Precision waveform analyzer module simplifies design verification

Agilent Technologies Inc. has introduced a precision waveform analyzer for engineers involved in design verification and validation of high-speed electrical communications systems and components. The Agilent 86108B precision waveform analyzer features residual jitter (below 50 femtoseconds), channel bandwidths to 50GHz and integrated clock recovery to 32Gb/s.

Engineers testing IEEE 802.3ba (40Gb/100Gb Ethernet), Optical Internet working Forum CEI 3.0, INCITS T-11 32G Fibre Channel and high-speed proprietary systems will benefit from the measurement performance of Agilent's 86108B waveform analyzer. As data rates increase to 28Gb/s and beyond, accurate component characterization becomes more difficult. Cabling to instrumentation degrades signal integrity, and performance margins are consumed due to non-ideal measurement systems.

Continuous data rate coverage from 50Mb/s to 32Gb/s, peaking control and adjustable loop bandwidths to 20MHz also allow the clock recovery circuit to provide a golden PLL response for accurate and compliant device characterization.

In addition to the performance benefits offered by the Agilent 86108B, the integrated instrumentation-grade clock recovery circuit allows the module to trigger directly from single-ended or differential data signals. This eliminates the need for a separate trigger input. The module also integrates high-bandwidth pickoffs and phase-matched cables, which significantly reduce setup complexity, maintain signal integrity and make it easy for users to start making accurate measurements quickly.

An auxiliary clock-recovery input circuit allows engineers to analyze extremely low-level signals, or signals that have been closed due to severe inter-symbol interference, by triggering the scope using a separate synchronous data (or clock) signal connected to the 86108B's auxiliary CR input. The on-board phase detector enables a flexible and accurate technique to determine PLL bandwidth/peaking on devices with either clock or data inputs and outputs.


Agilent Technologies Inc.