Stress test optical receivers

Synthesys Research, makers of the BertScope, has added the first signal source to its product line. With the Lightwave Test Set (LTS) 8500A, you can test optical receivers for jitter tolerance. The 8500A is an 850-nm multimode optical transmitter that works in conjunction with the company’s BertScope bit-error-rate (BER) tester/oscilloscope and the BertScope DCRj clock-recovery module. The 8500A lets you perform stressed-eye testing on optical receivers such as XPF and SPF+ types.

The LTS 8500A has an average optical output power that ranges between 0.6 mW and 1.1 mW. It tests receivers used for Fibre Channel (10x, 8x, 4x, 2x, and 1x speeds) as well as 10-Gbit Ethernet receivers. It includes a switchable risetime filter that lets you adjust the risetime of an optical signal. You can also connect an external filter. With the optional reference receiver, you can use the LTS 8500A to test transmitters as well. The receiver also lets you calibrate your stressed-eye signals when testing receivers.

To operate the LTS 8500A, connect it to a PC through a USB port and run the user-interface software. With the software, you’ll get plots of the receiver’s performance.

Base price: $49,000. Synthesys Research, www.bertscope.com.