DesignCon 2022 Schedule Builder

Deep memory, high bandwidth Arbitrary Waveform Generators (AWGs) are ideal tools for creating the signals required for stressed receiver tolerance testing. These advanced AWGs can transmit waveforms with precise signal impairments, whether prescribed by standards for compliance testing, diagnostic analysis, or hypothetical signals for serdes performance margin measurements: Insertion Loss (IL), Return Loss (RL), Inter-Symbol Interference (ISI), and crosstalk calculated from system S-parameters; random and sinusoidal noise and jitter that can even include nonstationary events; and transmitter feedforward equalization (TxFFE). In principle, AWGs are magic. In practice, they're quirky, temperamental beasts governed by all the annoying traits of Digital-to-Analog Converters (DACs): limited resolution, imperfect interpolation, and finite sampling rate. On top of this we need to account for waveform length and memory granularity. In this presentation, we'll share our experiences using (and trying to use) AWGs in automated receiver tests for compliance to a variety of standards: HDMI2.1, MIPI C-PHY, D-PHY and A-PHY. In the process, we'll show how we manage sample bit ratio and fixed instrument granularity. We'll also discuss when a more traditional Bit Error Ratio Tester (BERT) pattern generator is a better tool for the job.

Takeaway

Understanding of modern AWGs, their applicability to receiver testing, associated challenges and tricks that can be used to solve the problems

Intended Audience

general familiarity with high speed I/O and signal integrity