An update to a PAM4 test setup for validating 400G physical layer transmitter designs adds PAM4 error detection, Signal to Noise and Distortion Ratio (SNDR) measurement capability, and new advanced FFE/DFE equalization capabilities.
Developed by Tektronix Inc., this latest PAM4 release reduces complexity by pulling together all PAM4 measurement capabilities into a single application. “Designers working on 25 Gb/sec and 50 Gb/sec products face an uphill battle as they transition from NRZ to PAM4,” said Brian Reich, general manager, Performance Oscilloscopes, Tektronix. “Our latest PAM4 solution brings an extensive list of PAM4 measurement capabilities into a single user experience that is easy to operate. And because of the superior signal acquisition capabilities of the DPO70000SX platform, we are delivering the best margin possible for characterizing PAM4 components and systems.”
Highlights of the new PAM4 solution, which tracks to the latest revisions of the IEEE and OIF-CEI standards include:
Error Detection and Visualization – Repeating symbol patterns are automatically recognized, so symbol error rate (SER) and bit error rate (BER) values are accumulated and reported. An Error Navigator allows individual symbol errors to be viewed in the acquired waveform, together with contextual information.
SNDR Measurement Capability – Support for the key new SNDR measurement is included in this release. Delivering results up to 34 dB, the DPO70000SX ATI-based oscilloscopes are said to deliver the highest fidelity SNDR measurement capability in the industry.
Equalization Support — This release incorporates the advanced Feed Forward Equalization (FFE) and Decision Feedback Equalization (DFE) signal conditioning requirements specified in latest IEEE 802.3bs 400G specification.
The PAM4 solution takes advantage of the Asynchronous Time Interleaved (ATI) technology found in DPO70000SX 70 and 50 GHz oscilloscopes to deliver low noise and measurement accuracy. Traditional instruments using synchronous time interleaved architectures have too much noise or insufficient bandwidth to allow effective noise and jitter decomposition of complex electrical and optical signals. The ATI-acquired signal along with the new PAM4 solution provides a level of precision and usability never offered together in a real-time oscilloscope.
PAM4 solution pricing starts at $7,500 U.S. MSRP.
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