N5431A XAUI Electrical Validation Application for Infiniium Oscilloscopes and Digital Signal Analyze

Fast and Accurate XAUI Validation with Superior Signal Integrity and Probing

If you are designing XAUI devices, you may face challenges trying to perform design and validation tasks at the same time. The Keysight Technologies, Inc. N5431A XAUI electrical validation application will help you improve your efficiency by providing fast and accurate XAUI validation. The N5431A software, which runs on Keysight Infiniium oscilloscopes and digital signal analyzers, helps you confirm that your devices conform to the XAUI specifications as defined by the IEEE 802.3-2005 10-gigabit Ethernet specification. The superior signal integrity and probing provided by the Infiniium oscilloscopes and digital signal analyzers give you confidence that your designs will meet the specifications.

The application also provides support for the XAUI-derived 10GBASE-CX4 specification. In addition, when testing XAUI devices, the application allows you to test to various other XAUI-derived standards, such as CPRI, OBSAI RP3, 10-Gigabit Fibre Channel XAUI, and Serial RapidIO.

Features

The N5431A XAUI electrical validation application offers several features to simplify the validation of XAUI and XAUI-derived designs:

• Setup wizard for quick setup, configuration and test
• Signal probing using differential probes or single-ended SMA connections
• Test multiple lanes in a single run using differential probes
• Configurable test parameters for flexibility to test to other XAUI-derived standards
• Comprehensive reporting in HTML format with margin analysis
• New test framework that provides powerful characterization capability through the use of multiple trials until a stop condition is met
• Accurate and repeatable measurements on the oscilloscope with the industry’s flattest frequency response and lowest noise floor

With the XAUI electrical validation application, you can use the same oscilloscope you use for everyday debugging to perform automated testing and margin analysis for XAUI and XAUI-derived specifications. In addition, the application reduces the tedium involved in generating reports. You can easily generate thorough performance reports with the press of a button.

Fast and Easy Test Setup

The N5431A XAUI electrical validation application sets the stage for fast and accurate XAUI validation by offering flexible test setup. Choose between using InfiniiMax differential probes with various probe heads or single-ended SMA connections. You can test up to four XAUI lanes in a single run when you use differential probes.

The N5431A XAUI electrical validation application extends the ease-of-use advantages of Keysight’s Infiniium oscilloscopes and digital signal analyzers to testing XAUI. The Keysight automated test engine has an easy-to-follow task list to guide you through each step in testing your XAUI device. Under the Select Tests tab, you can pick the tests you want to run. The interface is easy to navigate and a description for each test is provided. The test list is filtered based on the selections made in the Setup dialog box. Select an individual test to run or a whole group of tests. The user interface is oriented to minimize unnecessary reconnections, which saves time and potential operator error. The test setup can be saved as a project that you can recall later for quick testing or review of results.

Flexible configuration

The N5431A XAUI electrical validation application allows you to further configure the settings of the test you want to run. Use the default values for the parameters or configure them to your liking. There is also a debug mode that provides a larger set of configurable parameters, enabling you to have full control as you debug and characterize your devices and test to other XAUI-derived standards. The unmatched flexibility allows you to focus on your design without having to worry about the test setup.

Guided Connections and Testing Multiple Trials

After you have configured the tests to your liking, the N5431A user interface will display a connection diagram with instructions based on the test selections you have made. The instructions specify the connections and test pattern output from the test device.

The N5431A comes with a new multiple test trial capability that enables you to extensively characterize the performance of your XAUI devices. You can run selected tests until the stop condition is met. Worst-case conditions are saved to help you track down infrequent failures. A statistical summary of all the trials is also displayed.

Results with Margin Analysis

The N5431A XAUI electrical validation application goes beyond merely reporting the results of your tests. It provides additional useful information, such as how close your device is to the limits specified for a particular test parameter. You can specify the level at which warnings are issued for the electrical tests where your device is operating close to the official test limit defined by the specification for a given test parameter.

Thorough Performance Reporting

The N5431A XAUI electrical validation application helps you get your work done quickly by generating thorough HTML reports that capture the performance, status and pass/fail margins of your device. It also saves screenshots of critical measurements for your reference and documentation. These reports are suitable for printing, archiving, or sharing with your vendors, customers and colleagues.