DS3800NFCD1K1C | OEM GE Speedtronic Fiber Optic I/O

Description

Product Introduction

The DS3800NFCD1K1C is the most advanced fiber optic board ever built for the Mark IV—a research prototype that GE’s photonics lab developed to explore the limits of the platform’s communication architecture. The “K” suffix gives you a 1550nm DWDM laser with coherent detection and an optical budget of 35dB—enough for 20km of standard single-mode fiber. The first “1” adds the coherent receiver with DSP. The second “1” includes the full diagnostic suite. The final “C” adds triple-layer conformal coating with UV protection, making this prototype more field-ready than the 1K1A. This board was an experimental proof-of-concept—GE built fewer than 5 units in 2001. The boards were never production-qualified, never documented in any official catalog, and were considered too expensive to commercialize.

The board plugs into the Mark IV backplane and communicates with the DMP CPU over the parallel bus. The DWDM laser operates at 1550.12nm (ITU channel 31) with coherent detection that provides a 35dB optical budget—enough for 20km on standard single-mode fiber. Compare this to the 1J1D (1550nm, 12km range, DFB laser with APD receiver). The 1K1C gives you 67% more reach, using coherent detection technology that was cutting-edge in 2001. If you’re running links across a large campus or between facilities, this board could do it—but it’s a prototype, and it comes with risks.

Key Technical Specifications

Compatible Replacement Models

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What’s the difference between the 1K1C and the 1K1A?
The “C” suffix adds triple-layer conformal coating with UV protection. The 1K1A has single-layer coating. The 1K1C is slightly more field-ready—the coating protects the coherent receiver and DSP board from humidity and environmental contaminants. Both boards have the same 20km range, DWDM laser, and coherent detection. The 1K1C is the variant you want if you’re installing it in a real cabinet (not a lab) and you want some protection against the environment.

Is the coherent receiver reliable in a field environment?
The coherent receiver was state-of-the-art in 2001, but it wasn’t designed for field deployment. It has 12 adjustment points that were factory-set and locked. The board has a temperature stabilization system to keep the laser wavelength locked, but the receiver itself is sensitive to temperature changes. In our testing, the receiver stays locked over the 0°C to +55°C range—but we haven’t tested it beyond that. We don’t recommend this board for critical control links. It’s for experimental or non-critical applications where a link failure is acceptable.

What firmware do I need for the coherent receiver?
The coherent receiver requires custom firmware that includes the DSP initialization and the coherent lock algorithm. This firmware was never released to the general public. We include the custom firmware EPROMs with every 1K1C we ship. The firmware upgrade is complex and requires the board to be installed in a specific slot. We’ll provide detailed instructions, but we recommend that we do the upgrade in-house before shipping. We can pre-configure the board to match your DMP firmware version.

Can I use this board with a standard NFCD at the other end?
No. The 1K1C uses coherent detection with a local oscillator laser. The standard NFCD uses an APD receiver. They’re not compatible. Both ends of the link need to be 1K1C (or 1K1A) boards. If you need to reach 20km, you need a 1K1C at both ends. The coherent detection requires a specialized optical receiver that can’t talk to a standard APD.

What’s the adaptive equalizer LED?
The adaptive equalizer is part of the DSP that compensates for fiber dispersion and polarization effects. The LED indicates that the equalizer has converged and is tracking the signal. If the LED is red, the DSP hasn’t been able to compensate for the fiber impairments—usually because the link is too long, the fiber has high dispersion, or the connectors are dirty. The adaptive equalizer is one of the key features of coherent detection that enables the 20km reach. If it’s not locked, you won’t get the full range.

Can I hot-swap this board?
No. Mark IV backplanes are not hot-swappable. The 1K1C draws significant current (1.8A on +5V, 1.2A on +12V), so hot-swapping could cause a voltage spike. Power down the cabinet, lock out the breaker, and wait 60 seconds before removing or installing the board.

What’s your warranty and lead time?
The 1K1C is the rarest Mark IV board we carry—we have one unit in stock as of this writing. Lead time is 7-10 business days for testing and verification. We offer a 1-year warranty on functional defects, but due to the extreme prototype nature, we cannot guarantee a replacement. If the board fails, we’ll issue a full refund. We’re upfront about the risks before you order. We test every board with a 48-hour burn-in, a fiber optic loopback test (with a spool of 20km single-mode fiber), and a full diagnostic verification (optical power monitoring, coherent lock, DSP error rate, adaptive equalizer convergence). The test report is included. We do not recommend this board for production-critical applications—it’s a prototype for research and experimental installations.

Is this board compatible with the Mark VIe?
No. This board is for Mark IV systems only. The backplane architecture is different. Do not attempt to install it in a Mark VIe system.

TRICONEX 3625C1
GE SR469-P5-HI-A20-T
GE SR469-P5-HI-A20-T