Xena Networks - Z400 Thor for testing 10G to 100G NRZ & 50G to 400G PAM4 Ethernet traffic

Most of us know Z400 as the Nordic god of thunder and lightning. But in the world of Ethernet testing world, Thor plays a starring role in Xena’s Ethernet Traffic Generation solutions.

Thor boasts some truly heroic features – like being able to test both NRZ and PAM4 speeds. For NRZ based Ethernet at data rates of 10G / 25G / 40G / 50G and 100G. And for PAM4 based Ethernet at data rates of 50G / 100G / 200G / 400G. It can also test Auto-Negotiation and Link Training (AN/LT).

In the Xena line we also have Z10 Odin (NRZ testing 10Mbps to 10G), Z100 Loki (NRZ testing 10G to 100G), and Z800 Freya (10G PAM4 to 800G PAM4) and in the future also 1.6 Terabits.

Speeds and technology

In addition to NRZ technology, Z400 Thor also uses PAM4 technology. Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM) increases the number of bits in serial data transmissions by using several pulse amplitude levels. Unlike the NRZ modulation technique, which uses two voltage levels to represent logic 0 and logic 1, PAM4 uses four voltage levels to represent four combinations of two bits logic – 11, 10, 01, and 00. With this a SerDes speed of 56Gbps can be achieved, keeping the Baud rate (symbol rate) at 28GBaud.

Because PAM4 allows more data to be transmitted faster, it was chosen as the underlying technology for enabling 400 Gigabit Ethernet traffic.

Thor supports Ethernet testing of NRZ data rates of 10G / 25G / 40G / 50G / 100G, as well as PAM4 56Gbps SerDes data rates of 50G / 100G / 200G / 400G.

Hardware

Z400 Thor is available in the Xena’s fixed 1U chassis, called the XenaCompact. Or as a separate test module for Xena’s modular 4U XenaBay (B2400) chassis.

Z400q Thor

Interfaces

1 QSFP-DD/QSFP56/QSFP28/QSFP+ 

Ports x Speeds

1 x 400GBASE-DR4/LR4/FR4. (PAM4) or

1 x 400GBASE-SR8/FR8/LR8/CR8, (PAM4) or

2 x 200GBASE-CWDM4 (dual CS connector), (PAM4) or

1 x 200GBASE-DR4/SR4/FR4/LR4/CR4, (PAM4) or

4 x 100GBASE-CR2, or 4 x 100GBASE-DR, (PAM4) or

2 x 100GBASE-SR2/CR2, 2 x 100GBASE-DR (dual CS connector) (PAM4) or

1 x 100GBASE-SR4/LR4/CR4/CWDM4, (NRZ) or

8 x 50GBASE-SR/CR, (PAM4) or

4 x 50GBASE-SR/CR, (PAM4) or

2 x 50GBASE-SR2/LR2/CR2, (NRZ) or

1 x 40GBASE-SR4/LR4/CR4, (NRZ) or

4 x 25GBASE-SR/LR/CR, (NRZ) or

4 x 10GBASE-SR/LR/CR(NRZ)

XenaCompact

XenaBay

✓ 

Can only be installed in the B2400 chassis where it requires 3 slots (2 for Thor plus 1 for mandatory airflow guide).

Software

All Xena solutions include user-friendly software to make it quick and easy to perform a multitude of relevant performance, QA, compliancy and functional testing: XenaManager, applications for automated RFC 2544, Y.1564, RFC 2889 and RFC 3918 testing, Xena OpenAutomation and Xena TimeSynch.

Add Impairment Emulation with E100 Chimera

Many factors can impede data traffic as it crosses different networks. Network emulators are a cost-effective tool for helping verify if equipment can handle real-world conditions. That’s why the Xena Ethernet Test Platform also includes the E100 Chimera, a network emulation test module that makes it easy to emulate multiple forms of latency, jitter and other forms of impairment to Ethernet traffic.

E100 Chimera supports full wire-speed impairment at five speeds up to 100Gbps and works seamlessly with Xena traffic generators, allowing you to both generate and impair traffic via the same XenaManager GUI – a feature unique to the Xena platform.


Types of Impairment

Latency/Jitter

Packet Impairments

Flexible Distributions

Constant delay 

Drip

Manual

Accumulate and burst 

Mis-ordering 

Gaussian, Gamma, Poisson 

Step delay 

Duplication

Burst drop (random / fixed) 

Gaussian / Gamma / Poisson Jitter 

Corruption (ETH, IP, UDP, TCP) 

Gilbert-Elliot 

Custom Jitter 

Bit Error Rate

Custom Distributions 

BW Shaping

Port Impairments

Misc. Features

Input policing 

Optical link flap

syncE (Tx follow recovered clk)

Output shaping

Logical link flap

PMA error pulse injection

Learn more about E100 Chimera Network Emulator

More Product Information

Teledyne LeCroy Xena

Teledyne LeCroy Xena is a leader in Ethernet traffic generators, physical layer testing and network emulation. They are one of a handful of companies with solutions for testing the fastest Ethernet speeds (currently 800Gbps using 112G SerDes). Customers around the world rely on Xena solutions to test, debug and validate the performance and interoperability of new Ethernet devices and outperform their competitors. Acquired by Teledyne LeCroy in 2023, Xena is renowned for user-friendly solutions with the industry’s lowest TCO thanks to the Xena Value Pack’s generous software licensing policy. 

Xena offers award-winning solutions for generating Ethernet traffic, physical layer testing and network emulation. Xena Ethernet Traffic Generators are a series of over 12 NICs and 2 chassis options with user-friendly software for conducting a wide range of test scenarios for all Ethernet speeds from 10Mbps up to 800Gbps. Xena also offers a dedicated network emulation NIC for impairing traffic with various forms of latency and jitter at wire-speed up to 100Gbps. All Xena Ethernet traffic generators and the network emulation NICs include powerful options for Physical Layer testing. Comprehensive software is bundled with all Xena solutions. XenaManager is a Windows PC client used for configuring and running traffic, there are standalone apps for running industry-standard RFC2544, 2889, 3918 & Y.1564 tests, plus comprehensive open-source automation and scripting options.


Contact Details 

Xena Networks ApS (Global HQ, Europe) 

Gammel Lundtoftevej 1B, 2nd floor, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark 

VAT#: DK 30615956 

Phone: +45 7020 0823 

Email: sales@xenanetworks.com

Contact form

Test & Measurement

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