EXFO Releases High-Resolution Tunable DWDM OTDR to Expedite Troubleshooting of Metro Ethernet Links
EXFO’s new FTBx-740C-DWC OTDR offers single-ended troubleshooting of high-value dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) access links in order to reduce mean time to repair (MTTR) and avoid service-level agreement (SLA) penalty fees.
QUEBEC CITY, CANADA, December 18, 2015—EXFO Inc. (NASDAQ: EXFO, TSX: EXF) today announced the release of its FTBx-740C-DWC, a high-resolution tunable OTDR designed to test through field mux/demux channels using the customer’s wavelength in order to efficiently troubleshoot faulty links or deliver first-time-right deployments during construction. This DWDM OTDR complements EXFO’s coarse wavelength-division multiplexing (CWDM) OTDR and Ethernet test modules to provide a comprehensive and powerful kit for field technicians.
With commercial services in fiber-to-the-building (FTTB)/fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) and cellular‑backhaul (CBH) deployments evolving and migrating from CWDM to DWDM, EXFO’s tunable DWDM OTDR empowers technicians to perform in-service tests from the head-end right up to the customer’s premise while easily locating problems and preventing costly SLA penalties and maintenance downtime periods. In contrast with the traditional light source and OSA approach that requires two technicians and synchronization, this single-ended OTDR test solution enables one technician to quickly respond to network failures. In addition, this technology complements the existing test procedures currently used for CWDM deployments, meaning it’s ready to go and easy to use with a quick learning curve.
EXFO’s FTBx-740C-DWC unit is a tunable OTDR in the C-band, and covers channel spacing of 100 GHz/50 GHz based on the ITU-T standard grid. The tunable laser also features a high dynamic range for improved performance and the long reach needed to cover metro/long-haul applications. In addition, this new product features advanced, EXFO-best OTDR technology that contributed to EXFO’s win of the 2015 Frost & Sullivan Fiber-Optic Test Equipment Market Share Leadership Award.
“Housed in the scalable and powerful FTB-2 Platform, the FTBx-740C-DWC OTDR provides comprehensive validation and fault-finding of the physical layer, along with Ethernet service assessment from 10M to 100G to ensure SLAs from day one,” said Stéphane Chabot, Vice-President of EXFO’s Physical-Layer Test Division. “Featuring a 10-inch touchscreen, modularity, Windows 8 and commodity applications, this performance combo offers validation and scalability of Ethernet services for high-quality networks.”