Keysight's 86100D-9FP PAM-N analysis software provides comprehensive analysis of optical and electrical PAM-4 signals.
The increasing demand for complex content and instant access to information necessitates greater network bandwidth in data centers. To meet this need, simply creating faster components is no longer sufficient. PAM-4 is a type of multi-level signaling designed to increase the amount of data that can be sent over high-speed digital communication links. PAM-4 designs, for example, are likely to enable the transition from 100 Gb Ethernet speeds to 400 Gb Ethernet speeds.
Various industry groups and regulatory bodies are using, or considering using, PAM-4 technology to make the leap to the next-generation speed class and enable higher data rates for a given channel bandwidth compared to traditional non-return-to-zero (NRZ) signaling. While PAM-4 technology adapts some traditional NRZ algorithms for PAM-4 signals, fully analyzing system performance also requires PAM-4-specific measurements and parameters.
“Moving from NRZ signaling to PAM-4 presents numerous new design and measurement challenges for our customers,” explains Dave Cipriani, Vice President and General Manager of Keysight’s Oscilloscope and Protocol Division. “Keysight’s analysis software helps engineers address these challenges and quickly bring their designs to market.”
The PAM-N 86100D-9FP analysis software offers measurements such as:
Eye width, eye height, and eye skew;
Level amplitude, level noise, and level skew; Level
amplitude linearity.
The PAM-4 option can also be combined with existing DCA-X software options for even more powerful analysis capabilities:
PAM-4 equalizers (LFE, CTLE, DFE) with the 86100D option 201
; PAM-4 channel aggregation/deaggregation using the 86100D option SIM InfiniiSim-DCA
; Jitter and amplitude analysis on IEEE JP03 patterns with the 86100D option 200/300
Multilevel signaling systems are particularly susceptible to noise, making the 86100D's high-bandwidth, low-noise pluggable modules especially well-suited for characterizing PAM signals. The 86100D PAM-N option 9FP's PAM-N analysis capabilities are compatible with all 86100D DCA-X pluggable modules, such as the 86108B Precision Waveform Analyzer for accurate analysis of electrical signals up to 32 Gbaud or the 86105D-281 for accurate analysis of high-speed optical signals. Furthermore, engineers can perform offline analysis on saved or simulated PAM signals using the N1010A option 9TP PAM analysis software installed on a PC.
