Tektronix delivers test bench for DDR3 memory design debug and validation

BANGALORE, INDIA: Tektronix Inc. has announced the 3rd generation of its proven DDR analysis software (opt. DDRA) for the DPO/DSA70000B Series and DPO7000 Series Oscilloscopes. The Tektronix DDR test solution supports all speeds of DDR, DDR2, DDR3, LP-DDR and GDDR3 and spans both PHY layer and digital domains.

The company also announced improved connectivity with a new set of Nexus Technology Ball Grid Array (BGA) Component Interposers for DDR 3 memory designs. The Tektronix portfolio of Logic Analyzers, Oscilloscopes and Probing Systems form the core of a critical test bench for design and test engineers working with DDR.

The DDR3 standard supports data rates of 800 mega transfers per second (MT/s) to 2133 MT/s with clock frequencies of 400 MHz to 1066 MHz respectively, double the speed of DDR2 technology. DDR3 is ideal for high-performance applications such as file servers, video on demand, encoding and decoding, gaming, and 3D visualization.

The Tektronix DDR Analysis software (opt. DDRA) for the DPO/DSA70000B Series and DPO7000 Series Oscilloscopes adds critical specification validation measurements that are not available on competing test solutions. The JEDEC specifications for DDR2 and DDR3 (JESD79-3C, JESD79-2E) stipulate that pass/fail limits for measurements such as Setup and Hold should be de-rated based on the measured slew rates of the associated signals.

Option DDRA now not only offers the needed slew rate measurements, but also performs the de-rating calculation and automatically adjusts the pass/fail limits. DDRA, along with a wide array of sophisticated probing solutions, including today’s introduced BGA Interposer from Nexus Technology, represents the most complete solution for validation and debug of DDR designs from a PHY layer perspective.

The new BGA component interposers for oscilloscopes and logic analyzers use an innovative socketed design that offers easy installation on the customer’s board and the ability to easily change the memory component for characterization/margin testing. This eliminates the need to send the board to a rework house thus avoiding down time and reducing development cycles.

The interposer’s design also delivers unparalleled signal fidelity by using embedded 100-Ohm resistors on each signal line very close to the BGA balls. When used with Tektronix P7500 Series Tri-Mode probes and new solder tips specific to the Nexus product or the TLA7000 Series Logic Analyzer, the interposer becomes part of the probing system and delivers accurate signal acquisition up to 1600MT/s data rates and higher.

“With decreasing geometries and ever-increasing data rates, as seen in DDR3 Memory designs, signal access and probing has become a key task for every memory designer,” said Robert Shelsky, president, Nexus Technology. “The new memory component interposers will provide design engineers with the best overall experience in terms of ease of installation and use. The new interposers help speed the analog characterization, digital debug and protocol verification of DDR3 Memory Components enabling engineers to bring their designs to market faster.”

The increase in memory system performance has led to increasing design complexity necessitating superior validation and test tools. With the industry-leading Tektronix DDR test suite of oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, probes and supporting software, engineers now have access to an entirely new portfolio with industry-best capabilities needed to develop next generation products incorporating the latest DDR technology.