LeCroy announced the availability of 8- and 12-port models of the SPARQ series of signal integrity network analysers. The SPARQ makes S-parameter measurements quickly and is a fraction of the price of a vector network analyser (VNA). With the new 8- and 12-port models, signal integrity engineers can characterise crosstalk in multi-lane differential structures.
All SPARQ models utilise a built-in OSLT calibration kit to allow users to rapidly calibrate the analyser and measure the device under test, without using error-prone calibration standards that are external to the instrument. This means that a user can complete a full 12-port S-parameter measurement in approximately 30 minutes, with much of that time being unattended acquisition and calculation time.
Cloud computing, mobile computing, smartphones and streaming video applications are pushing the marketplace to deliver greater and greater network bandwidth. To meet this need, communication standards utilise multi-lane differential signalling to carry traffic at ever increasing bit rates. Multi-lane differential signalling has become pervasive, and is used in standards such as PCIe Gen3, Serial Rapid IO, InfiniBand and 40/100 G Ethernet.
More than ever, signal integrity issues due to crosstalk and channel effects such as inter-symbol interference lead to closed eyes and jitter. Signal integrity engineers find that they must attempt to both predict and understand these issues when designing multi-lane differential circuits and inter-connects to avoid design modifications and costly re-spins.
When using a network analyser with only four ports, signal integrity engineers can measure the S-parameters of only a single differential lane. While useful, these measurements only provide a partial understanding of circuit behaviour, and do not characterise the crosstalk between lanes. With the SPARQ-3012E, users can measure the complete 12-port S-parameter matrix in both single-ended and mixed-mode representations, at the click of a button.
The resulting S-parameters characterise the near-end (NEXT) and far-end (FEXT) crosstalk between up to three differential lanes, which can then be used in aggressor-victim-aggressor modelling in order both to predict circuit performance and to study transmitter and receiver equalisation schemes that may be required to open closed eyes.
The new SPARQ models are rated to 30 GHz end frequency, and can return S-parameter results out to 40 GHz. This makes them suitable for crosstalk measurements on a wide variety of commonly deployed high-speed multi-lane serial data standards.
For more information contact Comtest, +27 (0)11 608 8520, [email protected], www.comtest.co.za
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