Ignis Optics, manufacturer of high-speed singlemode pluggable transceivers, has introduced a new Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) evaluation kit that enables end users to access and test all relevant signals, including high-speed data, status lines, serial ID, and digital diagnostics. It is compatible with singlemode and multimode SFP transceiver lines and supports data rates up to 2.5 Gbits/sec.
With the SFP kit, customers can create an optical port using just high-speed coax connections to their system. "The evaluation kit is designed to give customers a platform on which to test their system and to see the benefits of migrating to an SFP footprint," explains Chris Simoneaux, product manager for Ignis Optics. "It also gives them the opportunity to test the enhanced digital diagnostics that we build into our transceivers."
The evaluation kit comes with a user-friendly Microsoft Windows-based graphics interface that provides the test engineer access and control of all key module and diagnostics functions. All Ignis Optics transceivers include diagnostics that allow users to monitor laser condition, optical power, module temperature, and supply voltage. Recently, Ignis added a Tx_Fault Interrupt alert feature to their modules, which can significantly reduce system CPU resource requirements by eliminating the need for continual polling of alarm and warning conditions.
"Ignis has taken enhanced digital diagnostics monitoring to the next level with the recent addition of Tx_Fault Interrupt and Masking functions to our SFP diagnostics monitoring capabilities," contends Steve Joiner, marketing manager for Ignis Optics. "This unique evaluation kit provides access and control of these advanced functions allowing customers to simulate and resolve field fault conditions during the development stage."
Ignis Optics transceiver modules are based on the patented IO-PKG technology, which has allowed the company to lower singlemode module costs. This proprietary technology takes advantage of lower cost manufacturing techniques that typically are used for multimode fiber-optic transceivers.