A pattern marker card, Wavecrest's PM50, simplifies jitter measurements on both systems and components. It extends the functionality of the company's signal integrity analyzer, the SIA-3000. Adding the PM50 enables the performance of critical datacom measurements without the need for a bit clock or external trigger.
Taking advantage of the SIA-3000's flexible platform, the PM50 expands access to the analyzer's advanced diagnostic capabilities to users who do not have access to a bit clock or external trigger. With the PM50, users only need to input a repeating data pattern. In seconds, the instrument will measure total jitter at bit error rates down to 1016.
Also, the card lets users quantify jitter components, including deterministic jitter, duty cycle distortion and intersymbol interference, periodic jitter, and random jitter. Such critical diagnostic information is required for compliance testing in many datacom standards.
After detecting and logging bit errors, the PM50 graphically displays their location in the pattern as well as their frequency of occurrence. Such bit error counting provides additional diagnostic information for low-probability errors. Operating at data rates up to 5 Gbits/s, the PM50 features higher performance at a lower cost compared to its predecessor, the AG-100. Typical applications for the SIA-3000 with the PM50 retrofitted include systems for Fibre Channel, InfiniBand, Serial ATA, XAUI, and Gigabit Ethernet.
Wavecrest has established a trade-in program for customers currently using the AG-100 with the SIA-3000. Shipping now, the PM50 pattern marker card costs $9500 and is available in about four weeks ARO.
Wavecrest, www.wavecrest.com; (800) 733-7128, (952) 831-0030.