Innovation as applied to high-speed digital design and test was a key topic at DesignCon, held Jan. 19-21 in Santa Clara, CA. Innovation also was the theme of a keynote address titled “The Key Building Blocks in Surviving/Thriving in the Era of Exponential Technologies” presented by Al Eisaian, CEO of IntelinAir, a company that provides farmers with “actionable intelligence from aerial information.” Eisaian posited a “5C” framework for innovation, including caring, commitment, competency, creativity, and community.
In another keynote presentation, Pat Byrne, president of Tektronix, got specific about innovation for the DesignCon community with an address titled “Reduce Time to Market with Better Workflow Integration from Simulation to Test.” He said that optimal integration of simulation and test will require a common analysis and visualization environment as well as high-quality measurement science. “Collaborate earlier and more deeply,” he advised, adding that solutions are available today. A Tektronix spokesperson followed up by saying the company’s TekScope Anywhere product can import simulation waveforms, enabling users to correlate their simulations with real-world data.
On the exhibit floor, Computer Simulation Technology (CST) demonstrated its view of how the simulation and measurement domains could be integrated. CST and Wild River Technology (WRT) presented the first results of their cooperative effort to demonstrate the correlation of simulation and measurement for high-speed digital design. Simulations in CST STUDIO SUITE can be verified against measurements using the WRT CMP-28 platform.
In other EDA-related news, Cadence and its channel partner EMA Design Automation both highlighted Cadence OrCAD Capture and Cadence Allegro PCB Designer 16.6 software. ANSYS focused its SIwave design platform for power integrity, signal integrity, and EMI analysis of electronic packages and PCBs as well as its ANSYS Icepak for thermal design. And Mentor Graphics demonstrated is HyperLynx tool for SerDes channel optimization, power- and signal-integrity analysis, electrical rule checking, and 3D electromagnetic extraction.
Keysight Technologies has long been a player in both simulation and measurement. At DesignCon, the company exhibited technologies that extend from EDA tools and physical-layer test software to BERTs, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and protocol analyzers and exercisers—with emphasis on the USB Type-C ecosystem, signal and power integrity, PAM-4 and 100G/400G data-center standards, and test and validation of the latest generation of PCIe and DDR/LPDDR standards.
Anritsu touted software/instrument integration by demonstrating its MP1800A BERT signal quality analyzer and software from Granite River Labs that simplify calibration so engineers can conduct high-quality reproducible receiver and jitter tolerance tests on high-speed devices. The new solution, which incorporates a noise signal source, a variable ISI channel, and a real-time oscilloscope, allows accurate evaluations to be conducted on next-generation PCIe Gen4, 100GbE, InfiniBand, and other high-speed serial interfaces for greater design confidence.
In addition, Anritsu and DVT Solutions demonstrated an integrated test solution that can conduct high-quality S-parameter measurements as well as time-domain analysis on high-speed PCBs, packages, and backplanes. The configuration featuring the Anritsu VectorStar VNA and the DVT PCB probing solution addresses the market need to accurately and efficiently perform signal-integrity tests on products used in emerging communications systems.
Teledyne LeCroy introduced several new products, including the HDA125 high-speed digital analyzer for its oscilloscope line, an interposer probe for analysis of PCIe External Cable 3.0 ports that utilize the new PCI Express External Cabling Specification Revision 3.0, and the Power Delivery Compliance Suite for the Voyager M310C SuperSpeed USB 3.1 protocol verification platform.
In other instrumentation news, National Instruments introduced its new high-performance model of the VirtualBench all-in-one instrument. The software-based VirtualBench combines a mixed-signal oscilloscope, function generator, digital multimeter, programmable DC power supply, and digital I/O. The new version includes a four-channel 350-MHz oscilloscope vs. a two-channel 100-MHz scope on the original version. In addition, Ethernet connectivity has been added. The new version also boosts the instrument’s programmable power-supply current-output capability, offering +6-V, -25-V, and +25-V outputs at up to 3 A, 1 A, and 1 A, respectively (1 A, 0.5 A, and 0.5 A on the original model).
Rohde & Schwarz demonstrated its R&S FSWP phase-noise analyzer and VCO tester, which enables sensitive and fast phase-noise measurements. It also allows users to easily measure pulsed sources and residual phase noise of RF components. And Rigol highlighted its DS1000Z Series digital oscilloscopes, DSA800 Series spectrum analyzers, and DG1000 Series arbitrary waveform generators. Chroma showcased Wi-Fi and Bluetooth test and exhibited PXIe source-measure units and a test handler.
Companies also highlighted accessories such as cables and connectors. For example, HUBER+SUHNER exhibited its new VNA Sucotest 500V test-lead series, which joins the company’s existing portfolio of assemblies including Sucoflex 100, Sucotest 18/18A, and Sucotest 26/40. The company demonstrated the flexibility of the Sucotest 500V leads in conjunction with an Agilent (now Keysight) FieldFox handheld analyzer.
Molex exhibited multiple connector sizes and shapes that support a wide range of data rates. In one demonstration incorporating Tektronix test equipment, the company highlighted the NeoPress high-speed mezzanine system operating at 28 Gb/s. And finally, in addition to addressing simulation and measurement integration, Tektronix showed PAM-4, NRZ, DDR4, and LPDDR4 applications on the exhibit floor.
