Agilent Technologies Showcases BERT Leadership at OFC/NFOEC Conference with New Test Solutions; Capabilities Accurately Characterize Devices, Reduce Cost of Test, Expand Frontiers of High-Speed Communications.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) today introduced test solutions that showcase its BERT (bit error ratio tester) industry leadership. The devices feature capabilities for conducting in-depth analyses and characterization, dramatically lowering the cost of test for 3G devices and enabling researchers to explore the feasibility of 100 Gb communications.

The Agilent N5980A 3 Gb/s BERT, the N4903A J-BERT's tunable clock data recovery (CDR), and the new 100 Gb/s ParBERT set new industry standards in cost of test, measurement accuracy and speed.

"Agilent understands the importance of developing innovative technologies for researchers and designers that keep them abreast of market needs and trends," said Werner Huettemann, vice president and general manager of Agilent's Computing and Networking Solutions business unit. "We are determined to continue to expand our range of innovative BERT products and applications in order to open new frontiers, help maximize productivity and provide cost savings."

In the R&D and characterization segment, Agilent has developed a built-in tunable loop bandwidth Clock Data Recovery (CDR) option with compliant CDR settings library for the award winning J-BERT N4903A high-performance serial Bit Error Ratio Tester (BERT). The CDR covers today's serial gigabit bus standards and enables engineers in characterization and validation labs to perform signal analysis of clockless devices on a BERT. The integrated CDR reduces the need for extra cabling and connections, which cause signal degradation. At data rates above 10 Gb/s, for instance, extra cabling can cause up to 5 percent of a unit interval extra jitter. The CDR's tunable loop bandwidth adapts to proprietary devices and standard compliant instruments. Furthermore, CDR settings for PCI Express(R), SATA, CEI, fiber channel, 10GbE and other standards are included. The press release about this product is available at www.agilent.com/find/n4903a_pr. More information is available at www.agilent.com/find/J-BERT.

The N5980A 3 Gb/s BERT is targeted for transceiver manufacturers. It includes simple setup and high throughput, lowering the cost of test to one sixth of the previous cost. The BERT also features the generation and the receiving of standard Pseudo Random Bit Sequence (PRBS) data polynomials, generation of sub-rate clocks, electrical and optical (small form factor pluggable) interfaces, and full programmability. It is operated from an easy-to-use graphical user interface running on a Windows(R) XP PC connected via a USB port to a small device. The press release about this product is available at www.agilent.com/find/n5980A_pr. More information is available at www.agilent.com/find/manufacturing_BERT.

The industry-first Agilent E4898A 100 Gb/s BERT offers exceptional data range, standard measurements and multiple patterns for researchers to analyze and develop the next generation of optical transceivers. The press release about this product is available at www.agilent.com/find/E4898A_pr. More information is available at www.agilent.com/find/100G.

Agilent Events at OFC/NFOEC

    --  Greg LeCheminant, of Agilent's Digital Verification Solutions
        division, will offer a course on test and measurement of
        high-speed communications signals. The workshop will emphasize
        measurement tools and techniques to characterize signal
        quality and how well it is maintained when transmitted through
        an optical system.
        SC178 Monday, March 6, 9 a.m. - noon

    --  Peter Schweiger, business development engineer, and Karl
        Merkel and Michael Kelly, application specialists for
        Agilent's Photonic Measurement division, will conduct a
        hands-on workshop on fiber optic measurements and component
        testing. The short course will cover four different set-ups:
        basic component testing; DWDM component and optical amplifier
        testing; OTDR's and fiber link characterization; and
        polarization dependence of fiber optic components.
        SC101-A Monday, March 6, 1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

For additional information about the test solutions on display at OFC/NFOEC 2006, and for background on Agilent's computing and networking test business, see the virtual press kit at www.agilent.com/find/ofc_vpk.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) is the world's premier measurement company and a technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis. The company's 20,000 employees serve customers in more than 110 countries. Agilent had net revenue of $5.1 billion in fiscal 2005. Information about Agilent is available on the Web at www.agilent.com.

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