Layer 1 Optical Switches for Test Automation and Network Validation
Echola Systems streamlines network validation by bringing automation to the physical layer. Whether you are simulating a fiber cut, isolating a secure environment, sharing test equipment, or managing a complex regression testbed, our Layer 1 optical switches and programmable attenuators provide the precise control needed for high-availability high-speed fiber optic network testing.
Optical Switch Products
Echola Systems offers Layer 1 optical switching products for optical test automation, fiber path control, transmission loss simulation, fiber cut testing, and test equipment sharing.
MatrixPro Non-blocking Optical Matrix Switch
MatrixPro switches streamline testbed connectivity by eliminating the need for physical fiber rewiring in lab setups. They improve efficiency in test and measurement applications with high-performance, fully non-blocking optical matrix switch configurations from 8x8 to 128x128, available in 1RU to 4RU form factors.
FiberCut Optical Switch
Is your fiber optic network infrastructure resilient enough for high-availability applications? The FC and VFC FiberCut Series Layer 1 switches simulate real-world fiber cut scenarios and can serve as an ultra-fast ransomware kill switch in production environments.
AttenuX Optical Attenuator
Designed for precision and flexibility, AttenuX provides multi-port programmable VOAs for simulating transmission losses in test lab environments and achieving dynamic power equalization in production optical networks.
OptiShare Switch
OptiShare 1xN optical switches help test engineers share a single piece of optical test equipment across multiple devices under test, improving equipment utilization and lab efficiency.
FlexiCade Switch
The FlexiCade switch enables dynamic cascading to test long-haul network characteristics, including chromatic dispersion caused by fiber spans and cascading effects from optical components such as EDFAs.
Optical Switching Applications
Echola optical switches help engineers automate fiber connectivity, validate network resilience, isolate critical systems, share expensive test equipment, and reduce manual patching in lab, telecom, and production environments.
Equipment Sharing
Use OptiShare 1xN optical switches to share high-cost resources such as protocol analyzers, high-speed line cards, optical instruments, and test platforms across multiple testbeds. Centralized equipment sharing improves utilization, reduces duplicate hardware costs, and enables automated access through REST API controlled switching.
Optical Line Protection Testing
Validate Optical Line Protection systems by using FiberCut switches to simulate real-world fiber cuts, link degradation, and path failures. Engineers can test failover behavior, recovery time, traffic rerouting, and protection switching logic under repeatable and automated physical-layer fault conditions.
Regression Testing Automation
Automate regression testing by dynamically reconfiguring optical paths, sharing test instruments, simulating failovers, adjusting attenuation, and cascading optical components. MatrixPro, OptiShare, FiberCut, AttenuX, and FlexiCade help engineers create repeatable test workflows with less manual intervention.
Cybersecurity and Network Isolation
Use FiberCut optical switches to create hardware-assisted network isolation for ransomware defense, backup protection, and cyber incident containment. By disconnecting links at the physical layer, FiberCut can support air-gap workflows, isolate backup systems after replication, and act as a fast optical kill switch to limit lateral movement.
Patch Panel Automation
Replace manual fiber patching with programmable Layer 1 optical switching. MatrixPro and OptiShare switches automate patch panel configurations, reduce setup time, minimize cabling errors, and allow engineers to reconfigure complex testbeds remotely using REST APIs or CLI commands.
Need Help Selecting an Optical Switch?
Tell us your port count, wavelength range, connector type, switching speed, and application requirements. Echola Systems can help match the right Layer 1 optical switch configuration to your test or production environment.
Contact Echola Systems