Anritsu continues to address the test needs of signal integrity (SI) engineers with the introduction of options for its VectorStar and ShockLine Vector Network Analyzers (VNAs). This VectorStar Eye Diagram and ShockLine Advanced Time Domain (ATD) options are part of the expanding Signal Integrity capabilities offered by Anritsu. They provide SI engineers with improved tools to conduct channel diagnostics and model validation of high-speed digital circuit designs.
According to Dr. Jon Martens - Fellow at Anritsu, Increasing data rate is making signal channel characterization more challenging and hence VNAs are becoming more of a staple in signal integrity measurements, however, additional capabilities in processing and visualizing data are beneficial. This addition of tools to the VectorStar and Shockline VNA families will help signal integrity engineers be more efficient in analyzing their designs.
The VectorStar and ShockLine VNA families provide complementary capabilities that enable SI engineers to meet their measurement needs. VectorStar is often used by SI engineers with the most challenging design requirements. For example, some designers want their test systems to be able to include up to the 5th harmonic of their system clock. VectorStar offers 2 and 4-port broadband configurations from 70 kHz to 70 GHz, 110 GHz and 145 GHz with a single coaxial connection, supporting the latest digital data rates, including 25/28 Gbps and 43 Gbps. Anritsu's ShockLine VNA family also has excellent performance, but less capability at a lower price for less demanding SI applications. This makes ShockLine VNAs well suited for lower data rate systems or manufacturing applications.
VectorStar is well suited for SI engineers responsible for the design of high-speed data transmission requirements critically needed to support emerging network systems, such as 5G and IoT. This new Eye Diagram option updates the VectorStar display via a trace-based process rather than a conventional file-based method, eliminating the need to manually transfer .SnP files. Unlike other VNAs, there is no need to store the S-parameter performance in a file and then recall the file to observe the eye diagram. It greatly improves measurement efficiency, analysis, and tuning of a data transmission signal path, allowing users to see the results of circuit changes in near real-time.
With this innovative approach, engineers can observe the likelihood of bit errors due to effects such as level compression, jitter, slew, and edge distortion while tuning for improved performance. This is particularly valuable in identifying data stream SI issues that may occur within a given transmission path and can help conduct accurate subsystem fault location analysis.
This new option, coupled with the VectorStar now provides the unique ability to display all key parameters, such as eye diagram, time domain/TDR, and S-parameters, on the same channel while continuously sweeping.
Designed for the MS46522B/MS46524B performance series VNAs, the ATD option provides tools for SI engineers building circuit models and conducting validation measurements on them, as well as troubleshooting SI issues. This ATD option includes a subset of popular SI capabilities, including the ability to plot eye diagrams, determine single-ended or differential near-end crosstalk (NEXT) and far-end crosstalk (FEXT), and apply various equalization techniques.
