Distributed PMD Analyzer—FTB-5600

• PMD assessment for upgrading networks to 10, 40 and 100 Gbit/s transmission

• Performs single-ended section-by-section measurement of a link's PMD
• Simulates the impact of replacing a high-PMD section on the link's total PMD

Shedding New Light on PMD

Higher-speed transmission—10, 40 and 100 Gbit/s—is becoming increasingly widespread, which brings challenges when it comes to upgrading existing fiber architectures. Namely, polarization mode dispersion (PMD) can be quality-limitative, as PMD increases as transmission speed increases.

Up until today, operators dealing with a high-PMD situation were faced with two options: trying to find another fiber fit for high-speed transmission, or replacing the whole link. Whereas the former option is no guarantee, since other fibers installed around the same time will likely display similar PMD problems, the latter option, although effective, can be extremely costly.

EXFO's FTB-5600 Distributed PMD Analyzer adds a third option into the mix: replacing only the faulty sections of the link. The first instrument of its kind on the market, the FTB-5600 delivers a clearer, more detailed picture of a link's PMD, one that performs a paradigm shift from "effective but costly" to "cost-effective".

Better insight. Better decisions.

Thanks to a breakthrough approach that enables it to measure PMD as a function of distance, the FTB-5600 provides a span-by-span assessment of PMD, detailing each section's contribution to the overall link PMD. This enables network operators to perform a targeted upgrade of their links by replacing only the faulty sections rather than replacing the whole link. As a result, they can go ahead with upgrading their networks to higher-speed transmission—at a fraction of the cost.