A testing system that can check errors in network links. Can this help companies test optical and copper connections before products move to production and deployment?
Keysight Technologies has introduced the Functional Interconnect Test Solutions (FITS) portfolio along with its first product, FITS-8CH. The system validates digital-layer bit error ratio (BER) and forward error correction (FEC) performance in high-speed optical and copper interconnects used in network equipment and production networks.
As interconnect speeds rise and designs become more complex, chip makers, interconnect suppliers, and network equipment manufacturers need stronger validation before mass production and during manufacturing. Physical-layer test tools check electrical lanes against industry specifications and set a compliance baseline. System-level validation extends this by examining the performance of fully integrated interconnects and sub-assemblies, including how errors behave under real operating conditions.
Reliable assessment of real-world performance requires high-speed error testing across all electrical or optical lanes. Without this validation, manufacturers face a higher risk of production delays and field failures. This is especially important for high-speed PAM4 electrical lanes running at 53 Gb/s, 106 Gb/s, and 212 Gb/s that support modern 400GE, 800GE, and 1.6T Ethernet network architectures.
FITS-8CH addresses this gap by enabling multi-lane error performance validation at the digital layer. It supports PAM4 error testing across key electrical lane speeds and complements physical-layer measurements. The system helps engineers validate high-speed interconnects during design, development, and manufacturing. It can also integrate with other physical-layer test solutions from Keysight Technologies to support a wider range of applications and network topologies.
Ram Periakaruppan, Vice President and General Manager, Network Test & Security Solutions, Keysight, said: “As validation requirements move up the stack from the physical layer, our customers increasingly need solutions that scale across development, manufacturing, and deployment. FITS8CH represents Keysight’s expansion into digital layer interconnect validation, combining years of deep measurement expertise with the global reach, field support, and portfolio continuity customers rely on for production environments including AI data centers.
