Leviton recently announced that its Opt-X Unity 40G/100G Preterminated MTP Trunk Cables were successfully tested in a 40-GbE channel using multi-vendor core Ethernet switches and QSFP optical transceivers. The testing took place during the Ethernet Alliance’s TeraFabric Plugfest, held at the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory from October 22 to 26. The event tested the interoperability of cabling, test equipment, network adapters, storage systems and switches built to support the IEEE 802.1 Data Center Bridging (DCB) standards and draft standards.
“The event saw the industry’s first multi-vendor public test of the official IEEE Data Center Bridging Exchange [DCBX] standard 802.1Qaz,” Leviton explained. “In addition, 40GbE was successfully tested for the first time in a multi-vendor DCB environment. Cabling vendors also performed thorough signal-integrity testing for direct-attach copper cables. Test cases were run using direct-attach passive and active copper cables as well as direct-attach passive optical cables.”
Dave Mullen, senior product manager, fiber for Leviton, stated, “The Ethernet Alliance’s TeraFabric Plugfest was a great opportunity for Leviton and other leading vendors to demonstrate interoperability. Engaging in collaborations like Plugfest demonstrates Leviton’s commitment to helping customers adopt and deploy next-generation Ethernet applications.”
The Opt-X Unity system includes trunks, harnesses, array cords and MTP cassettes. Leviton explains that Opt-X Unity “allows for a straightforward migration path to 40-GbE or 100-GbE performance, and is backwards-compatible with existing Gigabit or 10-Gigabit networks. The system meets the tight optical cabling channel insertion loss [IL] requirements specified in the IEEE standard, from 2.6 dB for 10 GbE to 1.9 dB for OM3 40/100 GbE and 1.5 dB for OM4 40/100 GbE. The 24-fiber MTP system offers at least double the density in fiber enclosures that of legacy 12-fiber cabling, and it allows for fewer cable pathways and improve airflow in data centers.”