TTC DS3 Interface Module

Key Features At A Glance

• DS3 testing at 44.736 MHz ±100 ppm with both unframed T3 and framed (M13 or C-Bit) operating modes
• Normal and test loopback operating modes for end-to-end and self-test configurations
• 75-ohm unbalanced WECO 560A input and output jacks at DSX and high-level operating ranges
• B3ZS line coding with rectangular output pulse per CB119 Table 8 and CCITT G.703 DSX levels
• Logic error, BPV, and frame error insertion — single or at programmable rates (1E-5 to 1E-9 on FIREBERD 6000, 1E-6 on FIREBERD 4000)
• Yellow alarm and Blue alarm (AIS) detection with dedicated front-panel indicators
• Fixed (1111, 1100, 1010, plus 3- to 24-bit programmable) and pseudorandom (2^15-1, 2^20-1, 2^23-1) test patterns
• Selectable fast and slow frame synchronization loss criteria for application-tuned resync behavior

The DS3 Interface Module is a plug-in module that extends a host FIREBERD 6000 or FIREBERD 4000 communications analyzer with native DS3 (44.736 Mbit/s, T3) test capability. It provides DS3 transmit and receive interfaces, framing logic, pattern generation and detection, error insertion, and alarm monitoring — turning a FIREBERD analyzer into a complete DS3 bit error rate test set for North American digital hierarchy line and equipment testing.

DS3 is the 44.736 Mbit/s level of the North American Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy, historically carried over coaxial DSX-3 cross-connects in central offices and long-haul transmission systems and used to aggregate twenty-eight DS1 (1.544 Mbit/s) tributaries. Engineers and technicians install the DS3 Interface Module in a FIREBERD chassis to verify DS3 line cards, multiplexers, M13 and C-Bit framers, microwave radios, fiber terminals, and DSX patch panels, and to commission or troubleshoot DS3 spans by injecting known patterns and counting received errors at the far end or via loopback.

ValueTronics International has specialized in test and measurement equipment since 1992, and our 20,000 sq ft secure warehouse at 1675 Cambridge Drive in Elgin, Illinois is where each instrument is received, inspected, and verified before it ships. Legacy DS3 test gear like this module is exactly the kind of equipment that benefits from a knowledgeable second-source supplier — the modules are no longer manufactured, the host analyzers remain in active service in carrier and defense network test labs, and finding a working unit with the right interface and framing options often comes down to inventory depth and condition documentation rather than a catalog page.

Brand Heritage

The FIREBERD product line — including the 6000 and 4000 hosts that accept this DS3 Interface Module — originated with TTC (Telecommunications Techniques Corporation), which became part of Dynatech Communications, then Acterna Corporation in 2000, then JDSU after Acterna was acquired in 2005, and finally Viavi Solutions after JDSU split its test and measurement business in 2015. Modules and analyzers bearing TTC, Dynatech, Acterna, or JDSU branding all trace through this same lineage.

Product Core & Specifications

Please review the Manufacturer's Data Sheet to verify published specifications. Feedback on this webpage is always welcome — please reach out to your Test Architect at any time for questions or concerns. Thank you, we truly appreciate you being our customer.