AFL WDM900 Lightwave Test Set Simplifies DWDM Testing

LOWELL, MA and SPARTANBURG, SC – AFL, a provider of products and services to the broadband industry including fiber optic cable and test equipment, introduced the WDM900 Lightwave Test Set providing sophisticated performance analysis and ease-of-use to the rapidly growing DWDM test space. Equipped with the AFL Health Meter, the WDM900 enables users to find, analyze, document and report issues related to Optical Signal-to-Noise (OSNR), wavelength drift and channel power. Designed to thrive in outside plant and central office conditions, the WDM900 employs a solid state, no-moving-parts design and resists vibration, mechanical shock, temperature and humidity changes that often damage or disable other WDM analysis systems.

“Cell backhaul and metro-Ethernet access networks are rapidly transitioning to DWDM technology. Network managers are learning that the tools available to them today: complex, delicate, high-cost optical spectrum analyzers and overly-simplified channel checkers do not meet their needs,” explains Bill Thompson, senior product marketing manager for AFL’s test equipment division. “The WDM900 combines integrated photonics technology with an advanced AFL Health Meter display on a proven product platform to deliver the power of an OSA with the speed, economic value and the ruggedness of a channel checker.”

Thompson continues, “Designed for ease-of-use from the ground up, the WDM900 allows first-time users to find and document OSNR, wavelength drift and channel power-related issues across their entire network in less than a minute. The user can then generate a comprehensive report onboard the unit which can be easily shared. Unlike legacy optical spectrum analyzers, the WDM900 requires minimal training.”

The AFL Health Meter validates each DWDM channel against user-defined pass/fail criteria and immediately tells the user the health of their network. With a single touch, the technician can identify measurement details to confirm the exact issue.