Advanced Oscilloscopes For 1.6T Optical Transceiver Testing

The new oscilloscopes deliver the high bandwidth, low noise, and exceptional sensitivity required to precisely characterize and validate transceivers under demanding conditions.

Keysight Technologies, Inc.has unveiled two oscilloscopes designed for testing 1.6T optical transceivers: a single optical channel DCA-M and a dual optical channel DCA-M Sampling Oscilloscope. Engineered for maximum optical measurement sensitivity and integrated clock recovery up to 120 GBaud, these instruments address the increasing demands of high-speed optical interconnects in AI-driven data centers.

As AI data center networks rapidly deploy 1.6T optical interconnects, engineers face challenges in maintaining signal integrity at extreme data rates.

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They enable efficient, automated testing in manufacturing, ensuring compliance with industry standards while maintaining high throughput and accuracy. As part of the company’s comprehensive 1.6T testing portfolio, these advanced DCA-M sampling oscilloscopes provide high-speed optical signal analysis at up to 240 Gbps per lane. Key benefits include:

• Enhanced Measurement Margin – The oscilloscopes feature ultra-low optical channel noise (less than 15 µW) and minimal intrinsic jitter (under 90 fs), preserving measurement accuracy and reliability for 1.6T transceivers. This ensures engineers meet strict design specifications and optimize performance.
• Simplified Test Setup & Compliance Assurance – With integrated clock recovery supporting baud rates up to 120 GBd, the new DCA-M eliminates the need for separate sub-rate signal routing, reducing system complexity and ensuring industry-standard compliance.
• Optimized Production Efficiency – FlexOTO Optical Test Optimization software seamlessly integrates with the DCA-M, maximizing test efficiency and reducing overall cost-of-test. Built on the trusted FlexDCA platform, it delivers industry-leading optical waveform analysis.

The single optical channel DCA-M offers a broad wavelength range from 250 to 1350 nm in single-mode operation. It features a 60 GHz optical bandwidth with System Impulse Response Correction (SIRC) enabled, ensuring precise measurements. With high sensitivity and noise levels below 15 µW, it enables accurate high-data-rate analysis with jitter below 90 fs (with option PTB). The device supports integrated clock recovery for rates up to 120 GBd (options CDR and CRX) and delivers fast throughput with a 250 kHz sample rate. Its compact design allows for a small footprint.

The dual optical channel DCA-M Sampling Oscilloscope is designed for versatile data rate analysis, covering a wide range from 1 Gb/s to 120 Gbaud. It includes electrical channels with bandwidths up to 50 GHz and offers exceptionally low intrinsic jitter of just 90 fs RMS. Additionally, it supports both multimode and single-mode operation across single to quad-channel models, ensuring flexibility in various testing applications.

Osa Mok, CMO of TeraHop, highlighted Keysight’s role in accelerating 1.6T optical solutions: “Keysight’s commitment to high-performance test technologies will drive the next wave of AI compute networking.”

Dr. Joachim Peerlings, VP of Network and Data Center Solutions at Keysight, added, “As AI infrastructure evolves, we’re proud to support industry innovation, enabling faster time-to-market and enhanced performance.”