Anritsu Debuts 140 Gbaud Linear Amplifier for Optical Testing

Anritsu Corporation has introduced the AH15203A/B, a 140 Gbaud wideband linear amplifier equipped with an integrated bias tee. Designed to accelerate the development of next-generation optical transmission devices for the Beyond-1 Terabit era, the amplifier provides crucial signal conditioning capabilities. It features a broad frequency response from 200 kHz to 125 GHz, amplifying PAM4 signals up to 140 Gbaud with a maximum output of 2.0 Vpp. Boasting a +15.0 dB gain and a maximum jitter of 300 femtoseconds, the device ensures high signal fidelity while compensating for transmission-path losses.

The new amplifier allows engineers to directly drive optical modulators that require high-amplitude offset signals. It is highly suited for characterizing components used in emerging 800GbE and 1.6TbE digital coherent transmission systems, as well as Intensity Modulation-Direct Detection (IM-DD) setups. Operating with a low power consumption of 1.5 W and featuring a dedicated power supply for enhanced test safety, the AH15203A/B reduces setup complexity and improves measurement reliability. Anritsu plans to showcase the solution at ECOC 2026 in Malaga, Spain.

Additional Context
This section provides technological and market background not explicitly detailed in the original release.

As data centers scale to support immense AI and machine-learning workloads, the networking industry is transitioning to 200 Gbps-per-lane speeds under the IEEE 802.3dj standard. At these extreme frequencies, electrical signals suffer from severe attenuation and distortion before they even reach the optical modulator (such as an EML, DML, or VCSEL). A linear amplifier is critical in these test setups because, unlike a limiting amplifier, it preserves the intricate, multi-level amplitude variations of PAM4 signals without distorting them. Furthermore, testing these modulators typically requires a DC bias current to set the optimal operating point for the laser diode; by integrating the bias tee directly into the amplifier, Anritsu eliminates the need for bulky external components. This integration minimizes impedance mismatches and signal reflections, ensuring that test engineers can accurately and efficiently validate optical devices at 140 Gbaud symbol rates.

Edited by Lekshman Ramdas, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.

www.anritsu.com