MT1040A upgrade for a complete datacentre support solution

In addition, Anritsu has also developed the optional Ethernet 4x100G N Port BERT and Ethernet 2x200G N Port BERT M1040A software solutions for breakout-type communications quality tests to reduce DCI test workloads.

These upgraded functions supporting tests for transitioning to 400GBASE-ZR circuits as well as introduction of breakout-type interfaces will help cut datacentre construction and expansion costs.

Development background

Datacentres are growing at a rapid pace due to the spread of 5G services, teleworking, and online teaching as well as advances in digital transformation (DX) meeting social needs. Limits on available space, power-supply capacity, and air-conditioning can cause problems in scaling-up the capacity of established medium-scale datacentres so increasing the number of distributed medium datacentres can be more efficient than building new hyperscale datacentres, which is driving demand for DCI between more medium-scale datacentres.

Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) circuits provided from network operators are used widely for DCI but are expensive. Recently, the market trend towards opening and disaggregation of WDM systems is driving demand for 400GBASE-ZR transceivers, which is helping cut circuit costs.

On the other hand, each datacentre becomes more efficient at the same time. Although high-speed datacentre interconnects (DCI) link separate datacentres, the many low-speed distribution port connections occupy a large some datacentre space. This space-saving issue is solved by using breakout-type interfaces.

For example, the 400GBASE-XDR4 standard uses only one 400G port on the same panel whereas four 100G ports were previously required, which is four times more space efficient than running four 100G cables. Moreover, less power is used because the number of laser elements is reduced from the four required for each of the communications wavelengths used by the four 100G links to one laser used by the 400G link. However, introduction of these breakout-type interfaces by datacentres requires transceiver and equipment acceptance tests.

With these upgraded functions, Anritsu’s MT1040A is the ideal measurement solution for evaluating communications quality when datacentres introduce this new DCI technology.