EXFO Adds Detailed EVM and BER Analysis, Mask Tests and Support of Homodyne Characterization to Its

Exhibitor News

EXFO Adds Detailed EVM and BER Analysis, Mask Tests and Support of Homodyne Characterization to Its PSO-200 Optical Modulation Analyzer

This software release provides network equipment and transceiver manufacturers with powerful tools for efficient testing and troubleshooting during the production of 40G and 100G transmitters intended for coherent systems; the PSO-200 will be showcased at the 2011 OFC/NFOEC.

QUEBEC CITY, CANADA, March 7, 2011 — EXFO Inc. (NASDAQ: EXFO, TSX: EXF) announced today the addition of several new analysis tools to its PSO-200 Optical Modulation Analyzer, providing flexibility to manufacturers looking to adapt their testing procedures to any future compliance procedures and allowing performance of phase-modulated transmitters such as DP-QSPK to be established independently of the receiver.

With 40G and 100G DP-QPSK transmitters now commercially available, manufacturers are facing several challenges when transferring those products from R&D to production, among which are the absence of compliance criteria and the standardized procedures against which to test. To address these challenges, the PSO-200 offers several new features, including the unique time-resolved error vector magnitude (EVM) analysis, developed by EXFO to allow fast and precise identification of transmitter impairments. The optical modulation analyzer also provides bit-error-rate (BER) and symbol-error-rate (SER) computation in a powerful gearbox that allows users to provide the patterns and sequences used in their transmitter in order to get precise mapping of errors, ITU-T and IEEE-based compliance mask tests for OOK modulation formats, as well as constellation and time-resolved EVM masks for phase-modulated signals. In addition, the PSO-200 also comes with an optional external local oscillator input to support the requirements for homodyne characterization. This can prove to be very useful when testing transmitters using lasers with larger linewidth such as 40G DQPSK modules with coherent instruments like the PSO-200.

“These new features leverage the unique capability of the PSO-200 to recover time-domain information without additional signal processing, providing simple, yet powerful performance information on 40G/100G DP-QPSK transmitters,” said Étienne Gagnon, EXFO’s Vice-President, Wireline Division and Corporate Marketing. “As a result, NEMs and transceiver manufacturers now have access to a cost-effective test solution that will allow them to quickly ramp up production and meet market requirements for additional bandwidth.”

The PSO-200 Optical Modulation Analyzer will be showcased at the 2011 OFC/NFOEC, in Los Angeles, CA, USA, from March 8 to 10, booth 1418. Visit our website for more information on the PSO-200 Optical Modulation Analyzer.

About EXFO
Listed on the NASDAQ and TSX stock exchanges, EXFO is among the leading providers of next-generation test and service assurance solutions for wireless and wireline network operators and equipment manufacturers in the global telecommunications industry. The company offers innovative solutions for the development, installation, management and maintenance of converged, IP fixed and mobile networks — from the core to the edge. Key technologies supported include 3G, 4G/LTE, IMS, Ethernet, OTN, FTTx, and various optical technologies (accounting for an estimated 35% of the portable fiber-optic test market). EXFO has a staff of approximately 1700 people in 25 countries, supporting more than 2000 telecom customers worldwide. For more information, visit www.EXFO.com.

EXFO Brand Name
The corporate name of the company is EXFO Inc. The company requests that all media outlets and publications use the corporate name (“EXFO Inc.”) or abbreviated name (“EXFO”) in capital letters for branding purposes. EXFO would like to thank all parties in advance for their cooperation.

For more information Maryse Brodeur Media Planner (418) 683-0913, Ext. 3429 maryse.brodeur@EXFO.com

Vance Oliver Manager, Investor Relations (418) 683-0913, Ext. 3733 vance.oliver@EXFO.com.