XKL Intros DarkStar Optical Utility Appliance

XKL LLC has launched the DarkStar Mux/Demux – Amplifier (DMD-A) optical utility appliance, which offers optional integrated features for network flexibility and manageability.

DMD-A provides a variety of filter options including 48-channel or 96-channel mux/demux and four-band or six-band combiner filter, and allows for point-to-point or east/west configurations. It also provides support for up to four EDFAs and one Raman amplifier, depending on other installed options.

XKL’s DMD-A optical appliance includes dispersion compensation and an integrated optical switch for path protection. The DMD-A can serve as an integral part of an XKL network solution or can interoperate with any optical networking equipment that utilizes the standard ITU grid, 50GHz or 100GHz channel spacing. It also has a simple interface for deployment and management that enables a “set and forget” administration of the appliance.

Like all XKL products, the DMD-A is compact in size – it comes in a one-rack or two-rack unit form factor – and has reduced power consumption.

“What truly makes the DMD-A stand out is its bulletproof design and operational efficiency,” said Chad Lamb, chief systems architect for XKL. “With more than seven years in continuous service, XKL considers downtime of critical infrastructure unacceptable and designs products accordingly. The DMD-A is a simple-to-operate platform that provides all the capabilities needed by today’s more complex optical networks. As our customers tell us, ‘it just works.’”