Finally a viable Layer 1 solution!
You no longer have to choose between performance/features and affordability. ColdFusion is the ONLY Layer 1 Switch to offer:
- Any media: Multimode, Singlemode, AOC, DAC, RJ45 copper Ethernet in the same chassis
- Any speed: from 10mb to 128GB
- Highest scale: 512 10/32GB SFP ports or 256 QSFP 128GB ports (1024 using 1:4 breakout cables)
- Flexible, affordable, scalable configurations
How does a Layer 1 Switch Work?
The easiest way to think of a Layer 1 switch, also known as a physical layer switch, is as an electronic patch panel. Completely transparent connections between ports is performed based on software commands sent over the control interface. In testing environments, this allows the tests to be as accurate as if there were a patch cord between the devices.
Why is Layer 1 Important?
Automating the physical connectivity in a lab environment is the final roadblock to total automation. If the physical layer is manually configured, human intervention will always be required. This also supports a low-contact, work-from-anywhere environment.
Test configurations executed in seconds vs. hours
Secure, remote access to lab from anywhere
Human error, errant results, and retests are eliminated
Equipment use is maximized
What is a Layer 1 Switch
The easiest way to think of a Layer 1 (L1) switch, also known as a physical layer switch, is as an electronic patch panel. Completely transparent connections between ports is performed based on software commands sent to the L1 switch over its control interface. In testing environments, this allows the tests to be as accurate as if there were a patch cord between the devices.
Using Layer 2 (L2) switches for connection purposes in a test environment can cause a number of problems. In L2 switches, the output bit stream is different from the input bit stream in that MAC control frames, such as pause frames, are discarded by the MAC layer. Also the differing clock timing forces the PHY on the L2 switch to add/delete idle characters to compensate, making it impossible to compare input data streams to output data streams when testing using an L2 switch.
L1 switches on the other hand, are fully transparent to the traffic going through them. Once a connection is made between two ports the attached devices are essentially directly connected. L1 switches have very low latency and do not store or manipulate a single bit in the data stream. The internal hardware architecture of the L1 switch allows the L1 switch to duplicate any incoming data to any number of output ports at full wire speed without dropping a single bit. This allows testing of multiple devices from a single test set or output. Software simulation of cable breaks (port flapping) can also be simulated using software-defined duration times and repetitions of the simulated cable break.
