AresONE Plus 1600GE

AresONE Plus 1600GE. High Density 1.6T AI Test system. AI data centers are pushing Ethernet infrastructure into uncharted territory. Massive GPU clusters, increasingly distributed AI workloads, and explosive east-west traffic are driving a new generation of ultra-high-speed, high-radix Ethernet switches — where enormous bandwidth must be delivered predictably across thousands of interconnected endpoints. Proving that the fabric performs at scale is critical to successful AI data center deployment. Bandwidth, congestion, latency, packet loss, load balancing, and convergence must all be evaluated under conditions that reflect the behavior of the complete AI system. Traditional traffic models are no longer enough. AI workloads introduce highly dynamic and synchronized traffic patterns that behave very differently from conventional data center applications. Effective validation requires a system-level approach — recreating realistic traffic at scale and co-tuning the GPUs, AI workloads, Ethernet fabric, switching silicon, and network protocols as one interconnected system. The challenge is no longer simply testing the switch. It is proving the AI fabric. Testing Requirements Are Changing Just as Fast. There is no single blueprint for validating the next generation of AI infrastructure. Every architecture brings a different set of questions: How many ports are required? How much throughput must be generated? Which Ethernet speeds and SerDes lane speeds need to be evaluated? And how will the network behave as new AI workloads, AI transports, scale-up, and scale-across technologies emerge? The challenge is that these requirements are not standing still. Switch densities are increasing, Ethernet speeds are accelerating, architectures are evolving, and new AI traffic patterns and transport technologies continue to reshape what must be evaluated. For validation teams, this creates a critical investment challenge: build enough test capacity for today without locking the lab into yesterday’s architecture. Test infrastructure must deliver the performance and scale required now, while providing the flexibility to adapt as speeds, densities, interfaces, and AI networking technologies evolve. The test platform must not only keep pace with change — it must be ready for what comes next. A Test System with System Validation and Flexibility in Mind. AresONE Plus, a versatile test system with multiple personalities, serves the changing testing needs and gives the teams the flexibility they need. The options this system brings are: An Integrated Heat Sink (IHS) or Riding Heat Sink (RHS) optic chassis. Both offer eight OSFP1600 front panel ports over 2U. Supports 1x1600GE, 2x800GE, 4x400GE, and 8x200GE configurations. Reliability and performance tests of Ethernet devices that use 212 Gb/s electrical lane interfaces, including GPUs, AI NICs, AI accelerators, ToR switches, or high-speed routers. Flexible modes:4-port high feature mode: Aggregation to high scale tests including running Keysight AI datacenter builder software.8-port high density mode: All eight ports with line rate traffic generation capability and data center switch scale test capabilities. 4-port high feature mode: Aggregation to high scale tests including running Keysight AI datacenter builder software. 8-port high density mode: All eight ports with line rate traffic generation capability and data center switch scale test capabilities. Optimize performance at all layers. Offers Keysight’s traditional Layer 1 Bit Error Rate Testing (BERT). Provides additional lower layer test capabilities for the Physical Coding Sublayer (PCS), Forward Error Correction (FEC), and Frame Loss Ratio (FLR) validations, ensuring devices are ready for production network deployment. Addresses lab test beds for Layer 2 and Layer 3 RFC benchmarks, network, and protocol emulation for scale and performance validation. Assesses next-generation routers capabilities against the 1.6T backbone traffic requirements. Tests LLR and CBFC implementations of UEC in devices or networks or validate ROCEv2 / DCQCN implementation using mixed traffic flows. Validates AI fabric deployment with real AI workloads and CCL. Highlights. A flexible dual mode test system. Layer 1 to Layer 3 IP testing from 200GE to 1.6TE PAM4 with 212 Gb/s and electrical lane signaling in a single test system. Benchmark your AI fabric with high scale tests enabled by Keysight AI Data Center Builder (KAI DCB) software. Support for up to 40 watts per port for high power consumption coherent optical transceivers. Compatible with IEEE P802.3dj 200 Gb/s, 400 Gb/s, 800 Gb/s, and 1.6 Tb/s specifications. Complete suite of IxNetwork protocols, automation capability, and SONiC tests supported. Specifications. Part Number and Description. 941-0136: AresONE Plus 1600GE-8P-OSFP-RHS, 8-port rackmount chassis with native OSFP1600 front panel ports, RHS, L1-3 support. 941-0137: AresONE Plus 1600GE-8P-OSFP-IHS, 8-port rackmount chassis with native OSFP1600 front panel ports, IHS, L1-3 support. Mode. High Feature(HF) mode. High Density(HD) mode. Hardware Fixed Chassis System Specifications. Hardware Fixed Chassis System Specifications. Number of ports. Number of ports. 8-port OSFP1600 chassis. 8-port OSFP1600 chassis. Physical interfaces. Physical interfaces. 941-0136: Native OSFP1600 RHS physical front panel pluggable ports941-0137: Native OSFP1600 IHS physical front panel pluggable ports. 941-0136: Native OSFP1600 RHS physical front panel pluggable ports. 941-0137: Native OSFP1600 IHS physical front panel pluggable ports. Supported per port speeds. Supported per port speeds. Default speeds included with the chassis:1x1600GE, 2x800GE, 4x400GE, and 8x200GE per port, PAM4 over 212 Gb/s electrical lanesOptical transceiver and fiber cable interconnect support for all speedsActive and passive copper cable interconnect support for all speeds(Planned) 1x800GE, 2x400GE, 4x200GE, and 8x100GE per port, PAM4 over 106 Gb/s electrical lanes. Default speeds included with the chassis: 1x1600GE, 2x800GE, 4x400GE, and 8x200GE per port, PAM4 over 212 Gb/s electrical lanes. Optical transceiver and fiber cable interconnect support for all speeds. Active and passive copper cable interconnect support for all speeds. (Planned) 1x800GE, 2x400GE, 4x200GE, and 8x100GE per port, PAM4 over 106 Gb/s electrical lanes. Number of users. Number of users. 8 users per chassis (1 user per front panel physical port ownership). 8 users per chassis (1 user per front panel physical port ownership). Interface protocols specifications for 1600GE/212 Gb/s electrical lane support. Interface protocols specifications for 1600GE/212 Gb/s electrical lane support. IEEE P802.3dj Media Access Control Parameters for 1.6 Tb/s and Physical Layers and Management Parameters for 200 Gb/s, 400 Gb/s, 800 Gb/s, and 1.6 Tb/s Operation. IEEE P802.3dj Media Access Control Parameters for 1.6 Tb/s and Physical Layers and Management Parameters for 200 Gb/s, 400 Gb/s, 800 Gb/s, and 1.6 Tb/s Operation.