News - Board and System Test

Move towards digital Technologies necessitates Bit Error Rate Testing

08 March 2013 – Advances in key technologies such as synchronous optical networking (SONET)/synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) and Ethernet over SONET (EoS), as well as the deployment of 40 and 100 gigabit networks are expected to considerably boost the demand for bit error rate testers (BERTs) globally. The market will particularly benefit from the communication and IT industries’ increasing adoption of digital technologies such as high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) and digital audio.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan finds that the market earned revenues of $406.1 million in 2011 and estimates this to reach $657.1 million in 2018. The study covers the product segments of traditional BERT and functional BERT.

“As digital interfaces are complex in nature, testing them is challenging,” said Frost & Sullivan Measurement & Instrumentation Industry Manager Sujan Sami. “BERT vendors are expected to develop innovative test solutions to address these complexities, as the current products do not fully satisfy the testing needs of some high-speed digital interfaces.”

Customers are increasingly becoming aware of the benefits of modular instruments, creating substantial opportunities for the sale of modular BERTs. Also they are more cost-effective than their traditional counterparts. They are also better positioned to deal with the higher sophistication and constant evolution of electronic products due to their flexibility and software-based approach.

Meanwhile, the use of stand-alone BERTs is declining in installation and maintenance (I&M) applications.

“Technicians currently have to use several instruments for multiple tests in the field and, hence, are seeking more consolidated testing instruments,” noted Sami. “Stand-alone BERTs are expected to give way to integrated test equipment, which gives greater advantages to field technicians.”

Due to the constant technological evolution in the communication industry, the focus will be on SONET/SDH and EoS-related BERTs. The escalation in the amount of data being transferred in the Ethernet format mandates the implementation of newer standards such as Synchronous Ethernet and Precision Time Protocol (IEEE 1588). To test products under such conditions, it is critical for BERTs to have more functionality and better capabilities.

Overall, vendors that offer competitive prices, features, and modularity are best poised to make the most of the opportunities in the market.

www.testandmeasurement.frost.com/

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