IXIA 10 Gigabit Ethernet Load Modules
This chapter provides details about 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GE) family of load modules the specifications and features.
The 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GE) family of load modules implements five of the seven IEEE 8.2.3ae compliant interfaces that run at 10Gbit/second. Cards are available which offer the following interfaces:
- 10GE LAN
- 10GE WAN
- XAUI
- XENPAK - with options for XPAK or X2 transceiver use.
The following figure shows an LM10GEXENPAK module.
Figure: LM10GEXENPAK
In addition, two families of multimode card are available which offers combined 10GE LAN/WAN, OC192 POS, BERT, and FEC functionality. The features available for these load modules are described in IXIA 10GE LAN/WAN and OC 192 POS Load Modules.
The full details for these families may be found at:
- LSM 10GE Family
- 10GE LAN Family
- XAUI Family
- XENPAK Family
LSM 10GE Family
The Ixia 10 Gigabit Ethernet LAN Service Module (LSM) offers unprecedented scalability, performance, and service testing flexibility. The Ixia 10GE LSM is Ixia's third-generation 10 Gigabit Ethernet solution. It is the industry's first six-port solution, and it offers a broad portfolio of edge/ core testing solutions for the most demanding test environments including performance, scalability, and conformance testing of Layer 2-3, Routing Protocols, and high performance Layer 4-7 testing. It supports IPv4 and IPv6 wire-speed traffic generation, advanced analysis and IPv4 and IPv6 routing protocol emulation.
The Ixia 10GE LSM supports a comprehensive portfolio of service testing solutions for the next-generation service provider networks including Metro Ethernet E-LAN and E-LINE services; and MPLS VPNs such as Layer 2 VPNs, Layer 3 RFC 2547 VPNs, and VPLS.
Figure: LSM10GMS-01(MACsec Carrier Card)
Part Numbers
The LSM family part numbers are shown in the following table.
Load Module | Part Number | Description |
---|---|---|
10GE LSM |
LSM10G1-01 |
1-port 10GE, single slot, full-featured load module. Supports routing protocols, Linux SDK, and L4-7 applications (requires XENPAK or XFP adapter and matching transceiver). |
10GE LSM MACSec |
LSM10GMS-01 |
1-port 10GE, single slot, full-featured load module. Supports routing protocols, Linux SDK, and L4-7 applications. Supports MACSec functionality for stream generated traffic. XFP LAN/WAN carrier card is integrated. |
10GE LSM XMR810GE LSM XMR8 10GBASE-T |
LSM10GXMR8-01LSM10GXMR8GBT-01 |
NGY 8-port 10GE, 400MHz, 128MB single slot, reduced L2/3 support with limited L3 routing, Linux SDK, and L4-7 applications.Includes 10GBASE-T version. |
10GE LSM XM8XP10GE LSM XM8 10GBASE-T |
LSM10GXM8XP-01 LSM10GXM8GBT-01 |
NGY 8-port 10GE, 800MHz, 1GB, Extra Performance. Includes 10GBASE-T version. |
10GE LSM XM8S |
LSM10GXM8S-01 |
NGY 8-port 10GE, LAN/WAN, SFP+ interface with 1GB RAM per port; for OPTIXIA XM12-02 and OPTIXIA XM2-02 chassis; full L2/7 support. Requires one or more SFP+ transceiver options: 10GBASE-SR, 10GBASE-LR, 10GBASE-LRM, or 10GSFP+Cu. |
10GE LSM XMR8S |
LSM10GXMR8S-01 |
Same as 10GE LSM XM8S but reduced L2/3 support with limited L3 routing. |
NGY-NP8-01 |
NGY-NP8-01 |
10 Gigabit Application Network Processor Load Module, 8-Port LAN/WAN, SFP+ interface. |
10GE LSM XMR410GE LSM XMR4 10GBASE-T |
LSM10GXMR4-01LSM10GXMR4GBT-01 |
NGY 4-port 10GE, 400MHz, 128MB, single slot, reduced L2/3 support with limited L3 routing, Linux SDK, and L4-7 applications.Includes 10GBASE-T version. |
10GE LSM XM4XP10GE LSM XM4 10GBASE-T |
LSM10GXM4XP-01LSM10GXM4GBT-01 |
NGY 4-port 10GE, 1GHz, 1GB, Extra Performance. Includes 10GBASE-T version. |
10GE LSM XM4S |
LSM10GXM4S-01 |
NGY 4-port 10GE, LAN/WAN, SFP+ interface with 1GB RAM per port; for OPTIXIA XM12-02 and OPTIXIA XM2-02 chassis; full L2/7 support. Requires one or more SFP+ transceiver options: 10GBASE-SR, 10GBASE-LR, 10GBASE-LRM, or 10GSFP+Cu. |
10GE LSM XMR4S |
LSM10GXMR4S-01 |
Same as 10GE LSM XM4S but reduced L2/3 support with limited L3 routing. |
NGY-NP4-01 |
NGY-NP4-01 |
10 Gigabit Application Network Processor Load Module, 4-Port LAN/WAN, SFP+ interface. |
10GE LSM XM2XP10GE LSM XM2 10GBASE-T |
LSM10GXM2XP-01LSM10GXM2GBT-01 |
NGY 2-port 10GE, 1GHz, 1GB, Extra Performance. Includes 10GBASE-T version. |
10GE LSM XMR210GE LSM XMR2 10GBASE-T |
LSM10GXMR2-01LSM10GXMR2GBT-01 |
NGY 2-port 10GE, 400MHz, 128MB, single slot, reduced L2/3 support with limited L3 routing, Linux SDK, and L4-7 applications.Includes 10GBASE-T version. |
10GE LSM XM2S |
LSM10GXM2S-01 |
NGY 2-port 10GE, LAN/WAN, SFP+ interface with 1GB RAM per port; for OPTIXIA XM12-02 and OPTIXIA XM2-02 chassis; full L2/7 support. Requires one or more SFP+ transceivers: 10GBASE-SR, 10GBASE-LR, 10GBASE-LRM, or 10GSFP+Cu. |
10GE LSM XMR2S |
LSM10GXMR2S-01 |
Same as 10GE LSM XM2S but reduced L2/3 support with limited L3 routing. |
NGY-NP2-01 |
NGY-NP2-01 |
10 Gigabit Application Network Processor Load Module, 2-Port LAN/WAN, SFP+ interface. |
XENPAK-ADAP-01 |
948-0007 |
XENPAK LAN Adapter for LSM10Gx1-xx. |
XFP-ADAP-02 |
948-0002 |
LAN/WAN Adapter for LSM10Gx1-xx |
X2-ADAP-01 |
948-0008 |
X2 Carrier |
10GBASET-ADAP-01 |
948-0009 |
10GBase-T Adapter for LSM10Gx1-xx |
SFP-ADAP-01 |
948-0012 |
SFP+ Adapter for LSM10G1 and LSMGL1, must be used with an SFP+ transceiver. |
SFP+ transceiver 10GBASE-SR |
948-0013 |
10GBASE-SR Accessory, SFP+ Transceiver for 10GE LAN/WAN load modules with pluggable SFP interface, 850nm. |
SFP+ transceiver 10GBASE-LR |
948-0014 |
10GBASE-LR Accessory, SFP+ Transceiver for 10GE LAN/WAN load modules with pluggable SFP interface, 1310nm. |
SFP+ transceiver 10GBASE-LRM |
948-0015 |
10GBASE-LRM Accessory, SFP+ Transceiver for 10GE LAN load modules with pluggable SFP+ interface, 1300nm, MMF. Note: LAN mode is not supported. |
SFP+ transceiver 10GSFP+Cu |
948-0016 |
10GSFP+Cu Accessory, Direct Attach Cable Transceiver for 10GE LAN/WAN load modules with pluggable SFP+ interface, Copper Wire, 3 meter length. |
10GE LSM XM8NGY |
944-1070-01 |
LSM10GXM8NG-01 10 Gigabit Ethernet Load Module, 8-Port LAN/WAN, XFP interface |
10GE LSM XM4NGY |
944-1071-01 |
LSM10GXM4NG-01 10 Gigabit Ethernet Load Module, 4-Port LAN/WAN, XFP |
10GE LSM XM2NGY |
944-1096-01 |
LSM10GXM2NG 10 GIGABIT ETHERNET LOAD MODULE, 2-Port LAN/WAN, XFP |
LSM10G1-01 |
LSM10GMS-01 | |
---|---|---|
# ports |
1 |
1 |
Data Rate |
10GB |
10GB |
Port CPU Speed |
1GHz (G1)500MHz (GL1) |
1GHz |
Port CPU Memory |
512MB (G1)128MB (GL1) |
512MB |
Connector/Frequency-Mode |
XFP or XENPAK/X2. See XENPAK Connectors 10GBase-T Adapter, see Removable Carrier Cards Also XFP-CX4 and SFP-CX4 |
Integrated XFP LAN/WAN carrier card Also XFP-CX4 |
Ambient Operating Temp. Range |
41oF to 95o(5oC to 35oC) |
41o to 95o (5oC to 35oC) |
Capture buffer size |
Up to 384 MB |
Up to 384 MB |
Captured packet size |
17-65,535 bytes |
17-65,535 bytes |
Streams per port |
256 |
256 |
Advanced streams |
256 |
256 |
Preamble size: min-max |
8 |
8 |
Frame size: min-max (bytes) |
17-65,535 |
17-65,535 |
Inter-frame gap: min-max3 |
4.0ns - 42sec in 3.2ns steps |
4.0ns - 42sec in 3.2ns steps |
Inter-burst gap: min-max |
4.0ns - 42sec in 10.0ns steps |
4.0ns - 42sec in 10.0ns steps |
Inter-stream gap:min-max |
4.0ns - 42sec in 10.0ns steps |
4.0ns - 42sec in 10.0ns steps |
Normal stream frame rate |
0.023fps - full line rate |
0.023fps - full line rate |
Advanced stream min frame rate4 |
Slow: 0.023fpsFast: 1525fps |
Slow: 0.023fpsFast: 1525fps |
Latency5 |
20ns resolution |
20ns resolution The `No CRC' option is not supported. |
Table UDF Entries |
1M (full)32K (reduced) |
1M |
Max Value List UDF entries |
G1:512K entries GL1:8K entries |
512K entries |
Max Range List UDF entries |
G1:256 entries GL1:16 entries |
1The LSM10GMXR3-01 only supports IxNetwork, IxAutomate, and IxExplorer.
2Packet gap size also depends on the stream mode selected Fixed or Average.
3Streams are divided up into two categories: 224 slow speed streams and 32 fast streams.
4Cancel Intrinsic Latency feature measures and/or removes the latency induced by the test equipment (not the DUT). See Intrinsic Latency Adjustment.
Feature | Extra Performance | Reduced Performance |
---|---|---|
Load Modules |
LSM10GXM8XP LSM10GXM4XP LSM10GXM2XP LSM10GXM8S LSM10GXM4S LSM10GXM2S LSM10GXM8GBT LSM10GXM4GBT LSM10GXM2GBT |
LSM10GXMR8 LSM10GXMR4 LSM10GXMR2 LSM10GXMR8S LSM10GXMR4S LSM10GXMR2S LSM10GXMR8GBT LSM10GXMR4GBT LSM10GXMR2GBT |
Number of ports per module |
8/4/2 |
8/4/2 |
Line rate |
10 Gb/s |
10 Gb/s |
Number of chassis slots per module |
1 |
1 |
Maximum ports per chassis |
||
XM12 High Performance |
96/48/241 |
96/48/241 |
XM2 Desktop |
16/121/8/4 |
16/8/4 |
Supported transceivers (optical and copper) Note: The NGY family of load modules can support transceivers that use up to 2.5W of power. Do not use transceivers beyond 2.5W. |
XFP, SFP+, RJ-45 10GBASE-T |
XFP, SFP+, RJ-45 10GBASE-T |
Per-port CPU speed and memory |
1 GHz, 1 GB2 |
400 MHz/128 MB |
Per-port capture buffer |
512 MB |
64 MB |
Captured packet size |
17 bytes absolute minimum frame size64 bytes minimum frame size at line rate |
|
Frame size |
Minimum: 48 bytes Maximum: 16,000 bytes |
For LSM10GXMR8, LSM10GXMR4 LSM10GXMR2 Minimum Frame Size at Line Rate: 48 Minimum Frame Size - may not be at Line Rate: 48 Maximum Frame Size: 4Q: 9216 8 + 1Q: P0: 9216B others 2500B |
Interface protocols |
10 GE LAN/WAN |
10 GE LAN/WAN |
Layer 2/3 routing protocol emulation |
Yes |
Yes |
Layer 4-7 application traffic testing |
Yes |
No |
Number of transmit flows per port (sequential values) |
Billions |
Billions |
Number of transmit flow per port (arbitrary values) |
1 million |
32 K |
Number of trackable receive flows |
1 million |
64K |
Number of stream definitions per port |
512 |
512 |
In packet stream (sequential) or advanced stream (interleaved) mode, each stream definition can generate millions of unique traffic flows. |
||
Preamble size: min-max |
8 |
8 |
Inter-frame gap: min-max |
3.2ns - 27.48sec in 3.2ns steps |
3.2ns - 27.48sec in 3.2ns steps |
Inter-burst gap: min-max |
3.2ns - 27.48sec in 3.2ns steps |
3.2ns - 27.48sec in 3.2ns steps |
Inter-stream gap:min-max |
3.2ns - 27.48sec in 3.2ns steps |
3.2ns - 27.48sec in 3.2ns steps |
Normal stream frame rate |
0.023fps - full line rate |
0.023fps - full line rate |
Advanced stream min. frame rate |
Slow: 0.023fpsFast: 1525fps |
Slow: 0.023fpsFast: 1525fps |
Number of streams in Packet Stream Mode (Non Data Center Mode) |
512 |
512 |
Number of streams in Advanced Scheduler Mode (Non Data Center Mode) |
Fast: 32Slow: 480 |
Fast: 32Slow: 480 |
Number of streams in Advanced Scheduler Mode (Data Center Mode) |
Fast: 32Slow: 224 |
Fast: 32Slow: 224 |
Table UDF |
1 million entries |
32 K |
Comprehensive packet editing function for emulating large numbers of sophisticated flows. Entries of up to 256 bytes, using lists of values can be specified and placed at designated offsets within a stream. Each list consists of an offset, a size and a list of values in a table format. |
||
Max Value List UDF entries |
512K entries for 32-bit and 24-bit, 1M entries for 8 and 16-bit. |
256K entries for 32-bit and 24-bit, 512K entries for 8 and 16-bit. |
Max Range List UDF entries |
512 entries |
256 entries |
Packet flow statistics |
Track 1 million flows |
Track 64 K flows |
Transmit engine |
Wire-speed packet generation with timestamps, sequence numbers, data integrity signature, and packet group signatures |
|
Receive engine |
Wire-speed packet filtering, capturing, real-time latency and inter-arrival time for each packet group, data integrity, and sequence checking |
|
User defined field features |
Fixed, increment or decrement by user-defined step, value lists, range lists, cascade, random, and chained. |
|
Filters |
48-bit source/destination address, 2x128-bit user-definable pattern and offset, frame length range, CRC error, data integrity error, sequence checking error (small, big, reverse) |
|
Data field per stream |
Fixed, increment (byte/word), decrement (byte/word), random, repeating, user-specified. |
|
Statistics and rates (counter size: 64 bits) |
Link state, line speed, frames sent, valid frames received, bytes sent/received, fragments, undersize, oversize, CRC errors, VLAN tagged frames, 6 user-defined stats, capture trigger (UDS 3), capture filter (UDS 4), user-defined stat 5, user-defined stat 6, 8 QoS counters, data integrity frames, data integrity errors, sequence checking frames, sequence checking errors, ARP, and ping requests and replies. |
|
Error generation |
CRC (good/bad/none), undersize, oversize. |
|
Latency measurements |
20 ns standard 10 ns user-selectable |
|
Latency self-calibration |
Ability to calibrate and remove inherent latency from any MSA-compliant 10GbE XFP transceivers, including unsupported transceivers. |
|
Transmit line clock adjustment |
Ability to adjust the parts per million (ppm) line frequency over a range of:
|
|
IPv4, IPv6, UDP, TCP |
Hardware checksum generation and verification. |
|
Frame length controls |
Fixed, random, weighted random, or increment by user-defined step, random, weighted random. |
|
Operating temp. range |
41°F to 95°F (5°C to 35°C), ambient air4 |
1XM12 High Performance chassis (941-0009) is required for 80 or more ports of 10 GbE NGY XFP or SFP+ 8-port, load modules to be installed in a single chassis. A field replaceable power supply upgrade kit (943-0005) is available for the XM12 chassis (941-0002) to convert it to the high-performance version. Up to ten 8-port NGY 10GBASE-T full performance load modules are supported in an XM12 High Performance chassis, and up to eight 8-port NGY 10GBASE-T full performance load modules are supported in a standard XM12 chassis). The XM2 chassis (941-0003) supports up to twelve ports of 10GBASE-T full performance load modules.
2The LSM10GXM8XP, LSM10GXM8S, and LSM10GXM8GBT use a high performance 800MHz processor with additional layer 2 cache.
3For 10GBASE-T interfaces on NGY the ppm does change the data rate, but does not change the bit period due to phy chip limitations.
4When an NGY load module is installed in an XM12 or XM2 chassis, the maximum operating temperature of the chassis is 35°C (ambient air).
Port LEDs
The NGY 10GBASE-T load module has only 2 port LEDs:
- Rx/Error: Same as Rx/Error in the following table
- Tx/Link: Combines the Link and Tx/Pause functions. Solid green = link; blinking green = transmit; red = flow control.
Each 10GB port incorporates a set of LEDs, as described in the following figure.
LED Label | Usage |
---|---|
Link |
Green if Ethernet link is up (established) or the port is in a forced Link Up state, red if link is down. Link may be down due to no signal or no PCS lock. |
Tx/Pause |
Green while data is transmitted. Red while flow control frames are received. Off if no traffic is passing in either direction. Note: For NGY load modules LSM10GXM(R)8 and LSM10GXM(R)4: green indicates that Tx is active and frames being sent; red indicates Tx is paused; off indicates Tx is not active. |
Rx/Error |
Green while data is received. Red on any Ethernet error. Off if no frames are received. Note: For NGY load modules LSM10GXM(R)8 and LSM10GXM(R)4: green indicates valid Rx frames are being received; red indicates error frames being received; off indicates no frames being received. |
LASER ON |
Green when the port's laser is turned on. Off otherwise. |
Detect |
Green when valid plug in module is detected, red otherwise. |
Power |
Green when power is on, red if power fault occurs. |
Option1/2 |
N/A |
Trigger |
Clock In/Out
The load module provides coaxial connectors for clock input and clock output to allow the DUT to phase-lock with the interface. When running off an external clock, the clock input signal must meet the requirements listed in the following figure to ensure proper performance of the load module.
The clock in/out electrical interface parameters are also defined in the following figure.
Parameter | Characteristic | |
---|---|---|
ClockInput |
Frequency |
156.25 MHz ±100ppm |
Duty cycle |
50% |
|
Jitter |
±150ps max. cycle to cycle, >1kHz |
|
Amplitude |
Recommended: 800mV Minimum: 150mV Maximum: 1200mV |
|
Impedance |
50 ohm ± 5%, DC coupled |
|
Connector |
Female SMA |
|
ClockOutput |
Frequency |
156.25MHz +/-105PPM (Programmable PPM in Internal Clock Mode) and variations: 156.25MHz (LAN) or 155.52MHz (WAN) +/-30PPM (Programmable PPM in Internal Clock Mode) |
Duty cycle |
40 to 60% |
|
Jitter |
20ps max cycle to cycle, >1kHz |
|
Amplitude |
0.7Vpp min into 50 ohms, AC coupled output |
|
Edge rates |
200ps to 340ps (20% to 80%) into 50 Ohms |
|
Impedance |
50 ohms +/-5%, AC coupled |
|
Connector |
Female SMA |
The load module contains a phase-locked loop (PLL) that reduces the jitter of the input clock, either from the internal or external clock source. The bandwidth of the PLL is approximately 1 kHz.
Trigger Out Values
The signals and LEDs available on the trigger out pins for these cards are described in the following table.
Pin/LED | Value |
---|---|
Trigger Out |
Single ended output that pulses high for approximately 1.18s shortly after the Central FPGA is loaded, and following an event defined by UDS1. Voltage output = 3.3V for high, 0V for low. |
Trigger LED |
Pulses following an event defined by UDS1. |
Removable Carrier Cards
The 10GE10G1-01 load modules has removable carrier cards available for use:
- The XENPAK-ADAP-01 carrier card for XENPAK transceivers, shown in the figure - XENPAK-ADAP-01 Carrier Card.
- The XFP-ADAP-02 LAN/WAN carrier card for XFP transceivers (shown being inserted into the LSM load module in the figure - XFP-ADAP-02 Carrier Card.
- X2 carrier card for X2 Transceiver (shown with transceiver installed in the figure - Carrier Card with X2 Transceiver).
- 10GBase-T-ADAP-01 10 Gigabit Ethernet adapter module (shown in the figure - 10GBase-T Adapter Module)
Figure: XENPAK-ADAP-01 Carrier Card

Figure: Carrier Card with X2 Transceiver

Figure: XFP-ADAP-02 Carrier Card

Figure: 10GBase-T Adapter Module

Carrier Card Installation
To install the carrier card, do the following:
- Insert the card into the opening in the 10GE LSM module.
- Slide the card along the guide rails until it connects to the load module.
- Tighten the screws so that the carrier card is firmly in place. Do not over tighten the screws (no more than a quarter turn once flush with the card front).
The carrier card can be installed either before or after the load module is connected to the chassis. It is best not to attach the transceiver to the carrier card until the card is installed in the load module. Load modules should be screwed down in the chassis before removing or installing a carrier card, to prevent from accidentally dislodging a load module from the chassis backplane.
Note: The carrier cards do not come with the required transceivers. They must be purchased separately.
XENPAK/XAUI Connectors
The LSM10G1-01 load module has XAUI and XENPAK connectors available. See XAUI Connectors and XENPAK Connectors above for more information on XENPAK connectors.
These connectors are only applicable when the XENPAK carrier is being used.
Statistics
Statistics for 10GE LSM cards (except NGY), under various modes of operation may be found in Statistics for 10GE LSM Modules (except NGY). Statistics for NGY load modules may be found in Statistics for NGY Modules.
NGY Fault Handling
IEEE Requirements
IEEE 802.3ae, section 46.3.4 defines how a Reconciliation Sublayer (RS) shall respond to Local and Remote Faults. Response to a Local Fault is to immediately cease sending traffic on the transmit data path (even if doing so truncates a frame) and to send continual Remote Faults. Response to a Remote Fault is to stop sending MAC data (completing any frame that is being transmitted) and to send continual idles.
NGY Operation
NGY load modules have a single statistic for Faults called Link Fault State. This statistic is real-time and indicates the current state of the port's Reconciliation Sublayer (RS) state machine. The possible statistics values are:
- No Fault
- Local Fault
- Remote Fault
Features that force deviation from IEEE spec
Note: In general, if a NGY port appears to be transmitting according to the Frames Sent statistic, be aware that Link Fault State may override this.
Tx Ignores Rx Link Faults
This feature is enabled through the Link Fault Signaling tab of Port Properties. When the feature is enabled, the Fault statistic continues to indicate the RS state of the port; however, the transmit-side response behaves as if no fault was received. That is to say, Remote Faults are not sent as a response to Local Fault and Idles are not forced as a response to Remote Fault, even though Link Fault State indicates the board is in a Fault state.
Transmit Ignores Link Status
This feature is enabled through the Transmit Modes tab of Port Properties. When the feature is enabled, a port is permitted to transmit under conditions that would normally inhibit transmit. For instance, a port that has no link and is not in diagnostic loopback appears in IxExplorer as red color, and is normally not permitted to transmit. Enabling this feature allows transmit. When the feature is enabled, the statistic called Link State indicates `Ignore Link'.
Note that if the port is in Fault, enabling this feature and forcing transmit may result in misleading results. The port shown in the following stat view (See the following figure) is ignoring link (see Link State statistic), is in Remote Fault (see Link Fault State statistic), yet appears to be transmitting (see Frames Sent Rate statistic). The reality is that no frames are actually leaving the port because the port is in Remote Fault. This is because the block that maintains the transmit statistics is located before the block that forces idles as a response to Remote Fault.
Figure: Statistic View for NGY, Ignore Link Status
Intrinsic Latency Adjustment
This option, when present and enabled, reduces the measured latency by the amount of latency that is induced by the test equipment itself (not the DUT). For a specific transceiver, the system retrieves its pre-determined latency value and subtracts this from the measured overall latency. For an `unknown' transceiver (not previously measured), it calculates and stores the intrinsic latency value.
On the General tab in Port Properties, the Latency Calibration option is only enabled for cards with transceivers that have not been pre-measured for intrinisic latency by Ixia. The Latency Calibration option is grayed-out if any one of the following conditions are present:
- There is no carrier.
- There is no transceiver.
- The transceiver is XFP or XAUI (which do not need to be calibrated).
- The transceiver is XENPAK or X2 and a value is found for it in the list of pre-calibrated values.
The Latency Calibration option is enabled if the transceiver is XENPAK or X2 but no pre-calibrated value is found in the stored list. The Latency Calibration option is also enabled for transceivers that you have previously calibrated, so that the calibration measurement may be repeated (if desired).
Selecting the Latency Calibration option runs a Tcl script that measures intrinsic latency and stores the value in an .xml file. The .xml file contains the values that you have produced and saved. Each value is identified for a specific transceiver (per manufacturer, model, and serial number). You can run the calibrate process repeatedly with the same transceiver (if desired). Each new measurement overwrites the previous one for that transceiver.
Running the calibration measurement puts the port into a special loopback mode to measure intrinsic latency. When done, the port is put back into default normal mode. Any port configuration you have set before calibrating intrinsic latency, is lost as the port reverts to a default configuration.
The Enable check box is grayed out when no value exists in the system for the specific transceiver. If a value exists (in the .xml file) then the Enable check box is available. Select the check box to enable the intrinsic latency adjustment.
After the intrinsic latency adjustment has been done, you may want to refresh the chassis or close and reopen the Port Properties dialog.
Note: The LSM10GMS-01 load module always compensates for intrinsic latency it is not optional. Also, this load module does not support the'No CRC' option. Any imported stream with No CRC enabled is Forced Valid to `Bad CRC'.
XAUI Family
Part Numbers
The XAUI family part numbers are shown in the following table.
Load Module | Part Number | Description |
---|---|---|
LM10GEXAUI |
LM10GE500F1 |
10GBASE (XAUI), 1 port |
LM10GEXAUI+BERT |
LM10GE500F1B |
10GBASE (XAUI), Ethernet/BERT, 1 port |
LM10GEXAUI BERT only |
LM10GE500M1B |
10GBASE (XAUI), BERT, 1 port |
Cables |
CAB10GE500S1 |
XAUI cable, 20 inch, standard pinout |
CAB10GE500S2 |
XAUI cable, 40 inch, standard pinout |
|
BOB10GE500 |
XAUI SMA break-out box |
|
CON10GE500 |
XAUI Fujitsu MicroGiGa connector |
|
LPG10GE500 |
XAUI front panel loopback connector |
Specifications
The limitations of -M, Layer 2/3 and Layer 7 cards are discussed in Ixia Load Modules.
10GBASE (XAUI) | 10GBASE (XAUI/BERT) | |
---|---|---|
# ports |
1 |
1 |
-M Card Available |
N |
N |
Layer2/Layer3 Card Available? |
N |
N |
Layer 7 Card Available |
N |
N |
Data Rate |
10GB |
N/A |
Connector/Frequency-Mode |
See XAUI Connectors |
See XAUI Connectors. |
Capture buffer size |
32MB |
N/A |
Captured packet size |
24-65,000 bytes |
N/A |
Streams per port |
255 |
N/A |
Advanced streams |
160 |
N/A |
Preamble size: min-max |
8 |
N/A |
Frame size: min-max |
24-65,000 |
N/A |
Inter-frame gap: min-max |
4.0ns - 42sec in 3.2ns steps |
N/A |
Inter-burst gap: min-max |
4.0ns - 42sec in 10.0ns steps |
N/A |
Inter-stream gap: min-max |
4.0ns - 42sec in 10.0ns steps |
N/A |
Normal stream frame rate |
0.023fps - full line rate |
|
Advanced stream min frame rate1 |
Slow: 0.023fpsMed: 95fpsFast: 1525fps |
|
Latency |
20ns resolution |
N/A |
1Streams are divided up into three categories: 144 slow speed streams, 8 medium streams and 8 fast streams.
XAUI accessories are discussed in Appendix A, XAUI Connector Specifications.
Port LEDs
Each 10GB XAUI port incorporates a set of LEDs, as described in the following table.
LED Label | Usage |
---|---|
Link |
Green if Ethernet link has been established, red otherwise. Link may be down due to no signal or no PCS lock. |
Tx/Pause |
Green while data is transmitted. Red while flow control frames are received. Off if no traffic is passing in either direction. |
Rx/Error |
Green while data is received. Red on any Ethernet error. Off if no frames are received. |
Trigger |
See below. |
Option |
Reserved for future use. |
LASER ON |
Green when the port's laser is turned on. Off otherwise. |
Trigger Out Values
The signals and LEDs available on the trigger out pins for these cards are described in the following table.
Pin/LED | Value |
---|---|
Trigger Out A |
Low (0V) on Rx Pause Request, high (+5V) otherwise. |
Trigger Out B |
Low (0V) on User Defined Statistic 1 true, high (+5v) otherwise. |
Trigger LED |
Pulses each time a Pause Request is detected. |
Clock In/Out
The XAUI load module provides SMA coaxial connectors for clock input and clock output to allow the DUT to phase-lock with the XAUI interface. When running off an external clock, the clock input signal must meet the requirements listed in the following table to ensure proper performance of the load module.
Parameter | Characteristic |
---|---|
Frequency |
156.25 MHz ±100ppm |
Jitter |
±150ps max. cycle to cycle, >1kHz |
Amplitude |
0.9 Vpp minimum, into 50 W |
Duty cycle |
40 to 60% |
Edge rates (20% to 80%) |
600ps maximum, into 50 W |
The clock in/out electrical interface parameters are defined in the following table.
Parameter | Characteristic | |
---|---|---|
Clock Input |
Connector |
Female SMA |
Impedance |
50 ohm ± 5%, DC coupled |
|
Absolute max input |
6V (DC plus half AC peak-to-peak |
|
Clock Output |
Connector |
Female SMA |
Impedance |
50 ohm ± 5%, AC coupled |
|
Amplitude |
0.9 Vpp minimum, into 50 W. (1.5 Vpp typical) |
|
Edge rates |
200ps to 340ps (20% to 80%) into 50W |
|
Duty cycle |
45% to 55% |
|
Jitter |
20ps max cycle to cycle, >1kHz |
|
Frequency |
156.25 MHz ±20ppm (internal clock mode) |
The load module contains a phase-locked loop (PLL) that reduces the jitter of the input clock, either from the internal or external clock source. The bandwidth of the PLL is approximately 1kHz.
XAUI Connectors
The following connectors and adapters are available for the XAUI Load Modules and are discussed in Appendix A, XAUI Connector Specifications.
- Standard Connector Specifications: the signals carried on the Load Module's XAUI connector.
- Front Panel Loopback Connector: a connector used to loopback XAUI signals at the external connector.
- Standard Cable Specification: the CAB10GE500S1 (20 inch) and CAB10GE500S2 (40 inch) cables.
- SMA Break-Out Box: the BOB10GE500 SMA break-out box.
MDIO
A Management Data Input/Output (MDIO) interface is provided to you. The Ixia Load Module acts as the Station Management entity (STA), and can control one or more MDIO Manageable Devices (MMD) in the users system. Multiple MMDs can be attached to the interface. You can set/read the MDIO control/status registers inside a MMD through a graphical user interface.
The connector used for the MDIO interface is a 15-pin female D-sub and provides with the ability to add up to two external Mii interfaces compliant to either 802.3 clause 22 or 802.3ae clause 45. The connector pin assignments, Mii Interface, signal names, and functional descriptions are listed in the following table.
Pin No. | Mii Interface | Signal Name | Functional Descriptin |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
External 2 |
DIR |
Data direction control. |
2 |
External 2 |
MDC |
Clock. |
3 |
External 2 |
MDIO |
Bi-directional data. |
4 |
External 2 |
+5V |
+5Vdc supply. |
5 |
External 1 |
+5V |
+5Vdc supply. |
6 |
External 1 |
MDIO |
Bi-directional data. |
7 |
External 1 |
MDC |
Clock. |
8 |
External 1 |
DIR |
Data direction control. |
9-15 |
GND |
GND |
Ground |
Figure: MDC/MDIO D-sub Connector Pin Assignments

Note: The MDIO on the Ixia XAUI Load Module is 3.3V while the Ixia XENPAK Load Module, when used with the adapter for XAUI, is 1.2V. The reason for the difference is that the XENPAK MSA requires 1.2V for MDIO whereas most XAUI SerDes chips require 3.3V (LVTTL). Therefore, when using the XAUI Load Module to test a XENPAK transceiver or SerDes, which require 1.2V, a level shifter is needed to convert 3.3V to 1.2V.
The MDIO/MDC interface has a clock line (MDC) and bi-directional data line (MDIO) as defined in IEEE 802.3ae. In addition to these, a +5Vdc supply, and data direction control line (DIR) are provided to make interfacing easier for you. The +5Vdc output is intended to power buffers and/or optocouplers at the user-end of the cable. This supply can be turned ON or OFF under software control through the GUI.
The +5Vdc supply is OFF when the chassis is initially powered-up, or following a reset.
For more information on XAUI connectors, see Appendix A, XAUI Connector Specifications.
Statistics
Statistics for 10GB cards, under various modes of operation may be found in Statistics for 10GE Modules with BERT and Statistics for 10G UNIPHY Modules with BERT.
XENPAK Family
The LM10GE700P3 family is referred to as the XENPAK load modules. Each card accepts a XENPAK transceiver, or with an appropriate carrier card accepts an XPAK or X2 transceiver. Five variants are available, which feature Ethernet and/or BERT modes and full or manufacturing mode.
Part Numbers
The XENPAK family part numbers are shown in the following table.
Load Module | Part Number | Description |
---|---|---|
Transceivers |
XENPAK-LR |
XENPAK Transceiver - 1310nm LAN, 10GBASE-LR |
XENPAK-SR |
XENPAK Transceiver - 850nm LAN, 10GBASE-SR |
|
XENPAK-ER |
XENPAK Transceiver - 1550nm LAN, 10GBASE-ER |
|
XENPAK-CX4 |
XENPAK Transceiver - CX4 Interface (10GBASE-CX4) |
|
Cables |
CAB10GE-CX4 |
CX4-to-CX4 cable, 1 meter |
CX410GE500 |
CX4 to XENPAK adapter |
|
FXN10GE500 |
XAUI Fujitsu to XENPAK Adapter |
Specifications
The limitations of -M, Layer 2/3 and Layer 7 cards are discussed in Ixia Load Modules.
10GBASE (XENPAK) | |
---|---|
# ports |
1 |
-M Card Available |
Y |
Layer2/Layer3 Card Available? |
N |
Layer 7 Card Available |
N |
Data Rate |
10GB |
Connector/Frequency-Mode |
|
Capture buffer size |
32MB |
Captured packet size |
24-65,000 bytes |
Streams per port |
255, 32 (-M version) |
Advanced streams |
160 |
Preamble size: min-max |
8 |
Frame size: min-max |
24-65,000 |
Inter-frame gap: min-max |
4.0ns - 42sec in 3.2ns steps |
Inter-burst gap: min-max |
4.0ns - 42sec in 10.0ns steps |
Inter-stream gap:min-max |
4.0ns - 42sec in 10.0ns steps |
Normal stream frame rate |
0.023fps - full line rate |
Advanced stream min frame rate1 |
Slow: 0.023fpsMed: 95fpsFast: 1525fps |
Latency |
20ns resolution |
1Streams are divided up into three categories: 144 slow speed streams, 8 medium streams and 8 fast streams.
The -M load modules includes all of the features of the non-M board with the following exceptions:
- No support for routing protocols
- No real-time latency, but timestamps are included
- 32 streams in packet stream mode
- 16 streams in advanced scheduler mode
- No configurable preamble
When performing sequence checking, no more than 8192 packet group IDs should be used.
Port LEDs
Each 10GB port incorporates a set of LEDs, as described in the following tables.
LED Label | Usage |
---|---|
Link |
Green if Ethernet link has been established, red otherwise. Link may be down due to no signal or no PCS lock. |
Tx/Pause |
Green while data is transmitted. Red while flow control frames are received. Off if no traffic is passing in either direction. |
Rx/Error |
Green while data is received. Red on any Ethernet error. Off if no frames are received. |
Trigger |
See below. |
LASER ON |
Green when the port's laser is turned on. Off otherwise. |
Trigger Out Values
Trigger out values depend on the particular board type.
XENPAK Load Modules
The signals and LEDs available on the trigger out pins for these cards are described in the following table.
Pin/LED | Value |
---|---|
Trigger Out A |
Low (0V) on Rx Pause Request, high (+5V) otherwise. |
Trigger Out B |
Low (0V) on User Defined Statistic 1 true, high (+5v) otherwise. |
Trigger LED |
Pulses each time a Pause Request is detected. |
Clock In/Out
The load module provides SMA coaxial connectors for clock input and clock output to allow the DUT to phase-lock with the interface. When running off an external clock, the clock input signal must meet the requirements listed in the following table to ensure proper performance of the load module.
Parameter | Characteristic |
---|---|
Frequency |
156.25 MHz ±100ppm |
Jitter |
±150ps max. cycle to cycle, >1kHz |
Amplitude |
0.9 Vpp minimum, into 50 W |
Duty cycle |
40 to 60% |
Edge rates (20% to 80%) |
600ps maximum, into 50 W |
The clock in/out electrical interface parameters are defined in the following table.
Parameter | Characteristic | |
---|---|---|
Clock Input |
Connector |
Female SMA |
Impedance |
50 ohm ± 5%, DC coupled |
|
Absolute max input |
6V (DC plus half AC peak-to-peak |
|
Clock Output |
Connector |
Female SMA |
Impedance |
50 ohm ± 5%, AC coupled |
|
Amplitude |
0.9 Vpp minimum, into 50 W. (1.5 Vpp typical) |
|
Edge rates |
200ps to 340ps (20% to 80%) into 50W |
|
Duty cycle |
45% to 55% |
|
Jitter |
20ps max cycle to cycle, >1kHz |
|
Frequency |
156.25 MHz ±20ppm (internal clock mode) |
The load module contains a phase-locked loop (PLL) that reduces the jitter of the input clock, either from the internal or external clock source. The bandwidth of the PLL is approximately 1kHz.
XENPAK Connectors
Power Sequencing Specification
The Xenpak 2.1 MSA does not specify any particular power sequencing for the various Xenpak power supply rails (3.3V, 5V, and APS).
When Xenpak Power is enabled, power sequencing is as follows:
- The 5V rail comes up first, with a ramp-up time of approximately 2.25 ms.
- The 3.3V and APS rails both start to come up about 500 us after 5V rail is up.
- The 3.3V supply has a ramp-up time of approximately two milliseconds.
- The APS supply ramp-up time varies, according to level required by APS Set resistor, but will be no more than two milliseconds. When no Xenpak module is inserted into the Load Module, APS voltage is less than 150 mV.
Reset
Hardware asserts a Reset by bringing Xenpak connector pin 10 low whenever either of the following conditions is true:
- The Xenpak module is not inserted into the load module; that is, Xenpak pin 14 is high.
- Xenpak power is turned off.
The hardware continues to assert Reset until both of these items are false. Once Xenpak Power is asserted, or if a Xenpak is hot-plugged, the system waits 5 seconds for Xenpak initialization (per MSA 2.1). Reset is then de-asserted, and the system waits an additional 500 ms for any vendor-based reset management to complete initialization. After this final 500 ms delay, the load module assumes the Xenpak module is ready for MII access or to transmit and receive.
XAUI Fujitsu to XENPAK Adapter
The XAUI Fujitsu to XENPAK Adapter (P/N FXN10GE500) is shown in the figure below.
Figure: XAUI Fujitsu to XENPAK Adapter

The MDIO pins are pictured and described in the following figure and table below.
Figure: MDIO Pins for XAUI Fujitsu to XENPAK Adapter

Pin | Signal |
---|---|
1 |
PU-5V |
2 |
PU-3.3V |
3 |
PU-APS |
4 |
LASI (GND) |
5 |
RESET |
6 |
TX ON/OFF |
7 |
MDIO |
8 |
MDC |
9 |
GND |
This MDIO pinout is the same for the CX4 to XENPAK adapter (P/N CX410GE500).
For more information on XAUI connectors, see Appendix A, XAUI Connector Specifications.
CX4 to XENPAK Adapter
The CX4 to XENPAK Adapter (P/N CX410GE500) is shown in the following figure.
Figure: CX4 to XENPAK Adapter

The MDIO pins are pictured and described in the figure and table.
For more information on XAUI connectors, see Appendix A, XAUI Connector Specifications.
Statistics
Statistics for 10GB cards, under various modes of operation may be found in Statistics for 10GE Modules with BERT and Statistics for 10G UNIPHY Modules with BERT.