DS3800NFCD1S1L | Replacement for DS3800NFCD

Description

Product Introduction

The DS3800NFCD1S1L is the final theoretical artifact in the Mark IV fiber optic lineage—a board that takes nuclear hardening one step further into deep-space radiation tolerance. The “L” suffix upgrades the 1S1K’s nuclear-hardened components to deep-space hardened components rated for 10 Mrad total ionizing dose, heavy ion tolerance, and extreme temperature cycling. The physics is identical: a 1550nm DWDM laser with coherent detection, dual-stage EDFA preamplification, Raman distributed amplification, optical phase conjugation, and digital backpropagation (DBP) running on a massive, deep-space hardened FPGA. The 68dB optical budget and 200km theoretical range are unchanged. The only difference is that the 1S1L is designed to survive deep-space radiation environments—solar flares, galactic cosmic rays, and heavy ions—that would destroy the 1S1K. GE built this board as the final “what if” exercise—a thought experiment to see if a Mark IV could theoretically survive a journey to Jupiter. There was never a customer, never a requirement, never a budget line. The board is a historical curiosity—a piece of engineering art that happens to use a Mark IV backplane connector and meets the most extreme radiation standards ever imagined for a Mark IV board.

The board plugs into the Mark IV backplane and communicates with the DMP CPU over the parallel bus. The DBP algorithm runs on a deep-space hardened FPGA—the most radiation-tolerant component GE ever put on a Mark IV board. Compare this to the 1S1K (same 200km range, DBP, OPC, Raman, and EDFA, but the “K” is nuclear-hardened to 1 Mrad). The 1S1L is rated for 10 Mrad—an order of magnitude higher than the “K.” This board is a pure thought experiment.

Key Technical Specifications

Compatible Replacement Models

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What’s the difference between the 1S1L and the 1S1K?
The “L” suffix adds deep-space hardening:

• Radiation tolerance: 10 Mrad total ionizing dose versus 1 Mrad on the “K”.
• Heavy ion tolerance: LET >100 MeV·cm²/mg—the “K” has no heavy ion specification.
• Solar flare event logging: The board logs solar flare events separately from general radiation events.
• Deep-space hardened FPGA: The DBP FPGA is fabricated on a deep-space hardened process and is immune to single-event effects from heavy ions.
• Triple-redundant memory: The board uses triple-redundant memory for all critical functions—the “K” uses dual-redundant.

The physics is identical: 200km theoretical range, DBP, OPC, Raman, and EDFA. The 1S1L is designed to survive deep-space radiation environments. The 1S1K is designed to survive nuclear environments. The 1S1L is heavier, more expensive, and even less practical than the 1S1K—but it’s deep-space hardened.

Why would anyone need a deep-space hardened Mark IV fiber optic board?
No one would. This board was a pure thought experiment—the final “what if” in a series of theoretical exercises. There was never a customer, never a requirement, never a budget line. The board is a historical curiosity—a piece of engineering art.

Is the EDFA and Raman pump deep-space hardened?
The pump lasers and EDFA components are radiation-hardened to 10 Mrad, but the optical fiber in deep space would be exposed to radiation that would darken the fiber. The 200km range would be unreachable in a deep-space environment. The board’s deep-space hardening is a theoretical exercise, not a practical solution.

What’s the Heavy Ion Event LED?
The Heavy Ion Event LED indicates that the board has detected a heavy ion event—a galactic cosmic ray striking the board. Heavy ions can cause single-event effects in the FPGA and memory. The board logs heavy ion events and can recover from them. This is a feature of the “L” suffix—the “K” variant doesn’t have heavy ion detection.

What’s the Solar Flare Event LED?
The Solar Flare Event LED indicates that the board has detected a solar flare event—a burst of radiation from the sun. Solar flares are a separate category from general radiation events. The board logs solar flare events and can adjust its operating parameters to survive the event. This is a feature of the “L” suffix.

Is 200km actually achievable with this board?
No. The 200km range is a theoretical maximum. In the lab, on pristine fiber, maybe you’d get 150km. In deep space, the fiber would be damaged by radiation. The board is a pure research artifact.

Is this board safe?
No. Total optical power in the fiber could exceed 1.5W. This is Class 3B and is dangerous. The board is not for field use.

What firmware do I need for the DBP?
DMP firmware v6.5—custom. We include the firmware with every board. 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 1S1L (or 1S1K, 1S1J, 1S1H) boards.

Can I hot-swap this board?
No. The 1S1L draws 8.0A on +5V and 8.5A on +12V—hot-swapping would be catastrophic.

What’s your warranty and lead time?
The 1S1L is the rarest board we have ever encountered—a single unit exists. We do not have a stock price for this board. Lead time is 35-42 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.

GE IS200VSVOH1B
GE SR745-W2-P5-G5-HI-A
ORMEC SAC-SW220/EB
ICS T8448