Agilent Keysight 86103A Opt 201 Optical Plug-in Module 20GHz 86100 DCA Scope

Agilent Keysight 86103A Opt 201 Optical/Electrical Plug-In Module for 86100A DCA

The Agilent Keysight 86103A Opt 201 Optical Plug-in Module 20GHz 86100 DCA Scope is a dual-channel plug-in for the 86100A Infiniium DCA mainframe, combining a high-sensitivity multimode optical channel with a 20 GHz electrical channel. Option 201 configures the module with switchable OC-3/STM-1 (155 Mb/s) and OC-12/STM-4 (622 Mb/s) reference filters, making it a fit for engineers running standards-based transmitter compliance testing on multimode SONET/SDH transceivers.

Key Features and Benefits of the Agilent Keysight 86103A Opt 201 Optical Plug-in Module 20GHz 86100 DCA Scope

• Integrated multimode optical channel — 2.85 GHz optical bandwidth (3 GHz typical) covers unfiltered measurements up to OC-48 rates and filtered compliance testing at OC-3 and OC-12.
• Dual switchable reference filters (Option 201) — Front-panel or GPIB switching between OC-3/STM-1 and OC-12/STM-4 filters eliminates the need to disconnect fiber between compliance tests.
• 1000 to 1600 nm wavelength range — Calibrated at both 1310 nm and 1550 nm for the two most common telecom test wavelengths.
• -20 dBm sensitivity for mask test — Handles low-power transmitter outputs and lossy test setups without requiring optical amplification.
• Two selectable electrical bandwidths — 12.4 GHz mode for best oscilloscope noise performance on small signals; 20 GHz mode for high-fidelity display of fast waveforms.
• Integrated average power monitor — Built-in optical power meter reads absolute power directly in optical units, eliminating the need for a separate power meter or coupler.
• 62.5/125 µm multimode fiber input — User-selectable connector interface matches common multimode transceiver test setups.
• Direct 83480A/54750A replacement compatibility — Works with existing scripts and test procedures written for the older Agilent 83480A and 54750A platforms.

Advanced Capabilities

The value of an integrated optical channel is that the entire measurement path — photodiode, amplification, filter switching, and power monitoring — is calibrated as a system. External optical-to-electrical converters plus a discrete power meter and coupler introduce cascaded uncertainties, connector losses, and wavelength-dependent errors that are difficult to characterize. The 86103A's built-in average power monitor with factory-calibrated accuracy of ±5% ±100 nW (±connector uncertainty) at 20°C to 30°C means absolute power readings and extinction ratio measurements come from one instrument with one calibration chain.

Option 201's dual-filter configuration is what makes this variant particularly suited to production compliance testing. Switching a SONET/SDH reference filter into the measurement path is required for eye-diagram mask testing at OC-3 and OC-12 rates, and having both filters available in one module — remotely switchable via GPIB or front panel — eliminates the module swaps that would otherwise be needed between the two rate tests. Combined with the 86100A mainframe's built-in mask library and one-button compliance test workflow, this configuration turns multimode SONET/SDH transceiver qualification into a repeatable, high-throughput process.

Calibration and Quality Assurance

Every Agilent Keysight 86103A Opt 201 is calibrated prior to shipping to OEM specifications. The order includes a Calibration Certificate, Calibration Label, and full Calibration Data. This means the module arrives traceable, audit-ready, and ready to use straight out of the box — no need to schedule a calibration cycle before putting it into service.

Specifications