TECHNOLOGY: Metamako Announces 48-Port Switch

Australia-based Metamako has released a new version of its switch with more ports designed to help high-frequency and other low-latency traders.

Metamako, supplier of ultra-low latency devices to exchanges and the trading community, new 48 port switch is dubbed MetaConnect 48. According to the firm, the 48 port switch is a natural extension of the firm’s MetaConnect 16 port device, which was launched in December 2013.

MetaConnect 48 offers users a latency of 4 to 6 nanoseconds. It is targeted at users who have larger computer systems that require many more devices to plug in.

The key features of MetaConnect include: packet statistics for diagnostics and troubleshooting; functionality for remote rewiring; network taps for splitting signals such as market data and timestamping, all without adding latency or compromising signal quality.

“MetaConnect 16 has been very well received by our customers, and is being used in a variety of ways: to process market data as well as for signal tapping, dynamic patching and media conversion,” said Dave Snowdon, founder and co-CTO of Metamako. “However, firms have been asking us for a 48-port version, for larger installations, where there is a need to be able to plug in lots of devices, such as switches, FPGAs and computers.”

He added that customers who are not trimming their fibers to the nearest foot will not be able to tell the difference between the performance of MetaConnect 16 and MetaConnect 48.

The performance of MetaConnect 16 was benchmarked by STAC in April. The test results showed that the latency of the switch was undetectable at a rate of 100,000 messages per second and was only 2 nanoseconds at the maximum rate of 600,000 messages per second. The benchmark simulates conditions in a typical trading network, using data from U.S. equities order-book feed-handlers. MetaConnect 48 exhibits latency which is consistent with adding 32 ports.