Tektronix introduces 'one box' serial data receiver test solution
16 April 2008
SerialXpress software with the AWG7000 simplifies receiver bit error rate testing and improves design productivity for next generation serial data buses
Tektronix, a provider of test, measurement and monitoring instrumentation, has announced the availability of SerialXpress, a new software package that performs direct synthesis of waveforms for high-speed serial data receiver testing; ideal for testing SATA, SAS, PCI-Express, HDMI, and DisplayPort serial data standards, as well as any other serial bus technology operating at speeds up to 6Gbps.
SerialXpress manages the creation of these waveforms for high-speed transmission on the AWG7000 Arbitrary Waveform Generator series. An easy to use interface provided by the SerialXpress software package makes the creation and management of high speed serial waveforms far more intuitive. The AWG7000 with SerialXpress software is a one-box high-speed serial data signal generator for receiver stress and BER testing, eliminating the need for multiple instruments and complicated test configurations.
Next generation high-speed serial standards ranging from 3Gb/sec to 6Gb/sec have diminishing timing margins that require receiver characterisation to complement conventional transmitter testing. Increases in transmission speeds and trace length of transmission lines heighten the potential for errors in the signal path (channel). Engineers need to simulate these effects during the design phase to test the tolerance of their receiver designs.
SerialXpress software provides these capabilities working in tandem with the AWG7000 arbitrary waveform generators through use of direct synthesis. Direct synthesis is a flexible and repeatable method for creating ideal or impaired waveforms incorporating periodic & random jitter, pre/de-emphasis, channel emulation, idle-states, and SSC parameters. This often eliminates the need for multiple test instruments such as sine wave generators, noise generators, power dividers and power combiners that not only complicate the entire test set-up, but also require extensive calibration.
Mike Higashi, vice president of Signal Source Product Line, Tektronix said: “Instead of needing to create mathematical formulas, the intuitive UI provided by SerialXpress software improves productivity through pre-defined, fill-in the blank templates for each of the major high-speed serial standards, facilitating simple and cost-effective receiver testing. With SerialXpress software, the AWG7000 is the easiest to use, most powerful and comprehensive high speed serial data signal generator for high-speed serial data technologies.”
Engineers are able to simply recall a set-up file that encapsulates all of the relevant standard mandated tests and signal impairments, without the need for any additional external components or mixing required, reducing complexity and cost. To replicate the test scenarios across multiple labs, AWG set-up file deployment can be managed through electronic circulation of files, enabling test systems worldwide to have consistent settings and capabilities and with no external hardware dependencies.
The SerialXpress software is currently available for order and runs as an integral part of the AWG5000 or AWG7000 models, or as a standalone application on an external PC. The MSRP for SerialXpress begins at €5,920.
Announced last year, the AWG7000 is the only AWG fast enough for high speed serial data test with up to 20GS/sec and the ability to generate data streams including imperfections such as noise and jitter for data rates up to 10Gb/sec. With two analogue channels and four marker outputs, the AWG7000 is capable of generating mixed-signal waveforms to provide for analogue signals and digital control channels. For serial data, the high sample rate of the AWG7000 enables developers to create pre and de-emphasis, or multi-level signals such as four PAM (pulse amplitude modulation) without having to work with cumbersome external components and without wasting multiple output channels.
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