The Agilent/Keysight E4206A is a hardware module for testing frame-based protocols up to 2 Mb/s within the Agilent Broadband Series Test System (BSTS). It provides two integrated T1/E1 physical interfaces with dual-port capability for simultaneous monitoring of both communication link sides. The module captures and decodes traffic, generates statistics, and identifies alarms and framing errors across unchannelized, channelized, and fractional T1/E1 operations.
Technical Specifications
Protocol Support & Data Rates
• Frame-based protocol testing up to 2 Mb/s
• Two integrated T1/E1 physical interfaces with RJ-48 and mini-bantam front-panel connectors
• Unchannelized, channelized, and fractional T1/E1 operation modes
Timeslot & Stream Capabilities
• T1: Up to 24 timeslots mergeable into one stream
• E1: Up to 30 timeslots mergeable into one stream
• Subrate selection: m × 8 Kb/s multiples (m = 1 to 8, yielding 8 Kb/s to 64 Kb/s)
• Flexible bit stream selection: 56/64 kbps and n × 56/64 kbps configurations
Measurement & Analysis
• Over 20 real-time measurements including frame rate, frame size extrema, and physical layer framing errors
• Dual-port simultaneous traffic monitoring
• Real-time frame capture with subsequent analysis capability
• Automatic error detection with explanatory messaging
• Event timestamping for port-to-port correlation
• Sophisticated filtering and triggering for traffic isolation and intermittent event capture
• Protocol decoding with English-language display using standard terminology
Traffic Generation
• Up to eight independently distributed traffic streams
• Scalable architecture: two-port increments via additional modules
• Maximum configurations: five modules (10 ports) per BSTS E4200 chassis; seven modules (14 ports) per BSTS E4210 chassis
– Key Features
• Integrated T1/E1 interfaces eliminate separate line interface module requirements
• Simultaneous dual-port monitoring under heavy load
• Advanced bit stream selection and timeslot merging
• Comprehensive error identification and alarm detection
– Typical Applications
• T1/E1 link testing and validation
• Multi-timeslot traffic analysis and circuit verification
• Fractional T1/E1 network diagnostics
• Protocol compliance and interoperability testing
– Compatibility & Integration
The E4206A integrates into BSTS chassis platforms requiring a UNIX controller and optional test software. System scalability supports up to 10 or 14 total ports depending on E4200 or E4210 chassis selection.
