Keysight Develops 224G Testing for Next-Gen AI Networks

AI computing clusters are expanding quickly, and the networks that connect them are under strain. As operators are linking thousands of GPUs and accelerators inside modern data centres, interconnect speeds are climbing and testing requirements are becoming more complex.

Keysight Technologies is introducing a portfolio of 224G test solutions designed to support the development and manufacturing of next-gen interconnects used in AI data centres.

The solutions focus on electrical and optical components used in 1.6T networking environments. These developments sit close to the evolution of hyperscale connectivity for telecoms.

Data centre networks increasingly connect directly to metro and long-haul fibre networks that support cloud platforms and edge computing.

The move to 224G electrical lanes and 1.6T optical modules marks a key stage in this evolution, but it has to be monitored. IT teams and network engineers must confirm the accuracy and reliability of high-speed digital signals while building repeatable testing workflows that support high-volume manufacturing.

Keysight’s portfolio addresses these requirements through standards-aligned test applications built on the company’s Digital Communication Analyser platform, which measures high-speed digital communication signals used across networking environments.

Optical validation for high-capacity fibre links

Optical transmitter validation forms a core part of the portfolio, converting electrical signals into optical signals so data can move across fibre links inside data centres and telecom infrastructure.

Ensuring these signals remain clear and compliant at 224G speeds is essential for reliable network performance as traffic flows between hyperscale facilities and telecom transport networks.

Keysight is also introducing the N1095DJCA optical transmitter conformance test software to support this validation process.

The software operates on the Digital Communication Analyser platform and works with Keysight’s N1093 DCA-M sampling oscilloscopes. These measure extremely high-speed signals by capturing repeated segments of a waveform and reconstructing the signal over time.

The application evaluates optical transmitter performance using measurements such as Transmitter and Dispersion Eye Closure Quaternary (TDECQ) and TDECQ Codeword Error Ratio. TDECQ measures how distortion and noise affect optical signals that use four-level modulation while TDECQ Codeword Error Ratio expands the measurement by analysing error patterns within encoded data streams.

These metrics help engineers track optical transmitter performance as hardware moves from development through to pre-production testing.

Electrical testing for network hardware development

The N1091DJPA electrical transmitter test software has been announced, which supports validation tasks in research and development environments where engineers evaluate early-stage silicon and networking system designs.

The software guides engineers through measurement configuration using an application-driven workflow. This reduces manual setup steps that often slow validation processes during development.

It operates with the Keysight DCA-X wide-bandwidth sampling oscilloscope and DCA-M clock recovery modules, which rebuild timing information from incoming data streams so engineers can analyse signal timing and stability.

Dr. Joachim Peerlings, Vice President of Network and Data Centre Solutions at Keysight, comments on the importance of these solutions.

“As the industry moves rapidly toward 224G and 1.6T interconnects, customers need test solutions that span electrical and optical domains while scaling seamlessly from R&D to manufacturing.

“These new solutions reinforce Keysight’s commitment to enabling reliable, high-performance AI data centre networks.”

Multimode testing for dense AI connectivity

The final part of the portfolio is the N1096 multimode DCA-M sampling oscilloscope, designed for multimode optical environments often used for short-reach links inside data centres.

The N1096 DCA-M supports 224Gbps or 112 GBd PAM4 measurement capability for multimode applications. PAM4 is short for Pulse Amplitude Modulation with four levels and is a signalling method that transmits two bits of data per symbol by using four amplitude levels.

The oscilloscope helps engineering teams move multimode optical transceivers from early research into manufacturing readiness. 

Keysight is set to showcase the expanded 224G test portfolio at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference, giving engineers a closer look at the electrical and optical testing tools designed to support next-generation data centre interconnects.