Optimizing 100 Gb/s per lane ethernet performance with an oscilloscope
Testing the conformance of data center transceivers to IEEE 802.3ck and OIF-CEI-5.0 electrical transmitter compliance specifications requires a high-bandwidth oscilloscope and knowledge of the test points and performance requirements for the various Ethernet link configurations. These configurations include chip-to-chip (C2C), chip-to-module (C2M), and backplane connections, which require testing with up to 56 GBd PAM4 signals that often have signal integrity issues and low noise thresholds.
Transmitter compliance testing involves sending the transmitter output directly to a high-bandwidth oscilloscope, which models an ideal reference receiver with defined bandwidth and equalization parameters. The 400G / 800G transmitter sends patterns to the oscilloscope making complex measurements like eye height, eye width, and vertical eye closure. Comparing the measurements with compliance standards requires advanced analysis methods and test automation software to ensure reliability and repeatability.
400G / 800G electrical transmitter conformance test solution
Conformance testing for 400G / 800G electrical compliance requires measuring the transmitter's signal against IEEE and OIF standards using an oscilloscope as a model reference receiver. The Keysight 400G / 800G electrical transmitter conformance test solution includes the Keysight Infiniium UXR-Series oscilloscope and test automation software. The software helps developers navigate complex configurations and test requirements to determine their device's conformance to compliance specifications with guided setups, measurement automation, and data analytics. The UXR-Series oscilloscope is a real-time oscilloscope with a bandwidth that is high enough to test 53 GBd PAM4 signals. This oscilloscope can also test compliance with other digital standards with additional automation software. Developers may use a Keysight DCA-X sampling oscilloscope instead of the UXR oscilloscope if performing electrical and optical transceiver conformance tests.
The InfiniiMax 4 series probes are Keysight's high-bandwidth probing solution. This probe is meticulously engineered to tackle the complexities of assessing next-generation high-speed signals, delivering unparalleled performance and precision.