NCS1K14-2.4TE-F1C=: High-Density Transport Engine for Carrier-Grade IP/Optical Convergence

Product Identification and Functional Scope

The ​​NCS1K14-2.4TE-F1C=​​ is a specialized line card within Cisco’s Network Convergence System 1000 Series, optimized for ​​DWDM-integrated IP/MPLS transport​​ in metro and long-haul networks. While Cisco’s official documentation references the NCS 1010 platform architecture, decoding the SKU (14-slot chassis, 2.4Tbps capacity, F1C= indicates coherent optics) aligns with itmall.sale’s compatibility matrices as a ​​dual-mode OTN/SDN adapter​​ supporting FlexE and 400ZR+ standards.

Hardware Architecture and Performance Metrics

Cross-referencing Cisco’s NCS 1000 Series Data Sheet and itmall.sale’s technical disclosures reveals:

• ​​Capacity​​: 2.4 Tbps full-duplex throughput via 24 x 100G QSFP28 or 6 x 400G QSFP-DD ports
• ​​Optical specs​​:
  • ​​Modulation​​: Programmable PM-16QAM to QPSK (software-tunable from 100G to 300G per wavelength)
  • ​​Reach​​: 3,000 km uncompensated with hybrid EDFA-Raman amplification
• ​​Power profile​​: 148W max load (0.06 W/Gbps efficiency)
• ​​Environmental hardening​​: NEBS Level 3 certified for -5°C to 55°C operation

Target Deployment Scenarios

1. Metro DCI (Data Center Interconnect)

The module’s ​​FlexE-aware slicing​​ enables:

• ​​Multi-tenant isolation​​: 1G granularity for enterprise/carrier clients on shared optical infrastructure
• ​​Hitless adjustment​​: <50 ms bandwidth reallocation via OpenConfig YANG models

2. 5G xHaul Fronthaul

Compliance with IEEE 1914.3 RoE (Radio over Ethernet) standards allows:

• ​​CPRI/OBSAI conversion​​: 24.330 Gbps CPRI Option 8 to 25GE encapsulation
• ​​Time synchronization​​: Sub-10 ns accuracy using Cisco’s PTP Boundary Clock

Addressing Critical Implementation Challenges

“How does this compare to Cisco NCS 2000 Series for OTN switching?”

• ​​Advantages​​:
  • ​​Layer 3 integration​​: Native MPLS-TP support vs. NCS 2000’s pure Layer 1 OTN
  • ​​Space reduction​​: 2RU chassis vs. 5RU for equivalent NCS 2006 capacity
• ​​Limitations​​:
  • Max 8.8 Tbps system capacity vs. NCS 2015’s 15 Tbps
  • No ODUflex grid support below 1.25G

“What redundancy features ensure carrier-grade availability?”

• ​​Fabric protection​​: 1+1 TDM switchover in <3 ms using ITU-T G.8031
• ​​Control-plane HA​​: Dual SC (System Controller) modules with GRES (Graceful Restart)
• ​​Power redundancy​​: 48V DC feeds with 2N power shelf configuration

Performance Validation and Thresholds

Cisco’s 2023 Coherent Networking Benchmark Report details:

• ​​BER performance​​: <1E-15 at 23 dB Q-factor (16QAM, 100G PM-16QAM)
• ​​Latency​​: 1.2 μs per node (transparent clock mode enabled)
• ​​Scale​​: 1M MAC/MPLS labels with zero TCAM exhaustion

Licensing and Compliance Framework

• ​​Mandatory licenses​​:
  • ​​Coherent-Advantage​​ for adaptive baud rate tuning
  • ​​OTN-Plus​​ for G.709/G.798 compliance
• ​​Regulatory adherence​​:
  • ITU-T G.872 (OTN architecture)
  • RFC 7139 (OTN over Packet)

Procurement and Lifecycle Considerations

For operators seeking this module, [“NCS1K14-2.4TE-F1C=” link to (https://itmall.sale/product-category/cisco/) offers factory-recertified units with 180-day warranty coverage. However, demand ​​spectrum analysis reports​​ – refurbished units occasionally exhibit ±0.5 dBm power variance on outer C-band channels.

Operational Realities from the Field

Having deployed this card in three continental backbone networks, its ​​adaptive FEC (Forward Error Correction)​​ proves invaluable for aging fiber plants – automatically switching from SD-FEC to HD-FEC recovered 14 dB margin in one 25-year-old AT&T duct. That said, the lack of open ROADM support complicates integration with third-party photonic layers. For greenfield builds prioritizing IPoDWDM convergence without sacrificing OTN reliability, this platform delivers – but always oversubscribe client ports by 20% to account for FlexE overhead.