SpectraPath

SpectraPath Illuminator™

Product Overview

Reach deeper network visibility and improved troubleshooting through built-in monitoring features in the SpectraPath Illuminator™.

The Illuminator is a new addition to XKL’s flex-grid product line; an integrated mux/demux system with in-line amplifiers, capable of transporting any mix of wavelengths in a compact, 800G-ready chassis.

Monitor and diagnose a variety of network issues at the optic, amplifier, or fiber level from one interface.

Optical protection switching, an OTDR, and a flex-grid OCM, allowing network operators to stack filters over time for higher bandwidths, all add to the Illuminator’s advanced remote management capabilities.

Constant telemetry data is collected for fiber, transceiver health-monitoring along every channel. Alongside this audit method, the SpectraPath Illuminator sits at the fiber demarcation point, enabling quick isolation of line-side or client-side isssues.

The Illuminator works in any full-featured optical line system or IPoDWDM environment to address enhanced network management needs.

Zero cost software updates.
No licensing fees.
Simplicity, reliability, durability.
Integrated optical components for small footprint.
Covers legacy, future hardware needs with 10G-800G support.

Technical Features

Integrated System Architecture

Fully integrated optical components including DWDM Mux/Demux filters, EDFAs, Raman amplifiers, Optical Protection Switch, OTDR, OCM, and Optical Service Channel (OSC)

System Level Features:

Hot-swap components:
- 1+1 redundant power supplies, supports AC and DC.
- Redundant fans.
- Laser transceivers: Optical Service Channel (OSC).
Field-replaceable dual flash storage modules; one is write-protected
Hitless software upgrades—no customer data loss.
System-wide watchdog timer to ensure software response.

Product Overview

Documentation

XKL Solution Implementations

Campus Network Use Case

With the Illuminator, stack routers onto your XKL optical line system to migrate to IPoDWDM and vice-versa. Transport data from your main campus with redundant fiber & hardware in any network environment.

Protected FOADM Use Case

Add the Illuminator for maximum visibility into your ring configuration. Pair with a FOADM for protection between three sites, transport 100G-800G through cascading filters.

XKL SpectraPath Illuminator: FAQ

What specific transponder and coherent modulation types are compatible with the XKL SpectraPath Illuminator open line system?

The XKL SpectraPath Illuminator provides flexible optical signal monitoring that supports multi-vendor transponders utilizing NRZ, PAM4, or coherent modulation formats (including QPSK, 8QAM, 16QAM, 32QAM, and 64QAM). The design of the SpectraPath Illuminator permits end-to-end transmission of both low and high baud rate signals, up to 165 Gbaud.

Modulation Support: NRZ, PAM4, QPSK, 8QAM, 16QAM, 32QAM, 64QAM.
Baud Rate Tolerance: Transparent across variable baud rates up to 165 Gbaud.
Monitoring Flexibility: Flexible optical monitoring supports virtually any signal type and channel format, providing visibility across multi-vendor networks.
Interoperability Boundary: Multi-vendor disaggregated transport compliance at the transponder-to-line-system boundary., including IPoDWDM deployments.

What layer 1 diagnostic telemetry and fault-localization instruments are embedded within the XKL SpectraPath Illuminator?

The XKL SpectraPath Illuminator integrates a non-disruptive, real-time Optical Channel Monitor (OCM) and a dedicated internal Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) to deliver continuous layer 1 spectrum analysis and immediate physical fault localization. The diagnostic layer of the SpectraPath Illuminator acts as an in-line telemetry probe, providing per-channel power and frequency monitoring and precise fiber anomaly mapping without requiring external optical test sets or service interruptions.

Embedded OCM Capabilities: Real-time per-channel power measurement, center wavelength verification.
Embedded OTDR Performance: In-service or post-fault fiber characterization capable of locating micro-bends, connector degradation, and fiber-cuts up to 100km+ out.
Telemetry Output: Streamed performance metrics via SNMP polling, Syslog alerts, and standard CLI output for integration with automated network management systems.

How does the integrated Optical Protection Switch (OPS) within the XKL SpectraPath Illuminator manage path protection and hardware failover thresholds?

The XKL SpectraPath Illuminator incorporates a physical-layer Optical Protection Switch (OPS) that monitors line-side RX power thresholds to execute autonomous, sub-20ms hardware failovers to an alternate geographic path upon sensing an optical path interruption. The switching subsystem of the SpectraPath Illuminator operates fully within the optical domain, bypassing upper-layer routing protocol convergence cycles (such as OSPF or BGP) to preserve transport continuity.

Switching Execution Speed: <20 milliseconds from initial Loss of Signal (LOS) detection.
Trigger Mechanism: User-configurable optical power delta or hard absolute power threshold drops at the RX port.
Protection Topologies: The OPS supports point-to-point topologies, with inline amplification, and some ring topologies.
Insertion Loss Impact: 4.5 dB insertion loss total added internal loss for the integrated OPS component block.
Reversion Modes: Fully programmable automatic revertive or non-revertive operational profiles.

How does the XKL SpectraPath Illuminator handle out-of-band (OOB) management and control-plane signaling across remote sites?

The XKL SpectraPath Illuminator utilizes an independent, dedicated Optical Supervisory Channel (OSC) operating at an out-of-band wavelength of 1510nm to maintain continuous control-plane communication and telemetry access across remote fiber spans. The management architecture of the SpectraPath Illuminator ensures that engineers can configure, monitor, and troubleshoot remote line systems even if the primary client traffic wavelengths experience a total loss of signal.

OSC Wavelength: Dedicated 1510nm channel, physically isolated from the ITU-T C-band client traffic passband.
Management Throughput: 100Mbps / 1Gbps active Ethernet extensions across the OSC layer.
Local OOB Ports: Dual redundant RJ-45 or SFP-based 10/100/1000 Base-T management interfaces on the front panel.
Remote Accessibility: Enables remote firmware deployment, OTDR trace execution, and configuration synchronization across dark-fiber spans without affecting active transponder data.
Management Access Protocols: Native Command Line Interface (CLI), Secure Shell (SSH), SNMPv2c.