M8085A MIPI D-PHY 2.1 Receiver Conformance Test Automation Platform M8085DC1A and M8085DE1A

M8085A MIPI D-PHY 2.1 Receiver Conformance Test Automation Platform M8085DC1A and M8085DE1A

Data Sheets

M8085 MIPI D PHY 2. 1

Receiver Conformance Test Automation Platform M8085DC1A and M8085DE1A

The M8085Dx1A is a software plug-in for M8070B Bit Error Ratio Test system software within the M8000 series of BER test solutions. The M8085DxA software plug-in controls an M8195A Arbitrary Waveform Generator (AWG) to create D-PHY standard conformant test signals. Depending on the provisions for error detection implemented in the DUT receiver (RX) the plug-in provides the option to connect to your DUT built-in receiver via the so-called IBERReader interface, which is based on a user provided DLL, to read the bit error counter and display the result in the M8085DC1A user interface.

Key Benefits

  • Fast characterization of digital D-PHY receivers through easy test signal generation
  • Editor enabling set-up of all PHY-parameters in application terms
  • Reliable and automated calibration of signal parameters
  • Complete and conformant RX test procedures for single lane enabling automated, unattended test
  • Can be operated manually or through program control via customer or N5990A Keysight test sequencer

Mobile Applications, Challenges for Testing D-PHY Receivers and Solutions

While modern mobile products are designed for high speed data transmission and processing (e.g. HD camera or video applications), they are often in a mode where these high speed data capabilities are not needed and they preferably are operating in a mode consuming less to nearly no power in order to extend battery life. Mobile standards are designed accordingly featuring such power saving modes.

MIPI Receiver Test Solutions

The next level of integration

The M8000 Series of BER test solutions for digital RX characterization with its modular AXI-HW architecture and its Plug In SW-concept allows composing the required BERT consisting of Pattern Generator (PG) and Error Detector (ED) building blocks using a Keysight M8195A AWG as PG and the M8070B System Software. 

Building blocks of a complete RX test

An RX test is used to determine an RX’s capability to properly detect the digital signal content, even for worst-case impaired input signals. For this testing

  • A Bit Error Ratio Tester’s (BERT) Pattern Generator (BERT PG) is used to emulate a system’s TX plus channel thus generating a data signal containing the impairments to be expected at the RX input when it is operating in a target system.
  • This signal has to be calibrated according to the specification / conformance test suite (CTS)
  • The RX is set into test mode and the input of the RX under test is stimulated with the calibrated test signal
  • Proper detection of the digital content is monitored in a suitable fashion to determine performance according to target BER

Benefits

Key features of the M8085DE1A editor

As already mentioned above, the test stimulus used for D-PHY receiver test is created by the AWGs. These instruments generate their output signal from a vector memory that contains the digitized waveform information. Usually the waveform vectors must be generated by the user utilizing waveform synthesis tools such as MATLAB or equivalent. With the M8085DE1A editor SW, these instruments can be operated from the familiar user interface that the M8070B SW provides for the J-BERT M8020A - with the addition of application specific parameters as shown below in Figures 4 to 6 for the D-PHY application.

Key features of the M8085DC1A Calibration, Conformance and Characterization Procedures

A prerequisite for any RX test is to stimulate the RX with well-calibrated test signals. As the test set-ups often differ from those used to perform the factory calibration of the generators and influence the parameter values it is necessary to do an in-situ calibration. The Conformance Test Suite (CTS) for D-PHY specifies the different test set-ups and by this indirectly also the calibration procedures.

Furthermore, the CTS contains quite a few tests to verify the conformance or characterize the margins of the respective HS and LP receivers, in addition to tests verifying proper behavior during mode transitions. To unburden the user from having to study the CTS and maybe the specification itself and translate the insights into test set-ups, calibration and test procedures. Keysight provides the M8085DC1A containing these calibration, test and characterization procedures.