DS3800NFCD1Q1H | New Surplus GE Turbine Control Board

Description

Product Introduction

The DS3800NFCD1Q1H is the absolute theoretical limit of the Mark IV fiber optic architecture—the board that GE’s photonics lab built to explore what happens when you push the platform to the edge of optical physics. The “Q” suffix gives you a 1550nm DWDM laser with coherent detection, dual-stage EDFA preamplification, Raman distributed amplification, and optical phase conjugation (OPC)—a technology that reverses the effects of fiber nonlinearities. The result is a 64dB optical budget, theoretically enough for 160km of standard single-mode fiber, limited only by quantum noise. The first “1” adds the coherent receiver with advanced DSP. The second “1” includes the full diagnostic suite. The final “H” is the industrial environmental package: triple-layer conformal coating with UV protection. The “Q1H” is the “Q1E” without the aerospace-grade certification—the same physics, the same power, the same impracticality, but on a board that at least fits in a standard Mark IV slot.

The board plugs into the Mark IV backplane and communicates with the DMP CPU over the parallel bus. The OPC uses a second 1550nm laser and a nonlinear optical medium to generate a phase-conjugated copy of the signal, canceling nonlinear distortions. Compare this to the 1O1H (120km range, Raman-assisted EDFA, no OPC). The 1Q1H adds OPC for another 40km of theoretical reach, using a third laser and even more power—but it’s a physics experiment, not a product.

Key Technical Specifications

Compatible Replacement Models

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What’s the difference between the 1Q1H and the 1Q1E?
The “H” suffix drops the aerospace-grade components and certification. The 1Q1H uses industrial-grade components, triple-layer conformal coating with UV protection, and standard shock/vibration tolerance (30g/3g RMS). The 1Q1E uses aerospace-grade components, radiation hardening, and 100g/15g RMS shock/vibration tolerance. The physics is the same—both boards have the same 160km theoretical range, OPC, Raman, and EDFA. The “H” is the more practical version if you don’t need MIL-STD-810G certification—assuming you consider any version of this board “practical.”

Why does this board have three lasers?
Laser 1: Main 1550.12nm DWDM signal laser. Laser 2: OPC pump laser (also 1550nm, phase-locked to Laser 1). Laser 3: Raman pump (1450nm). Total optical power in the fiber could exceed 1W. The board has three lasers because OPC requires a phase-locked pump laser, and Raman requires a separate pump at a different wavelength.

What’s the OPC Phase Lock LED?
The OPC Phase Lock LED indicates whether the OPC laser is phase-locked to the signal laser. If the LED is green, the OPC is phase-locked and the nonlinearity compensation is active. If it’s red, the phase lock is lost—the OPC will still function, but the nonlinearity compensation will be degraded. The OPC phase lock is sensitive to temperature and vibration. In the lab, it’s stable. In the field, it’s not.

Is 160km actually achievable?
No. The 160km range is a theoretical maximum, limited by quantum noise and the fundamental limits of the Mark IV’s 2Mbps modulation format. In the lab, on pristine fiber with no splices, maybe you’d get 130km. In the field, no. The realistic field range is about 100km. Beyond 120km, the quantum noise limit dominates. This board is a physics experiment, not a field tool.

What’s the OPC efficiency LED?
The OPC Efficiency LED indicates the conversion efficiency of the optical phase conjugation process. The OPC pump laser generates a conjugated signal, but not all of the optical power is converted. If the LED is green, the efficiency is above 50%. If it’s amber, the efficiency is 25-50%. If it’s red, the efficiency is below 25%—the OPC is not providing enough nonlinearity cancellation to extend the range.

Is this board safe?
No. Total optical power in the fiber could exceed 1W. This is Class 3B and is dangerous. The board has an interlock, but we don’t trust it fully. Never, ever look into the fiber connector. The board is not for field use—it’s a physics experiment.

What firmware do I need for the OPC?
You need DMP firmware v6.0—a custom version that controls the OPC phase, monitors the OPC efficiency, and provides the diagnostic feedback. We include the custom firmware with every 1Q1H we ship. We recommend we do the upgrade in-house.

Can I use this board with a standard NFCD at the other end?
No. Both ends need to be 1Q1H (or 1Q1E) boards. The coherent detection, OPC, and Raman amplification are incompatible with the standard NFCD’s APD receiver.

Can I hot-swap this board?
No. Mark IV backplanes are not hot-swappable. The 1Q1H draws 4.0A on +5V and 5.5A on +12V—hot-swapping could cause a catastrophic voltage spike. Power down and wait 60 seconds.

What’s your warranty and lead time?
The 1Q1H is the second-rarest Mark IV board we carry—likely a single unit exists, and it’s the same unit as the 1Q1E, just with a different label. We do not have a stock price for this board. Lead time is 28-35 business days for testing. We offer no warranty—it’s a research artifact. If it fails, it’s gone. We’re upfront about this. We do not recommend this board for any application. It is a historical curiosity, not a functional product. Do not order this for field use.

Is this board compatible with the Mark VIe?
No. The backplane architecture is different.

A-B 20BC105A0AYNANC0
GE 369-HI-R-M-0-0-0-E
GE 369-HI-R-M-0-0-0-E
GE 369-HI-R-M-0-0-0-E