Optical Multi-Format Transmitter (OMFT) for Telecommunications & Optical Networks

Why Optical Networks Need a Known-Good Transmitter in the Lab

Optical networks now carry 400G and 800G per wavelength, and 1.6T is under development. Every new coherent receiver, DSP chip or pluggable module has to be proven against signals at those rates before it reaches a live fibre route.

The difficulty is separating the device under test from the signal source. If the transmitter feeding a receiver has its own impairments, a poor bit-error rate could belong to either side. Test labs need a transmitter whose behaviour is known, stable and repeatable, so every result can be traced to the device being qualified.

The Optical Multi-Format Transmitter as the Golden Reference

The optical multi-format transmitter (OMFT) from ID Photonics converts high-speed differential I and Q signals from an AWG, pulse pattern generator or DSP system into a dual-polarisation IQ-modulated optical signal. In optical networks test, it acts as the golden reference transmitter: a calibrated, well-characterised source against which receivers, transceivers and photonic integrated circuits are measured.

Because the signals are generated in hardware rather than simulated, BER, Q-factor and EVM measurements reflect what the device under test will see in a real link.

Why Electro-Optic Bandwidth Sets the Test Ceiling

The electro-optic bandwidth of the transmitter decides the highest symbol rate it can reproduce cleanly, and so the highest line rate a lab can test. The OMFT comes in three classes that share one 2U chassis and control interface; only the modulator differs.

• Class 40: over 40 GHz, up to 96 GBaud, for 100G and 200G coherent system testing.
• Class 60: 60 GHz, over 120 GBaud, for 400G characterisation and coherent receiver qualification.
• Class 80: over 80 GHz, up to 170 GBaud, for 800G single-carrier work and research towards 1.6T.

Made for Transceiver Labs and Production Lines

The same instrument serves an R&D bench and an automated test station, which keeps numbers comparable as a design moves towards volume.

No bias search between formats

The built-in bias control is independent of RF format and amplitude. A receiver can be stepped through QPSK, 16-QAM and 64-QAM without a manual bias search, and the modulator relocks within milliseconds of each change.

Clean spectrum for EVM work

Zero-noise mode mutes the bias-control pilot tone after lock, so it does not appear in the optical spectrum during EVM, spectral-shape or phase-sensitive measurements.

Calibrated for pre-distortion

Each unit ships with device-specific calibration files for gain, phase imbalance and IQ offset, allowing software pre-distortion for better linearity and cleaner constellations.

Fits the AWG you already own

Differential 1.85 mm RF inputs work with AWGs and PPGs from Keysight, Tektronix and Rohde & Schwarz. USB, Ethernet, a browser GUI and a touchscreen cover both hands-on use and scripted production sequences.

Assembling a Coherent Receiver Test Bench

The OMFT can use its optional built-in laser, or take its carrier from the Narrow Linewidth Tunable Laser Source when the bench needs wavelength tuning across the C-band or several channels. On the receive side, the CORX Coherent Optical IQ Receiver serves as a reference receiver for checking the transmit path or as a comparison point for the device under test, while the ID OSA Optical Spectrum Analyser confirms channel placement, spectral shape and OSNR.

When a team builds its own transmitter from discrete modulators or a photonic integrated circuit, the standalone Automatic Bias Control System locks those prototype modulators, so the device under development can be compared directly with the OMFT reference.

Who Uses It

• Telecom equipment manufacturers and coherent transceiver developers
• Coherent DSP and ASIC design teams
• Silicon photonics and photonic integrated circuit developers
• Network operator and carrier test laboratories
• Optical communication research groups at IITs and research institutes

Supply and Support in India

United Spectrum Instruments (USI), Chennai, supplies this optical multi-format transmitter in India as the distributor for ID Photonics, together with the narrow linewidth laser, CORX receiver, ID OSA and standalone Automatic Bias Control System.

Sourcing the complete test bench from one supplier gives telecom and optical networks teams a single point of contact for bandwidth class, laser option, AWG compatibility, installation and after-sales support. Pre-sales guidance helps match the class to the line rates you need to test now and in the next product generation.

Request a Configuration

Download the brochure from this page, use the Enquire Now button, write to sales@unitedspectrum.in, or call +91 93631 83748 / +91 97899 04948. Please mention:

• Line rates and symbol rates to be tested (for example 400G, 800G or 1.6T research)
• Modulation formats and single or dual polarisation
• Laser option: built-in or external, and channel count
• Your AWG or PPG model, and whether the unit is for R&D or production test