Programming

The programming for each optical transceiver is unique.  Many of the OEM’s structure their EEProm data and even discrete hardware attributes in order to deter customers from buying anything but their own.  Some of these nuances in the optical transceiver can include: check digit and algorithm verification required by the OEM’s IOS. Other factors include the guarantee of non-repeating serial numbers and the assurance of embedded CLIE and MCU attributes.  Approved has invested heavily in Research and Development to ‘break’ the monopolistic activity by the OEM’s. and offer a quality solution to our clients. To read more about how the Switch OEM’s create technical barriers that push the limits of US Law read Cisco's Secret Franchise.

Approved Optics shares a relationship with the same contract manufacturers that build for of the major OEM’s and we have people on the ground assuring that they are building with the same discrete components. After confirming the exact same discrete hardware components have been included during the manufacturing of the optical transceiver, the 3^rd party provider then needs to address EEProm and Algorithm ‘tricks’ that the OEM has put in place to keep customers from circumventing their brand with quality optics. Approved has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in multi-platform switch router technology and software, platform specific EEProm readers/editors, and special test software that is unique to Approved Optics. The check digit hardware programming is performed on the transceiver to assure hardware threshold functionality. Approved then verify’s the proper algorithm, in a 3^rd party format for the transceiver, to insure that the IOS will verify and approve the functionality in the port without an error message and with full feature functionality. EEProm attributes are unique to every OEM transceiver - Approved has been able to uniquely parallel the attributes of the OEM without threatening intellectual property laws, so that the optical transceiver will function exactly like an original in the machine and IOS intended. Approved applies a specific serial number sequence code to the NVRAM so that the serial number on that specific transceiver will never replicate in the network. This is very important because the IOS of many OEM’s will check for duplicates and shut down the port.

Upon completed programming, our test engineers verify this process with our unique in-house Q/A software and a follow up environmental test in the actual switch.