Why Keysight is Building 224G Test Tools for AI Data Centres

AI workloads are placing increasing pressure on data centre network infrastructure.

As operators scale computing clusters and interconnect large numbers of GPUs and accelerators, network links are requiring higher speeds and stronger validation processes.

Keysight Technologies is introducing a portfolio of 224G test solutions designed to support the development and manufacturing of next-generation interconnects used in AI data centres.

The solutions focus on validating both electrical and optical components used in 1.6T networking environments.

The move to 224G electrical lanes and 1.6T optical modules marks a key step in data centre networking. As data centre operators increase network scale, engineers face greater complexity across the development lifecycle.

IT staff and engineers must confirm signal integrity and introduce repeatable test workflows that support high-volume manufacturing.

Keysight’s portfolio aims to support these requirements by providing standards-aligned test applications built on the company’s Digital Communication Analyser platform, which is used to measure high-speed digital communication signals.

Validating optical performance for 1.6T networks

Optical transmitter validation forms one part of the portfolio. Ensuring that their electric signals remain clear and compliant at 224G speeds is essential for reliable network performance.

As a result, Keysight is introducing the N1095DJCA optical transmitter conformance test software.

The software operates on the DCA platform and works with Keysight’s N1093 DCA-M sampling oscilloscopes, which measure very high-speed signals by capturing repeated sections of a waveform and reconstructing the signal over time.

This technique allows engineers to analyse signals that operate far beyond the bandwidth limits of conventional measurement tools.

The application evaluates optical transmitter quality using measurements such as Transmitter and Dispersion Eye Closure Quaternary and TDECQ Codeword Error Ratio. TDECQ measures how distortion and noise affect optical signals that use four-level modulation.

The four-level modulation method allows networks to transmit more data per signal by using four voltage levels instead of the traditional two. TDECQ Codeword Error Ratio also expands the measurement by analysing error patterns within encoded data streams.

These metrics help engineers track optical transmitter performance as designs progress from early development through to pre-production testing. 

Electrical testing for early development

Keysight is also introducing the N1091DJPA electrical transmitter test software. The application supports electrical validation tasks in research and development environments where engineers evaluate early-stage silicon and system designs.

The software also guides users through measurement configuration using an application-driven workflow. This reduces manual setup tasks that often slow down validation processes.

It works with the Keysight DCA-X wide-bandwidth sampling oscilloscope and DCA-M clock recovery modules. 

The test environment supports half-rate clocking configurations, which simplifies testing while still enabling engineers to capture accurate transmitter behaviour.

Dr. Joachim Peerlings, Vice President of Network and Data Centre Solutions at Keysight, says:

“As the industry moves rapidly toward 224G and 1.6T interconnects, customers need test solutions that span electrical and optical domains while scaling seamlessly from R&D to manufacturing.

“These new solutions reinforce Keysight’s commitment to enabling reliable, high-performance AI data centre networks.”

Multimode measurement for AI infrastructure

The final element of the portfolio is the N1096 multimode DCA-M sampling oscilloscope, which targets multimode optical environments commonly used in short-reach connections inside data centres. Multimode fibre allows multiple light paths to travel through a fibre strand. 

The N1096 DCA-M supports 224Gbps or 112 GBd PAM4 measurement capability for multimode applications.

The oscilloscope also helps engineering teams move multimode optical transceivers from early research into manufacturing readiness. This transition is critical as data centre operators deploy larger AI clusters that rely on dense optical connectivity.

Keysight is planning to demonstrate the expanded 224G test portfolio at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference to showcase its end-to-end electrical and optical testing workflows designed for next-generation data centre interconnects.