Standards-compliant PHY aids 10Gbit/s testing

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Jan 31, 2007

Ixia, a leading, global provider of IP performance test systems, is using the Solarflare 10Xpress PHY products for a 10 Gigabit Ethernet test module.

Ixia, a leading, global provider of IP performance test systems, is using the Solarflare 10Xpress PHY products for a 10 Gigabit Ethernet test module.

By using Solarflare's standards-compliant PHY in Ixia test equipment, switch vendors will be able to more easily validate the performance of their 10GbE systems.

The IEEE 802.3an standard for 10GBase-T requires that all PHYs for 10GbE on twisted pair copper reach 100m.

Furthermore, the TIA-568B and the TIA-942 cabling standards also require support for 100m channels of copper cabling.

Solarflare is the only company sampling a standards-compliant 10GBase-T PHY with greater than 100m reach.

"We have been using Ixia test gear to generate traffic for all of our 6 around 1 alien crosstalk testing with all the major cabling vendors".

"We congratulate Ixia for understanding the importance of using our standards-compliant chipset in their new module".

"By providing this new test equipment, Ixia is helping switch vendors to deliver 10 Gigabit Ethernet to the market more quickly", said Bruce Tolley, Vice President of Marketing at Solarflare.

"Ixia first shipped a standards-complaint 10GbE optical test module in 2002", said Nelson Murga, Principal Technologist at Ixia.

"As a 10 GbE market leader, we are very pleased to be working with Solarflare in providing full standards compliant 10GBase-T test equipment to our customers".

The Solarflare Communications 10Xpress 10GBase-T PHY supports distances of greater than 100m on UTP Cat 6A cabling, 100m on ScTP Cat 6, 55m on UTP Cat 6, and 45m on UTP Cat 5E cabling.

The PHY is currently sampling.

Pricing is available on request.