Agilent / Keysight 83434A 10 Gb/s Lightwave Receiver

The Agilent/Keysight 83434A is a 10 Gb/s amplified PIN diode optical receiver that converts high-speed optical signals to electrical domain with -16 dBm sensitivity and BER performance of 1E-10 or better. It detects SDH/SONET STM-64/OC-192 signals and FEC-encoded data at 10.664 Gb/s, delivering non-retimed linear data output and recovered clock signals suitable for BER measurements, eye contour analysis, Q-factor evaluation, and optical eye diagram acquisition.

Technical Specifications

• Data Rate: 10 Gb/s optical signal detection and processing


• Modulation Support: Digitally modulated SDH/SONET STM-64/OC-192 signals; FEC signals at 10.664 Gb/s (Option 106)


• Receiver Architecture: Amplified PIN diode with AGC stabilization


• Sensitivity: -16 dBm for BER ≥ 1 × 10⁻¹⁰ (PRBS up to 2³¹ - 1)


• BER Performance: ≥ 1E-10


• Wavelength Range: 1300–1600 nm


• Clock Recovery: 9953.28 MHz (standard); 10.664 GHz (Option 106); 10.3125 GHz (Option H31 10 GigE)


• Data Output: Linear, non-retimed; suitable for BER, eye contour, and Q-factor measurements


• Trigger Output: Recovered clock available as trigger input for oscilloscopes (e.g., Infiniium DCA)


• Optical Interface: FC/PC connector; alternative interfaces available via 81000XI series

Key Features

• Recovers clock and non-retimed data from 10 Gb/s optical signals


• Single-instrument solution for optical-to-electrical signal conversion


• AGC-stabilized receiver architecture ensures consistent performance across optical power levels


• Selectable clock recovery rates support multiple standards (SDH/SONET, FEC, 10 GigE)


• Trigger capability enables direct oscilloscope eye diagram measurement without external reference clock

Typical Applications

• High-speed optical receiver testing in 10 Gb/s fiber optic networks


• BER measurement and optimization in optical communication systems


• Eye pattern and jitter analysis in SDH/SONET OC-192 systems


• Signal integrity validation for FEC-encoded optical links

Compatibility & Integration

• Pairs with Agilent/Keysight 83433A 10 Gb/s Lightwave Transmitter for complete bidirectional optical link testing


• Clock output interfaces with error performance analyzers (e.g., Agilent 71612B) and 12.5 Gb/s Error Performance Analyzers (e.g., Agilent 71612C)


• Non-retimed data output optimizes threshold and timing adjustment in external error detectors


• Compatible with sampling oscilloscopes like the Agilent 86100B Infiniium DCA for optical eye diagram analysis