The poor sales performance of Tektronix Inc’s TC2000 multi function data communications test and analysis system has led the company to introduce the TC1000 single function test and measurement family. The TC1000 is an MS-DOS micro-based data communications testing system that can analyse and test a range of network protocols including X25, ISDN and Ethernet; it includes a 20Mb hard disk and 640Kb RAM. Whereas the TC2000, launched in the UK one year ago, is a stand-alone box, the new family has been designed for test applications that can be used in one of a number of testing functions. These include the Protocol Analyser, which enables users to monitor telecommunications networks at physical, data link and network protocol levels; the Local Area Network Protocol Analyser for examination of physical interfaces of local net links, checking protocols such as TCP/IP and DECNet; the ISDN analyser; and the Bit Error Rate Tester, BERT, analyser, which provides analysis at both primary rate and time slot level. Local area network analysis is seen as the sector likely to undergo most rapid growth. The TC-1000 range is available from June, priced between UKP6,300 and UKP8,150; this compares to UKP10,500 for the TC2000 model. Tektronix is hoping that the pricing structure of the new line will eventually boost sales of the high-end TC2000 as well.
