At the PCI-SIG Developers Conference 2018 in Santa Clara, CA, Anritsu exhibited the world’s first PCI Express test solution with multivendor oscilloscope support. The solution integrating the Anritsu Signal Quality Analyzer-R MP1900A BERT and the Compliance Test Solution was developed in collaboration with Granite River Labs (GRL) and Teledyne LeCroy.
Both PCI Express transmitter (Tx) and receiver (Rx) tests are supported by the solution, which uses automation software to connect the MP1900A BERT to real-time oscilloscopes from the three leading manufacturers. By automating the complex Rx tests required for evaluating devices in accordance with the PCI Express standards, the Anritsu-based solution reduces test times from typically 10 hours for conventional manual testing to seconds.
The increased speed of next-generation PCI Express requires device and system manufacturers to either upgrade or replace their BERT and oscilloscopes, while taking items such as performance and price into consideration. Previously, the only option for customers was to purchase instruments from the same vendor, making it impossible to select the highest-quality instruments from different companies to achieve high-reproducibility evaluations. Anritsu’s partnership with GRL and Teledyne LeCroy solves this problem and dramatically improves verification while lowering cost-of-test.
Effective and simple device tests with excellent reproducibility are achieved with the software that controls the MP1900A and oscilloscope. Because the GRL and Teledyne LeCroy automation software supports real-time oscilloscopes from the three leading manufacturers, engineers can use their existing oscilloscopes to help control test costs. Operation of the solution is intuitive and straight forward via an interface with simple measurement settings. The result is fast and efficient execution of PCI Express tests in accordance with the PCI-SIG standards. Time efficiencies are further realized by the solution’s ability to create PDF reports for auditing and record keeping.
The MP1900A is a wideband BERT with high-quality waveforms and high input sensitivity to implement high-reproducibility tests to evaluate PCI Express devices, as well as other high-speed serial designs, such as 400 GbE. It provides excellent cost-performance due to its flexible platform that allows the BERT to be easy expanded to support next-generation standards, including PCI Express Gen5 and PAM4, as well as those under development.
