Keysight Demonstrates First Full Line Rate 1.6 Terabit Ethernet Test Capability

Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) and Credo Semiconductor (NASDAQ: CRDO) set a new milestone by developing a joint testbed that demonstrates the first IEEE P802.3dj draft specification compliant 1.6 terabit (T) Ethernet measurement system running full line rate layer 2 Ethernet traffic on a real world hardware development platform. This demonstration provides proof that 1.6T Ethernet speed is possible and that its performance can be measured.

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Keysight co-developed the industry’s first working 1.6 terabit Ethernet test and measurement system in a testbed with Credo Semiconductor. Running at full line rate, it can transmit and process more than a billion packets per second over a 2-meter active electrical cable – an unprecedented rate of speed. (Photo: Business Wire)

Network bandwidth demand continues to grow 30-40% annually, driven in large part by the need for today’s large-scale networks to support data intensive technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), video streaming, cloud networking, and high-performance computing. To keep pace, network equipment manufacturers, silicon chip manufacturers, and data center operators must build and operate next generation 1.6T Ethernet networks.

To help data center operators overcome any potential hurdles, network equipment and chip manufacturers must:

• Deliver higher speed and data throughput without increasing data center power and cooling requirements
• Implement faster electrical lane speeds for the communication chips embedded in optical transceivers, switches, routers, servers, and test systems without compromising reliability or quality
• Measure the performance of silicon chips, network equipment, and network interconnection devices during their quality assurance (QA) cycle in final product benchmark testing

In recognizing the challenges of deploying 1.6T Ethernet, Keysight, developed the industry’s first working 1.6T Layer 2 traffic generation and measurement system, and is demonstrating it in a joint testbed with Credo. As 1.6T adoption gains momentum, establishing a testing framework early in the product development life cycle is critical to help speed time to market and enable confident deployment. Keysight, a leader in 400GE and 800GE testing is now helping companies prepare their 1.6T development plans and has the measurement systems needed for early adopter testing.