XKL
| File:XKL logo.svg | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications Optical networking Computer Networking |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Founder | Len Bosack |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Len Bosack and Sandra Lerner |
| Products | Darkstar Optical Network Hardware |
| Website | www |
XKL, LLC is a U.S.-based firm that focuses on technologies related to optical transport network. Established in 1991 and headquartered in Redmond, Washington, the company is managed by Len Bosack, co-founder of Cisco Systems.
XKL History
XKL’s early innovation includes the TOAD-1, launched in 1995 as a compact, contemporary alternative to the discontinued PDP-10 mainframe computers.
Current Product Line
The company’s range features transponders, muxponders, multiplexers/demultiplexers, and optical amplifiers tailored for robust optical networking environments.
DarkStar DQT10 Transponder
Capable of supporting 12, 24, or 36 channels at 10G speeds.
DarkStar DQT100 Transponder
Combines up to 96 channels at 100G over a single fiber pair.
DarkStar DQT400 Transponder
Manages as many as 48 channels operating at 100G or 400G rates.
DarkStar DQM100 Muxponder
Utilizes statistical multiplexing to aggregate up to twelve 100G channels.
DarkStar DQM10 Muxponder
Aggregates as many as 36 channels at 10G.
DarkStar DSM10-10 Muxponder
Supports aggregation of services reaching up to 100G.
DarkStar DXM
Introduced in 2007, this high-capacity optical switch was initially implemented at the California Institute of Technology during their Supercomputing Bandwidth Challenge. It delivers bandwidth exceeding 100 Gbps—quintupling prior capabilities—while simultaneously reducing both physical footprint and energy consumption.
TOAD-1
Initially branded as TD-1 and announced in 1993, the TOAD-1 System was designed as an advanced variant of the DECSYSTEM-20 from Digital Equipment Corporation. Its concept was to create a desktop version of the renowned PDP-10, with its name signifying "Ten On A Desk." The system was developed by XKL engineers with experience at companies such as Cisco Systems, Digital Equipment Corporation, Hewlett-Packard, and Control Data Corporation. Commercial availability began in late 1995.
The TOAD-1 incorporated a high-performance 36-bit processor running the TOPS-20 operating system, optimized for input/output intensive tasks. It supported multi-user environments accommodating over one hundred simultaneous users. Its design integrated modern peripheral interfaces and an open bus architecture along with expanded physical and virtual memory capacity, all while maintaining compatibility with the TOPS-20 environment.
TOAD-2
Following the TOAD-1, the TOAD-2 was introduced as a single-chip redesign primarily used as redundant control processors within XKL’s networking hardware. It also supported timesharing configurations under the TOPS-20 operating system.
See also
Additional firms manufacturing systems compatible with the PDP-10 include:
External links
- Access the Living Computer Museum, showcasing Paul Allen's collection of interactive and timesharing computers, featuring a working XKL TOAD-2 system