With a wide frequency response of 200 kHz to 125 GHz (-6 dB bandwidth), the AH15203A/B amplifies PAM4 signals up to 140 Gbaud with a maximum output of 2.0 Vpp. Its +15.0 dB gain and low jitter—maximum 300 fs—help engineers maintain signal fidelity, compensate for transmission path losses, and perform more reliable waveform evaluation during the development of high-speed optical devices.
The AH15203A/B can amplify 140 Gbaud PAM4 signals from digital signal processors (DSPs) and other signal sources, while also directly driving optical devices that require high-amplitude shift signals, such as modulators. This makes it ideal for characterizing optical modulators used in next-generation 800 GbE and 1.6 TbE digital coherent transmission systems, as well as IM-DD optical modulators widely deployed in optical communications. For engineers, this provides a practical way to validate the demanding performance of these devices with greater confidence and efficiency.
By combining wide bandwidth, high output power, low jitter, and an integrated bias tee in a compact excitation amplifier, Anritsu helps customers reduce testing complexity, improve confidence in measurement results, and accelerate the deployment of faster, more reliable network and data center infrastructure.
Development Background
: The growth of traffic related to artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cloud services is forcing data center and network operators to increase capacity while maintaining signal quality, energy efficiency, and operational reliability.
To address these requirements, IEEE 802.3dj is driving the standardization of IM-DD modulation at 200 Gbps per lane and digital coherent configurations, including 800GBASE-LR1 (10 km), 800GBASE-ER1-20 (20 km), and 800GBASE-ER1 (40 km). In parallel, the IEEE 802.3ds standardization is progressing towards optical links operating at 200 Gbps per wavelength for short-range communications, below 30 m. As speeds increase, signal attenuation becomes a greater challenge, creating a clear need for high-power linear controllers with integrated bias tees that can faithfully amplify PAM signals and directly control EML, DML, and VCSEL devices during development and validation.
Product Description:
The AH15203A/B high-power linear amplifier supports the evaluation of 140 Gbaud PAM4 signals at levels up to 2.0 Vpp. With a 125 GHz bandwidth and an integrated bias tee, it enables engineers to generate high-quality, high-speed excitation signals without increasing setup complexity.
Its low power consumption of 1.5 W also contributes to more efficient test environments, helping customers manage performance, space, and power considerations in advanced optical device characterization.
A dedicated power supply further reduces the risk of power mismanagement, resulting in safer operation and greater confidence when integrating the amplifier into high-frequency test setups.
Target markets: Manufacturers of high-speed optical and electrical devices; manufacturers of optical signal testing and measurement instruments.
Applications: Characterization of high-speed optical devices up to 140 Gbaud
Technical Terms
*1 Linear Amplifier
An amplifier that amplifies the input signal by a fixed ratio and outputs the result. Linear amplifiers are essential for driving devices, such as optical modulators, used in optical communication networks.
*2 Bias T
A component that superimposes and supplies—or extracts—DC voltage or current to an RF signal line.
*3 PAM4
PAM stands for Pulse Amplitude Modulation, a scheme that increases transmission capacity by modulating amplitude. PAM4 uses four amplitude levels (00, 01, 10, 11) to encode two bits per symbol.
*4 Gain
A characteristic that describes the relationship between the frequency of the input signal and the corresponding output amplification ratio.
*5 Jitter
A measure of the timing fluctuations in a digital signal. Excessive jitter causes incorrect recovery of digital signal values, resulting in bit errors.
*6 DSP
Abbreviation for "digital signal processor": a microprocessor optimized for processing digital signals.
*7 Digital coherent
A transmission scheme that encodes information using the phase and polarization of light. Its low signal degradation makes it ideal for high-capacity, long-distance optical transmission.
*8 IM-DD
Abbreviation for "intensity modulation—direct sensing". A transmission scheme that encodes information by modulating the intensity of light and recovers it at the receiver by direct sensing.
