.

Solution: All-In-One Test Platform with 8-Port Density

With first-to-market solutions, both AresONE 400GE, AresONE High Performance and the high density, 16-port AresONE-S 400GE chassis with PAM4 and NRZ signaling support have established a significant footprint as enablers for testing 800GE technology. AresONE 800GE QSFP-DD800-C is our latest addition to the AresONE high-speed family.

The AresONE 800GE 4-port and 8-port 800GE models provide up to 6.4Tbps of test traffic bandwidth and measurement. The chassis are stackable to build higher-throughput and port-count testbeds, up to 64ports of line-rate 800GE traffic generation and performance measurement in a single configuration. Even if you do not need 8-ports of 800GE today, 2-port and 4-port offerings are available with field upgrades that provide an expandable test platform that can grow with your test bandwidth needs.

AresONE 800GE enables testing of multiple Ethernet speeds in the same platform with each port capable of the following speeds:

• Built-in PAM4 signaling-based speeds: 2x400GE, 4x200GE, and 8x100GE

• 1x800GE is a separate purchasable option with the initial order from the factory or later with a field upgrade

Highlights

• AresONE 800GE 8-port, 4-port and 2-port models enable L1–L3 testing in a single platform

• 6.4 Tbps of line-rate traffic per 8-port chassis with option to synchronize multiple chassis to test 51.2 Tbps bandwidth and beyond switching platforms

• 2RU fixed chassis form factor that optimizes power and cooling requirements

• Complete L2/3 protocol emulation with IxNetwork software application

• One platform for 1x800GE, 2x400GE, 4x200GE, and 8x100GE with PAM4, KP4 FEC, and actual 106.25 Gb/s electrical lane signaling

• Flexible reduced and full performance models with port and performance upgrade options for the ability to grow your system’s capabilities as requirements expand over time 

• Improve your interoperability, link stability, and robustness testing with Keysightdeveloped intellectual property for the critical test elements of 800GE: MAC, PCS, FEC symbol error correction distribution, FEC error injection and statistics, and PAM4 Rx Eye Histogram analysis