Serial data analyzer tests 10Gbps

The new product from Wavecrest tackles signal integrity head on. Aimed at PCI Express Gen 2, fully buffered dual in-line memory modules (FB-DIMM), 8X Fiber Channel and SONET applications, this instrument is optimized for testing serial data at speeds to 10Gbps and faster.

Wavecrest's SIA-4000 is also suited for 10GHz clock and phase locked loop (PLL) applications, and can act as an oscilloscope up to 15GHz.

The SIA-4000 includes the company's GigaView 2.0, which is a suite of diagnostic tools that generate significant detail about the performance of a device; even those exhibiting complex jitter behavior.

If a device fails or is marginal, the root cause of the problem can be identified though Wavecrest's patented Tailfit algorithm. Tailfit is a methodology for separating and identifying various jitter components.

Multiple differential channels
The SIA-4000 also offers the ability to test multiple differential data channels, and provides isolation of jitter components (including R_J and D_J, to get total jitter at 10^-6 and 10^-12. The SIA-4000 also reveals jitter accumulation, skew, period accuracy, phase jitter to 10^-6 and 10^-12, and will do FFTs (fast Fourier transforms) to show power spectral density.

Wavecrest claims its SIA-4000 also goes beyond minimum compliance testing capability, with software toolsets designed for industry-standard specifications. For example, its PCI Express toolset offers reference clock compliance tests, including PLL transfer function peaking (recently improved to 3rd order), rise edge and fall rates, and duty cycle.

Comprehensive diagnostics
These comprehensive diagnostic tools are crucial, particularly in the situation when a device fails during compliance testing. The SIA-4000 saves time and money through efficient and comprehensive test methodologies, too. Measurements are accurate and repeatable, resulting in confidence that products are compliant. Because the SIA-4000 is optimized for fast speed-of-test, it can be used in design and production, providing correlation throughout a semiconductor design cycle.

The SIA-4000 is currently available as an upgrade to existing SIA products, or it can be purchased new. Upgrades from current Wavecrest models start at $35,000. The price for a new unit starts at $114,000.

- Alex Mendelsohn
eeProductCenter