Tektronix's most accurate Superspeed USB test solution

BANGALORE, INDIA: Tektronix Inc. has announced a new comprehensive toolset for characterization, debug and automated compliance test of Superspeed USB (USB 3.0) devices.

The new option USB-TX with the DPO/DSA70000B Oscilloscope provides an automated one-button solution to validate USB 3.0 transmitter devices – enabling engineers a more efficient way to bring their designs to market. The company also introduced a full set of USB 3.0 test fixtures that enable engineers to perform more accurate transmitter, receiver, and cable testing.

Driven by the continuous need for faster data transmissions, the 10x performance improvement over current USB solutions provided by USB 3.0 creates multiple challenges for system and circuit designers. The increased bandwidth brings with it critical signal transmission and signal fidelity challenges that require highly accurate and versatile test solutions.

While other industry offerings provide only normative measurements per the USB-IF electrical test specification, the Tektronix option USB-TX supports all measurements including normative and informative tests -– Spread Spectrum Clocking (SSC), Slew, Voltage Levels and others. This enables customers to have full confidence in their design validation process.

Where other available solutions are limited to standard specific compliance, Tektronix USB-TX provides a comprehensive and complete characterization, debug and compliance toolset. In combination with the only available plug-style test fixture that enables probing as close to the silicon as possible, the Tektronix USB3.0 test solution provides the truest representation of the signal.

"We have been able to preview the new Tektronix test solution for Superspeed USB and we are excited about the increase in productivity that this solution will bring to Fresco Logic's USB 3.0 chip design process," said Bob McVay, chief technical officer of Fresco Logic. "With the AWG7000 for receiver tolerance testing and the ability to quickly move from a transmitter compliance test environment to debugging, the AWG7000 will prove to be a tremendous time saver."

Automation framework for high-speed serial standards
The Option USB-TX is built on TekExpressä framework which has been developed for automated one-button testing of high speed serial data standards. TekExpress modules are based on the test requirements and Methods of Implementation (MOI) specified and published by the standard bodies.

All tests procedures are automated and customers simply need to select the desired tests to obtain a comprehensive report with pass/fail and margin results. In addition to the new USB 3.0 offering, automation modules are also currently available for SATA and DisplayPort.

“TekExpress takes the guess-work out of high speed serial data testing. In today’s environment, customers are working with multiple standards, making it challenging to become an expert in all of them,” said Ian Valentine, general manager Technology Solutions Group, Tektronix. “TekExpress provides the required expertise and allows our customers to focus on bringing their design to market.”

Complete transmitter, receiver and cable test solution
USB will join other high speed serial standards such as 8 Gb/s PCI Express and SATA 6 Gb/s as one of the more demanding technologies, requiring advanced measurement instruments such as the recently introduced industry leading Tektronix DPO/DSA70000B oscilloscope.

The Tektronix real-time oscilloscopes with bandwidths up to 20GHz provide industry best signal fidelity, lowest noise floor and highest number of effective bits (ENOB), enabling greater margin and fidelity for demanding compliance and debug testing.

For receiver testing, the Tektronix AWG7000B Arbitrary Waveform Generators is the only solution that generates all required signal impairments in a single instrument. Cable and channel measurement solutions are available via the DSA8200 Sampling Oscilloscope.