Which plug-ins work with Keysight Infiniium 86100-series mainframes?

Modules in the 8610x family are for 86100-series DCA mainframes. Examples from this set include the 86101A, 86105B, 86105C, 86105D, 86106B, 86109A and 86116C—each specifies 86100-series compatibility or is described as designed for the Infiniium DCA platform.

How do I decide between optical and electrical plug-ins?

Choose optical plug-ins when you must measure the optical signal or use reference-receiver filters for compliance testing; key specs are optical bandwidth, wavelength range and fiber compatibility (for example, 86116C specifies single-mode 9/125 µm; 86101A supports 62.5/125 µm multimode and single-mode). Choose electrical samplers when you need the highest electrical bandwidth or time-domain fidelity—compare stated electrical bandwidths and risetimes (for example, 86116C lists 93 GHz electrical; 54751A offers selectable 20 GHz / 12.4 GHz modes).

When should I use the 34980A mainframe versus a DCA plug-in?

The 34980A is an LXI data-acquisition/switch mainframe intended for multiplexing, matrices, RF switching and mixed-signal DAQ tasks; it lists eight slots, LAN/USB 2.0/GPIB interfaces and high channel density (up to 560 two-wire multiplexer channels or 4,096 matrix crosspoints). DCA plug-ins are focused on high-speed optical/electrical characterization and are specified by optical/electrical bandwidths and reference-receiver filters rather than channel count.

Keysight Technologies (Agilent HP) Plug-ins

15 models with full specifications in Plug-ins.

This page summarizes Keysight (formerly Agilent/HP) plug-in modules across three test-instrument domains you will commonly encounter: high-speed optical/electrical receivers and samplers for Infiniium DCA platforms, electrical sampling modules for legacy DCA/Digitizer platforms, and rack or bus-based measurement plug-ins for data acquisition, logic analysis, and VXI multimeters. It is written for test engineers and technical buyers who must match a plug-in's bandwidth, interface and mainframe compatibility to a measurement task. Below we outline the product families, the technical differences that matter in selection, and a concise checklist for choosing the right module or mainframe-level plug-in.

LXI DAQ mainframe: 34980A — 8 slots, LAN/USB 2.0/GPIB
Top optical bandwidth (DCA): 86116C — 70 GHz (optical), 93 GHz (electrical)
High-speed receiver example: 86106B — 28 GHz optical, 40 GHz electrical
Logic analyzer module: 16550A — 102 channels, 100 MHz state clock

All models

Model	Type	Operating Temperature	Power Supply	Interfaces
34980A	*misc	0 to 55	—	LAN (10/100), USB 2.0, GPIB
86105C	Optical	10 to +40 °C	—	—
86116C	Optical	+10 to +40	—	—
86105B	Optical	10 °C to 40 °C	Powered directly by the mainframe plug-in slot	—
86105D	Optical	10 to 40 °C	Powered by DCA mainframe	—
16550A	Logic Analyzer	—	—	—
86101A	Oscilloscope	10 to 40 °C	—	3.5 mm male electrical input, optical input (requires connector adapter)
86106B	Optical	10 to 40 °C	Power supplied by mainframe slot	—
54751A	Oscilloscope	15 °C to 35 °C (specified); 10 °C to 40 °C (operating)	Powered by mainframe plug-in slot	Mainframe backplane connector
83485B	Optical	15 °C to 35 °C	Powered directly via mainframe plug-in slot	1x Optical Input (HP/Agilent Universal Adapter), 1x Electrical Input (2.4 mm male)
83487A	Optical	15 °C to 35 °C (specified accuracy); 0 °C to 55 °C (operating)	Powered directly by mainframe slot	User-interchangeable optical connector adapter, 3.5 mm male RF connector, clock recovery outputs (option dependent)
83592A	RF	0 to 55 °C	Powered directly by the HP 8350A/B mainframe	HP-IB (via HP 8350B mainframe)
86109A	Optical	10 to 40	Powered by mainframe slot	Mainframe backplane interface (interfaces with Keysight/Agilent 86100 series mainframes)
E1364A	*misc	0 to 55 °C	VXIbus Backplane (+5 V, +12 V)	VXIbus (Register-based)
E1411B	DMM	0 to 55 °C	Powered by VXIbus mainframe backplane (+5 V, +12 V, -12 V, -5.2 V, -2 V)	VXIbus (Register-Based, C-size, P1/P2 Connectors)

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How Keysight's plug-ins are organized

Keysight's plug-ins in this category fall into distinct platform families that map to intended measurements and legacy mainframes:

Infiniium DCA family (86100 series): single-slot optical/electrical receiver and sampler modules focused on serial datacom and telecom characterization. Representative modules include the 86101A (2.8 GHz calibrated optical receiver), 86105B/C/D (midband optical/electrical receivers with selectable filter options), 86106B (28 GHz optical / 40 GHz electrical), 86109A (30 GHz optical / 40 GHz electrical), and the very-high-bandwidth 86116C (70 GHz optical / 93 GHz electrical).
Legacy DCA / digitizer family (83480A / 54750A): earlier dual- and single-channel receiver and electrical sampling modules such as the 83487A (dual-rate optical/electrical) and the 54751A (dual-channel electrical sampler) with selectable bandwidth modes.
DAQ, logic and VXI modules: the 34980A is an LXI data-acquisition/switch mainframe that accepts a broad series of 3492x–3495x plug-ins; the 16550A is a 102-channel logic/state-and-timing module for 16500-series mainframes; the E1411B is a C-size register-based VXI 5.5-digit multimeter module.

What distinguishes each family

Choose by application domain and the physical layer you must measure:

High-speed optical/electrical DCA plug-ins are differentiated by optical bandwidth, electrical bandwidth, supported reference-receiver filters and fiber/connector compatibility. For example, the 86116C targets the highest optical and electrical bandwidths listed (70 GHz optical characteristic, 93 GHz electrical) for 40G and faster characterization, while the 86101A provides a calibrated 2.8 GHz optical receiver for lower-rate telecom testing and multimode fiber support.
Midrange DCA modules trade selectable filters and noise performance for compliance testing: the 86105 series and 86106B offer combinations of optical filter options, optical bandwidths from the mid-teens to the 20s of GHz, and electrical channels up to 40 GHz depending on the model and option.
Legacy 83480/54750A modules (83487A, 83485B, 54751A) provide dual-channel or selectable-bandwidth electrical receivers for earlier test platforms; their slot-width and mainframe compatibility differ (some are double-wide).
DAQ and switching (34980A) are a separate class: this mainframe emphasizes slot count, channel density and mixed plug-in support (multiplexers, matrices, RF switches and digital I/O) rather than GHz-range bandwidths.

Practical selection guidance

Match three core requirements before selecting a module or mainframe:

Mainframe compatibility and slot requirements. Confirm the target mainframe family: many 8610x modules are for 86100-series Infiniium DCA mainframes (models such as 86105B, 86105C, 86105D, 86106B, 86109A and 86116C indicate 86100-series compatibility). Some older plug-ins target 83480A or 54750A platforms (for example, 83487A, 83485B, 54751A). The 34980A is a 3U full-rack LXI mainframe with eight plugin slots; the E1411B is a C-size VXI module.
Signal-domain performance. For optical and electrical front-ends use the specified optical and electrical bandwidths, supported data rates and connector/fiber compatibility to filter candidates. Examples: 86116C states single-mode (9/125 µm) fiber and reference rates for 40G and faster signals; 86105C lists optical bandwidth of 9 GHz and electrical bandwidth selectable to 20 GHz with supported data rates up to 11.3 Gb/s (option dependent).
Measurement topology and channel count. For high channel counts, switching and multiplexing, a DAQ mainframe such as the 34980A (up to 560 two‑wire multiplexer channels or 4,096 matrix crosspoints) is appropriate. For state and timing capture, the 16550A provides 102 channels with a 100 MHz state clock and up to 500 MHz timing sample rate (half-channel).

Selection checklist

Use this checklist to narrow options:

Confirm mainframe model and available slot width(s).
Set required optical and electrical bandwidths and supported data rates.
Verify fiber type and connector adapter compatibility (single-mode vs multimode; universal adapter support).
Decide between single-channel precision (DCA receiver) and multi-channel DAQ/switching capability.
For timing or logic capture, check channel count, state clock and timing sample rate.

Refer to the specific module datasheet for calibration intervals, warm-up and operating temperature limits before making a final selection.