All optical 100 Gbps cross connect for test lab automation

MRV announced the Optical Cross Connect 320 (OCC 320), a new high data-rate, all optical physical layer switch as the latest member of its family of test automation products (TAP) for automating network equipment test environments.

The 320-port, single-mode fiber-based OCC offers high-bandwidth network equipment manufacturers, carriers and enterprises an optimized, all-optical test lab solution able to support next-generation data rates to 100 Gbps.

The “wire-once” technology of a physical layer switch turns the practice of manually configuring test topologies into a software process, eliminating the step of cabling devices for each test. Dynamic tests can be performed with the addition of test scripts or other software automation products that also provide reservation and inventory capabilities. Wire-once architecture not only speeds up test time, it minimizes retesting due to configuration or contamination errors caused by manual configuration of topologies.

The OCC 320 is based on three-dimensional Microelectromechanical Systems (3D-MEMS) switching matrix that allows transparent switching of single-mode fiber connections in less than 20 ms with a typical insertion loss of 2.0 dB. This technology makes the OCC 320 ideal for maintaining optical attributes when testing high data rate LAN-, WAN-, or WDM-based equipment.

The OCC supports 640 fiber terminations via 320×320 switching matrix and can be expanded in steps of eight bi-directional ports. This high reliability device boasts a nearly 12-year mean time between failure on any of its optical data paths through use of a redundant configuration processors with independent control and data buses.