Not so long ago, people were going online with 14.4K dialup modems. Computer hard drives were measured in MB instead of GB. You could visit a web page, go get a cup of coffee, drink it, and the page might not be fully loaded. However, all of this has drastically changed with broadband technology and fiber optics. Today, people expect “instant technology” with streaming video, VOIP, and cloud based applications. This has spurred the “need for speed” and the birth of super fast technologies with high tech 100G test equipment. Let’s take a closer look at this phenomenon and why you need the best possible testing equipment.
History of 100G
As far back as 1973, experimental Ethernet began. It was able to send nearly 3 MB of data over a coax at a speed of about 360 kb per second. By 1982, Ethernet II frame format was developed and it was significantly faster. In fact, 10MB of data could be sent at more than 1MB per second. The following year, the IEEE 802.3 standard was developed.
Fiber optics entered the field around 1987. By 1993 10Base-F technology was introduced. Plus in 1997, Full Duplex with DIX framing eliminated the need for the DIX/802.3 split. The following years would see developments like IEEE 802.1AX, and Ethernet to the Home, which used point to point fiber optic technology.
100G
In 2006, new standards for high speed Ethernet were investigated by a high speed study group. By late 2007, a 100G Ethernet Taskforce was developed. Its purpose was to find ways to increase 802.3 speeds to 40 and 100GB per second. The idea was to drastically enhance bandwidth while still using 802.3 technology, so there would be few equipment compatibility issues.
Needless to say, the technology grew by leaps and bounds but was still trying hard to keep up with the current demand for speed. This eventually led to the IEEE 802.3ba standard in 2010 and in 2011, IEEE 802.3bg. In 2013, a task force was created for modifications and additions to 40 and 100G technologies. Soon the IEEE 802.3b standard came into being and eventually IEEE 802.3bm in February 2015. So what’s next? There is already talk of 400G.
Finding the Best 100G Test Equipment
When possible, you should choose equipment which can handle single mode and dual mode applications. Also, in order to keep new equipment purchases to a minimum, consider units compatible with standards like Fibre Channel, OTN, and InfiniBand. If you choose a model specifically designed to test 40 and 100G transceivers, you will have the fewest problems in your work.
Delaire USA specializes in custom fiber optic assemblies for telecommunication and military applications. Since 1994, we have served the military and many different Fortune 500 companies. To check out our 100G test equipment, visit our home on the Web today at www.delaireusa.com.