EXFO’s IQS-9100B Optical Switch Offers Fast Switching Time and Long-Term Reliability

EXFO has introduced its MEMS optical switch test module called the IQS-9100B, the latest addition to the company’s Windows-based IQS-600 platform.

Windows-based IQS-600 platform is a modular system developed for research and development and production applications offering datacom, transport and optical testing in one environment. Today’s telecom industry is highly competitive. Hence, manufacturers of network devices are highly receptive towards instrument reliability and testing costs.

Life expectancy of the IQS-9100B is 1,000 folds longer when compared to the first-generation IQS-9100 optical switch. The new MEMS optical switch test module’s standard switching time is 20 ms, saving nearly half a second for every switching cycle when compared to the IQS-9100 optical switch. The IQS-9100B is offered for singlemode fiber in 1 x N configurations with up to 32 ports.

EXFO offers next-generation test and service assurance systems for equipment manufacturers and wireless and wireline network operators in the worldwide telecommunications industry.

Étienne Gagnon, who serves as Vice-President of Wireline Division and Corporate Marketing at EXFO, stated that the IQS-9100B MEMS optical switch test module’s reliability and performance will be helpful to network equipment manufacturers for fulfilling their everyday challenge to commercialize more reliable equipment at a lower cost and market-reach time.

The IQS-9100B’s compatibility with other datacom, transport and optical test modules in the IQS-600 platform will help customers to rapidly reconfigure their research and development laboratory test setup or automate production testing, augmenting throughput and decreasing the risk of errors, Gagnon concluded.