Single-mode fiber optical reference transmitter enables 200G-per-lane design validation and 400G-per-lane research.

Highlights

The Keysight N7718C optical reference transmitter is suitable for any intensity-modulated signal format with rates of 120 Gbaud and beyond. It operates in the O-band (1.3 µm window). Users can connect the optical input to either the built-in 1310 nm DFB laser or a tunable laser to cover LR4, ER4, CWDM4, or other wavelength grids. The N7718C optical reference transmitter works with the Keysight M8199B arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) and the M8050 Series bit error ratio testers (BERT).
 
Applications
  • Validate 200 Gbps-per-lane optical interfaces.
  • Enable 400 Gbps-per-lane research.

Optical transceiver manufacturers and optical interconnect solution providers need to validate standards compliance and ensure interoperability at data rates beyond 200 Gbps per lane. Meanwhile, research for data rates at 400 Gbps per lane has already started.

Optical Receiver Stress Test Automation

The turnkey Keysight N4917DJCA optical receiver stress test solution consists of the M8050 Series BERT and the N7718C. Rather than using in-house transmitters with a given signal quality, optical receiver designers can use the solution to simulate a 120 Gbaud optical transmitter to validate their receivers under variable conditions. Those conditions include optical extinction ratio and TDECQ, as well as stress conditions like noise, jitter, and interference.

The N7718C optical reference transmitter, driven by the M8050 Series BERT, generates clean and stressed signals. This approach enables the automated testing of optical receiver designs for compliance with the upcoming IEEE 802.3dj standard.

Paired with the M8199B AWG, the N7718C can generate IM-DD signals, such as NRZ, PAM4, PAM6, and PAM8 waveforms. This capability enables research for transmission at 400 Gbps per lane, paving the way for 3.2 Tbps links.

No RF Amplifier Required

Because the N7718C has a low Vpi, users do not always need an RF amplifier, which would add jitter, to achieve a cleaner optical signal.

Automated Bias Control

The N7718C's automated bias-control mode works without dithering in the quadrature point. Therefore, it will not inject any unwanted spectral components into the optical signal.

 

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