Market Events
HYWICOM Highlights Its Testing Capabilities for 1.6T and NPO at ECOC 2026
Following the domestic debut of its latest solutions at CIOE 2026 in Shenzhen, HYWICOM showcased its advanced optical communications test portfolio at ECOC 2026 in Málaga, Spain. Key highlights included the FRAEO 16T2-NPO Network Tester, FRAEO 16T2 Multi-Port 1.6T Network Tester, and BERTO Real-Traffic BERT Tester, demonstrating HYWICOM's capabilities in 1.6T production testing and NPO system-level validation.
As AI infrastructure drives demand for higher-bandwidth interconnects, 1.6T optical transceivers are moving toward large-scale deployment, while Near-Package Optics (NPO) is emerging as a promising architecture for next-generation AI networks. These developments are increasing the need for comprehensive test solutions that extend beyond physical-layer measurements to real-traffic testing and system-level interoperability.
As a member of the International Photonics & Electronics Committee (IPEC), HYWICOM continues to engage in international optical interconnect standards development. At ECOC 2026, HYWICOM and IPEC jointly demonstrated 800G eSR8 interoperability using real Ethernet traffic, powered by the PIANO portable 800G network tester. The demonstration highlighted the potential of 800G eSR8 technology for short-reach data center interconnects.
The two parties also exchanged technical insights on NPO standardization and testing requirements. Building on their collaboration in 800G eSR8 interoperability, they planned to explore a similar real-traffic-based dynamic interoperability demonstration for NPO, supporting further validation of emerging NPO solutions across the industry.
ECOC 2026
HYWICOM × IPEC: 800G eSR8 Real-Traffic Interoperability Demo
01. FRAEO 16T2-NPO Network Tester
Bringing NPO system-level validation into the R&D phase
NPO architectures bring optical engines into closer integration with switching ASICs, making system-level compatibility and interoperability increasingly important during development. Traditional workflows that validate optical components and switches separately can leave integration issues undetected until the system assembly stage.
Conventional test setups may also require multiple instruments to achieve sufficient channel density. Cascaded connections can introduce signal-integrity risks, while PRBS-only testing cannot fully reproduce real Ethernet operating conditions.
The FRAEO 16T2-NPO Network Tester addresses these challenges with 32 native high-speed electrical channels in a single instrument, eliminating the need to stack multiple testers. Each channel supports 106G and 212G per-lane PAM4 signaling, enabling testing of 3.2T and 6.4T NPO architectures.
Its dual-engine architecture combines a physical-layer PRBS pattern engine with an L2 real Ethernet traffic engine. This enables both conventional component characterization—including eye diagram and bit error rate (BER) measurements—and realistic Ethernet traffic generation for testing complete NPO switching systems.
When paired with HYWICOM's NPO MCB test board and TEC Temperature Control System, the solution supports automated testing across all 16 NPO optical engines within a switch. Test scenarios can include characterization across three temperature points, full-load traffic testing and fault injection, helping engineering teams identify compatibility and reliability issues earlier in the development cycle.
At ECOC 2026, the solution attracted technical interest from international switch, chip and optical-engine teams. Their discussions reflected growing industry interest in moving system-level validation earlier in the NPO development process.
02. FRAEO 16T2 Multi-Port 1.6T Network Tester
A high-density platform for real Ethernet traffic testing
The FRAEO 16T2 is designed for comprehensive validation of 1.6T and 800G optical transceivers, as well as AOC and AEC connectivity. Its modular, three-slot architecture supports flexible configurations with one to three modules, multiple data rates—including 1.6T, 800G and 400G—and form factors such as OSFP and QSFP-DD. In its maximum configuration, the platform supports up to 3 × 1.6T or 12 × 800G ports, enabling full-line-rate parallel testing. By consolidating multiple test ports into a single instrument, it helps reduce equipment footprint and total cost of ownership (TCO).
The FRAEO 16T2 can connect directly to 1.6T and 800G Ethernet switches and generate L2 real Ethernet traffic, supporting representative interoperability testing under realistic operating conditions.
Its capabilities also include an optical transceiver stress-testing suite and a CMIS 3.0–5.3 protocol compliance suite with more than 1,700 test cases. Coverage includes VDM diagnostics and in-service firmware upgrades via CDB. Additional debugging capabilities include optical transceiver loopback configurations, SerDes parameter settings and pin control.
Together with the FRAEO 16T2-NPO, the FRAEO 16T2 provides complementary test capabilities for both NPO architectures and conventional pluggable optical transceivers, supporting high-density testing and more efficient deployment in R&D and production environments.
03. BERTO (BERT-Online) Real-Traffic BERT Tester
Test with real traffic — not just test patterns
The BERTO (BERT-Online) Real-Traffic BERT Tester combines conventional offline PRBS generation and testing with online Ethernet traffic testing on a single platform. By integrating physical-layer testing and real-traffic validation, BERTO reduces the need for separate test systems and enables a more comprehensive view of device performance.
The platform features four high-density 1.6T ports and supports 106G and 212G PAM4 operation. Available configurations include optical, electrical and hybrid optical-electrical interfaces, accommodating a range of R&D, system-validation and reliability-testing workflows.
Beyond physical-layer measurements such as eye diagrams and BER, BERTO enables engineers to examine FEC status, error distribution and receiver behavior under real traffic conditions. Correlating signal-quality measurements with traffic-level performance helps engineers investigate hidden device issues and better understand how physical-layer impairments affect system behavior.
By bringing offline PRBS testing and online Ethernet traffic testing together, BERTO provides a more comprehensive basis for device characterization, debugging and system validation.
Alongside the FRAEO and BERTO platforms, HYWICOM showcased the PIANO portable 8-port 800G network tester. Together, these solutions address testing requirements across 3.2T, 1.6T and 800G optical interconnects, from component characterization and transceiver validation to real-traffic testing and system-level verification.
HYWICOM's presence at ECOC 2026 builds on the product launches at CIOE 2026 and reflects the company's continued focus on high-speed optical communication testing, NPO validation and real-traffic-based test methodologies.
As optical interconnect testing evolves from isolated physical-layer measurements toward traffic-aware, system-level validation, HYWICOM will continue to expand its test portfolio, contribute to international standards development and collaborate with customers and industry partners worldwide to support the next generation of AI and data center networks.
