EXFO Announces Standardization Of SSA Testing Method

December 3, 2009 – EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering Inc. has announced the standardization of the SOP sampling analysis (SSA) test method on which is based its FTB-5700, a single-ended dispersion analyzer designed to address characterization, upgrade, and opex challenges in metro mesh networks.

Deploying fast services on mesh networks requires the characterization of every single link span to map out the network’s dispersion issues and optimize bandwidth usage, says EXFO. The SSA standard (TIA FOTP-243) allows tests to be performed by a single technician instead of two, reducing the manpower required and simplifying the process.

Each mesh network node is connected to multiple links spreading in multiple directions. Using a traditional end-to-end measurement tool not only demands an extra technician, but it also involves the second technician commuting from one site to the other, wasting valuable test time for both technicians. The SSA approach avoids resource dead time because a single technician can perform the same tests that two technicians used to do – in a fraction of the time formerly required, the company claims. The result is reduced opex, reduced time-to-revenue, and higher resource efficiency, by approximately a factor of three, according to EXFO.

“Over the years, EXFO has pioneered and standardized several PMD test methods, from PSA to GINTY to the brand-new distributed PMD analysis approach. This latest technology breakthrough once again testifies to the strong emphasis we have always placed on innovation,” says Étienne Gagnon, EXFO’s vice president of product management and marketing. “In order to help service providers meet their metro network upgrade challenges, we have designed a single-ended CD and PMD test solution that truly reduces opex, both in the short and long term. What’s more, this method does not compromise on measurement accuracy, as evidenced by the TIA’s acknowledgment and issuance of a fiber-optic test procedure (FOTP) number.”

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