Agilent 86100C
Wide-Bandwidth Oscilloscope
Mainframe and Modules
Technical Specifications
• Automated jitter and amplitude
interference decomposition
• Internally generated pattern trigger
• Modular platform for testing waveforms to
40 Gb/s and beyond
• Broadest coverage of data rates with optical
reference receivers and clock recovery
• Built-in S-parameters with TDR measurements
• Compatible with Agilent 86100A/B-series,
83480A-series,and 54750-series modules
• < 200 fs intrinsic jitter
• Open operating system – Windows
®
XP Pro
Four instruments in one
A digital communications analyzer,
a full featured wide-bandwidth
oscilloscope, a time-domain
reflectometer, and a jitter analyzer
DCA-J
Table of Contents
2
Overview
Features 3
Measurements 7
Additional capabilities 8
Specifications
Mainframe & triggering
(includes precision time base module) 12
Computer system & storage 14
Modules
Overview 15
Module selection table 16
Specifications
Multimode/single-mode 17
Single-mode 19
Dual electrical 20
TDR 21
Clock recovery 22
Ordering Information 25
3
Windows is a U.S. registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Features
Four Instruments in One
The 86100C Infiniium DCA-J can be viewed as four
high-powered instruments in one:
• A general-purpose wide-bandwidth sampling
oscilloscope; the new PatternLock triggering
significantly enhances the usability as a general
purpose scope
• A digital communications analyzer; the new
Eyeline Mode feature adds a powerful new tool to eye
diagram analysis
• A time domain reflectometer
• A precision jitter and amplitude interference analyzer
Just select the desired instrument mode and start making
measurements.
Configurable to meet your needs
The 86100C supports a wide range of modules for testing
both optical and electrical signals. Select modules to get
the specific bandwidth, filtering, and sensitivity you need.
PatternLock Triggering advances the
capabilities of the sampling oscilloscope
The Enhanced Trigger Option (Option 001) on the 86100C
provides a fundamental capability never available
before in an equivalent time sampling oscilloscope.
This new triggering mechanism enables the DCA-J to
generate a trigger at the repetition of the input data
pattern – a pattern trigger. Historically, this capability
required the pattern source to provide this type of
trigger output to the scope. PatternLock automatically
detects the pattern length, data rate and clock rate
making the complex triggering mechanism transparent
to the user.
PatternLock enables the 86100C to behave more like a
real-time oscilloscope in terms of user experience.
Investigation of specific bits within the data pattern is
greatly simplified. Users that are familiar with real-time
oscilloscopes, but perhaps less so with equivalent time
sampling scopes will be able to ramp up quickly.
PatternLock adds another new dimension to pattern
triggering by enabling the mainframe software to take
samples at specific locations in the data pattern with
outstanding timebase accuracy. This capability is a
building block for many of the new capabilities available
in the 86100C described later.
Jitter Analysis
The “J” in DCA-J represents jitter analysis. The 86100C
is a Digital Communications Analyzer with Jitter
analysis capability. The 86100C adds a fourth mode
of operation – Jitter Mode. Extremely wide bandwidth,
low intrinsic jitter, and advanced analysis algorithms
yield the highest accuracy in jitter measurements.
As data rates increase in both electrical and optical
applications, jitter is an ever increasing measurement
challenge. Decomposition of jitter into its constituent
components is becoming more critical. It provides
critical insight for jitter budgeting and performance
optimization in device and system designs. Many
emerging standards require jitter decomposition for
compliance. Traditionally, techniques for separation of
jitter have been complex and often difficult to configure,
and availability of instruments for separation of jitter
becomes very limited as data rates increase.
The DCA-J provides simple, one button setup and
execution of jitter analysis. Jitter Mode decomposes
jitter into its constituent components and presents
jitter data in various insightful displays. Jitter Mode
operates at all data rates the 86100C supports, removing
the traditional data rate limitations from complex jitter
analysis. The 86100C brings several key attributes to
jitter analysis:
• Very low intrinsic jitter (both random and
deterministic) translates to a very low jitter noise
floor which provides unmatched jitter measurement
sensitivity.
• Wide bandwidth measurement channels deliver very
low intrinsic data dependent jitter and allow analysis
of jitter on all data rates to 40 Gb/s and beyond.
• PatternLock triggering technology provides sampling
efficiency that makes jitter measurements very fast.
Jitter analysis functionality is available through the
Option 200 software package. Option 200 includes:
• Decomposition of jitter into Total Jitter (TJ), Random
Jitter (RJ), Deterministic Jitter (DJ), Periodic Jitter
(PJ), Data Dependent Jitter (DDJ), Duty Cycle
Distortion (DCD), and Jitter induced by Intersymbol
Interference (ISI).
• Various graphical and tabular displays of jitter data
• Export of jitter data to convenient delimited text format
• Save / recall of jitter database
• Jitter frequency spectrum
• Isolation and analysis of Sub-Rate Jitter (SRJ), that is,
periodic jitter that is at an integer sub-rate of the bitrate.
• Bathtub curve display
• Adjustable total jitter probability
Overview of Infiniium DCA-J
4
Equalization Capabilities
As bit rates increase, channel effects cause significant
eye closure. Many new devices and systems are
employing equalization and pre/de-emphasis to
compensate for channel effects. Option 201 Advanced
Waveform Analysis will provide key tools to enable
design, test, and modeling of devices and systems that
must deal with difficult channel effects:
• Capture of long single valued waveforms. PatternLock
triggering and the waveform append capability of
Option 201 enable very accurate pulse train data sets
up to 256 megasamples long.
• Equalization. The DCA-J can take a long single
valued waveform and route it through a linear
equalizer algorithm (default or user defined) and
display the resultant equalized waveform in real time.
The user can simultaneously view the input (distorted)
and output (equalized) waveforms.
• Interface to MATLAB® analysis capability.
Advanced amplitude analysis/RIN/Q-factor
In addition to jitter, signal quality can also be impacted
by impairments in the amplitude domain. Similar to
the many types of jitter that exist, noise, inter-symbol
interference, and periodic fluctuation can cause eye
closure in the amplitude domain. Option 300 can be
added to an 86100C mainframe (Option 200 must
also be installed) to provide in-depth analysis of the
quality of both the zero and one levels of NRZ digital
communications signals. Amplitude analysis is performed
at a single button press as part of the jitter mode
measurement process.
• Measurement results are analogous to those provided
for jitter and include Total Interference (TI),
Deterministic Interference (dual-Dirac model, DI),
Random Noise (RN), Periodic Interference (PI), and
Inter-symbol Interference (ISI)
• Tablular and graphical results for both one and
zero levels
• Export of interference data to delimited text format
• Save/recall of interference database
• Interference frequency spectrum
• Bathtub curve display
• Q-factor (isolated from deterministic interference)
• Adjustable probability for total interference
Relative Intensity Noise (RIN)
Relative Intensity Noise (RIN) describes the effects of
laser intensity fluctuations on the recovered electrical
signal. Like amplitude interference, excessive RIN can
close the eye diagram vertically, and therefore affect the
power budget or system performance. The DCA-J can
measure RIN on square wave as well as industry-standard
PRBS and other patterns. In order to avoid inter-symbol
interference, the instrument searches the pattern for
sequences of consecutive bits (for example, five zeroes or
five ones) and measures the random noise and the power
levels in the center of such a sequence. When a reference
receiver filter is turned on it normalizes RIN to 1 Hz
bandwidth. The user can also choose between RIN based
on the one level or on the optical modulation amplitude
(RIN OMA according to 802.3ae). RIN measurements
require Options 001, 200, and 300.
Phase noise/jitter spectrum analysis
Analysis of jitter in the frequency domain can provide
valuable insight into jitter properties and the root cause
behind them. The phase locked-loop of the 83496B clock
recovery module can effectively be used as a jitter
demodulator. Internally monitoring the loop error signal
and transforming it into the frequency domain allows the
jitter spectrum of a signal to be observed. Through selfcalibration, effects of the loop response are removed from
the observed signal, allowing accurate jitter spectral
analysis over a 300 Hz to 20 MHz span.
This technique provides measurements not available with
other measurement solutions:
• Jitter spectrum/phase noise for both clock or data signals
• Display in seconds or dBc/Hz
• High sensitivity: for input signals > 0.5 Vpp,
< –100 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset for 5 Gb/s, –106 dBc/Hz
for 2.5 Gb/s, –140 dBc/Hz at 20 MHz offset (integrated
spectrum of the instrument jitter from 10 kHz to 20 MHz
is less than 100 fs)
• High dynamic range: can lock onto and display signals
with > 0.5% pp frequency deviation such as spreadspectrum clocks and data
• Data rates from 50 Mb/s to 13.5 Gb/s
• Clock rates from 25 MHz to 6.75 GHz
Spectral results can be integrated to provide an estimate of
combined jitter over a user-defined span. As both clocks
and data signals can be observed, the ratio of data-to-clock
jitter can be observed. The displayed jitter spectrum can
also be altered through a user-defined transfer function,
such as a specific PLL frequency response.
Phase noise analysis is achieved via an external
spreadsheet application run on a personal computer
communicating to the 83496B through the 86100C
mainframe (typically using a USB-GPIB connection).
An 83496A clock recovery module must be upgraded to
a “B” version to function in the phase noise system.
5
Eye diagram mask testing
The 86100C provides efficient, high-throughput
waveform compliance testing with a suite of standards
based eye-diagram masks. The test process has been
streamlined into a minimum number of keystrokes for
testing at industry standard data rates.
Standard formats
Rate (Mb/s)
1X Gigabit Ethernet 1250
2X Gigabit Ethernet 2500
10 Gigabit Ethernet 9953.28
10 Gigabit Ethernet 10312.5
10 Gigabit Ethernet FEC 11095.7
10 Gigabit Ethernet LX4 3125
Fibre Channel 1062.5
2X Fibre Channel 2125
4X Fibre Channel 4250
8x Fibre Channel 8500
10X Fibre Channel 10518.75
10X Fibre Channel FEC 11317
Infiniband 2500
STM0/OC1 51.84
STM1/OC3 155.52
STM4/OC12 622.08
STM16/OC48 2488.3
STM16/OC48 FEC 2666
STM64/OC192 9953.28
STM64/OC192 FEC 10664.2
STM64/OC192 FEC 10709
STM64/OC192 Super FEC 12500
STM256/OC768 39813
STS1 EYE 51.84
STS3 EYE 155.52
Other eye-diagram masks are easily created through
scaling those listed above. In addition, mask editing
allows for new masks either by editing existing masks,
or creating new masks from scratch. A new mask can
also be created or modified on an external PC using
a text editor such as Notepad, then can be transferred
to the instrument’s hard drive using LAN or Flash drive.
Perform these mask conformance tests with convenient
user-definable measurement conditions, such as mask
margins for guardband testing, number of waveforms
tested, and stop/limit actions.
Digital communications analysis
Accurate eye-diagram analysis is essential for
characterizing the quality of transmitters used
from 100 Mb/s to 40 Gb/s. The 86100C is designed
specifically for the complex task of analyzing digital
communications waveforms. Compliance mask and
parametric testing no longer require a complicated
sequence of setups and configurations. If you can press
a button, you can perform a complete compliance test.
The important measurements you need are right at your
fingertips, including:
• industry standard mask testing with built-in
margin analysis
• extinction ratio measurements with accuracy and
repeatability
• eye measurements: crossing %, eye height and width,
‘1’ and ‘0’ levels, jitter, rise or fall times and more
The key to accurate measurements of lightwave
communications waveforms is the optical receiver.
The 86100C has a broad range of precision receivers
integrated within the instrument.
• Built-in photodiodes, with flat frequency responses,
yield the highest waveform fidelity. This provides
high accuracy for extinction ratio measurements.
• Standards-based transmitter compliance measurements
require filtered responses. The 86100C has a broad
range of filter combinations. Filters can be automatically
and repeatably switched in or out of the measurement
channel remotely over GPIB or with a front panel
button. The frequency response of the entire
measurement path is calibrated, and will maintain
its performance over long-term usage.
• The integrated optical receiver provides a calibrated
optical channel. With the accurate optical receiver
built into the module, optical signals are accurately
measured and displayed in optical power units.
Switches or couplers are not required for an average
power measurement. Signal routing is simplified and
signal strength is maintained.
6
Eyeline Mode
Eyeline Mode is a new feature only available in the
86100C that provides insight into the effects of specific
bit transitions within a data pattern. The unique view
assists diagnosis of device or system failures do to
specific transitions or sets of transitions within a
pattern. When combined with mask limit tests, Eyeline
Mode can quickly isolate the specific bit that caused a
mask violation.
Traditional triggering methods on an equivalent time
sampling scope are quite effective at generating eye
diagrams. However, these eye diagrams are made up of
samples whose timing relationship to the data pattern is
effectively random, so a given eye will be made up of
samples from many different bits in the pattern taken
with no specific timing order. The result is that
amplitude versus time trajectories of specific bits in
the pattern are not visible. Also, averaging of the eye
diagram is not valid, as the randomly related samples
will effectively average to zero.
Eyeline Mode uses PatternLock triggering to build up an
eye diagram from samples taken sequentially through
the data pattern. This maintains a specific timing
relationship between samples and allows Eyeline Mode
to draw the eye based on specific bit trajectories.
Effects of specific bit transitions can be investigated,
and averaging can be used with the eye diagram.
Measurement speed
Measurement speed has been increased with both fast
hardware and a user-friendly instrument. In the lab,
don’t waste time trying to figure out how to make a
measurement. With the simple-to-use 86100C, you don’t
have to relearn how to make a measurement each time
you use it.
Manufacturers are continually forced to reduce the cost
per test. Solution: Fast PC-based processors, resulting in
high measurement throughput and reduced test time.
7
Measurements
The following measurements are available from the tool
bar, as well as the pull down menus. The available
measurements depend on the DCA-J operating mode.
Oscilloscope mode
Time
Rise Time, Fall Time, Jitter RMS, Jitter p-p, Period,
Frequency, + Pulse Width, - Pulse Width, Duty Cycle,
Delta Time, [T
max
, T
min
, T
edge
—remote commands only]
Amplitude
Overshoot, Average Power, V amptd, V p-p, V rms,
V top, V base, V max, V min, V avg, OMA
Eye/mask mode
NRZ eye measurements
Extinction Ratio, Jitter RMS, Jitter p-p, Average Power,
Crossing Percentage, Rise Time, Fall Time, One Level,
Zero Level, Eye Height, Eye Width, Signal to Noise
(Q-Factor), Duty Cycle Distortion, Bit Rate,
Eye Amplitude
RZ Eye Measurements
Extinction Ratio, Jitter RMS, Jitter p-p, Average Power,
Rise Time, Fall Time, One Level, Zero Level, Eye Height,
Eye Amplitude, Opening Factor, Eye Width, Pulse
Width, Signal to Noise (Q-Factor), Duty Cycle, Bit Rate,
Contrast Ratio
Mask Test
Open Mask, Start Mask Test, Exit Mask Test, Filter,
Mask Test Margins, Mask Test Scaling, Create NRZ Mask
Advanced Measurement Options
The 86100C has four software options that allow
advanced analysis. Options 200, 201, and 300 require
mainframe Option 001. Option 202 does not require
Option 86100-001.
Option 200: Enhanced jitter analysis software
Option 201: Advanced waveform analysis
Option 202: Enhanced impedance and S-parameters
Option 300: amplitude analysis/RIN/Q-factor
Measurements (Option 200 Jitter Analysis)
Total Jitter (TJ), Random Jitter (RJ), Deterministic
Jitter (DJ), Periodic Jitter (PJ), Data Dependent
Jitter (DDJ), Duty Cycle Distortion (DCD), Intersymbol
Interference (ISI), Sub-Rate Jitter (SRJ)
Data Displays (Option 200 jitter analysis)
TJ histogram, RJ/PJ histogram, DDJ histogram,
Composite histogram, DDJ versus Bit position,
Bathtub curve, SRJ analysis
Measurements (Option 201 advanced
waveform analysis)
Pattern waveform
Data Displays (Option 201 advanced
waveform analysis)
Equalized waveform
Measurements (Option 300 advanced
amplitude analysis/RIN/Q-factor, requires
Option 200)
Total Interference (TI), Deterministic Interference
(Dual-Dirac model, DI), Random Noise (RN),
Periodic Interference (PI), and Inter-symbol
Interference (ISI)
Data Displays (Option 300 advanced
amplitude analysis/RIN/Q-factor, requires
Option 200) TI histogram, RN/PI histogram,
ISI histogram
TDR/TDT Mode (requires TDR module)
Quick TDR, TDR/TDT Setup, Normalize, Response,
Rise Time, Fall Time, ∆ Time, Minimum Impedance,
Maximum Impedance, Average Impedance,
(Single-ended and Mixed-mode S-parameters with
Option 202)
8
Standard Functions
Standard functions are available through pull down
menus and soft keys, and some functions are also
accessible through the front panel knobs.
Markers
Two vertical and two horizontal (user selectable)
TDR Markers
Horizontal — seconds or meter
Vertical — volts, ohms or Percent Reflection
Propagation — Dielectric Constant or Velocity
Limit tests
Acquisition limits
Limit Test Run Until Conditions — Off, # of Waveforms,
# of Samples
Report Action on Completion — Save waveform to
memory or disk, Save screen image to disk
Measurement limit test
Specify Number of Failures to Stop Limit Test
When to Fail Selected Measurement — Inside Limits,
Outside Limits, Always Fail, Never Fail
Report Action on Failure - Save waveform to memory
or disk, Save screen image to disk, Save summary
to disk
Mask limit test
Specify Number of Failed Mask Test Samples
Report Action on Failure — Save waveform to memory
or disk, Save screen image to disk, Save summary
to disk
Configure measurements
Thresholds
10%, 50%, 90% or 20%, 50%, 80% or Custom
Eye Boundaries
Define boundaries for eye measurments
Define boundaries for alignment
Format Units for
Duty Cycle Distortion — Time or Percentage
Extinction/Contrast Ratio — Ratio, Decibel
or Percentage
Eye Height — Amplitude or Decibel (dB)
Eye Width — Time or Ratio
Average Power — Watts or Decibels (dB)
Top Base Definition
Automatic or Custom
∆ Time Definition
First Edge Number, Edge Direction, Threshold
Second Edge Number, Edge Direction, Threshold
Jitter Mode
Units (time or unit interval, watts, volts, or unit
amplitude)
Signal type (data or clock)
Measure based on edges (all, rising only, falling only)
Graph layout ( single, split, quad)
Quick Measure Configuration
4 User Selectable Measurements for Each Mode
Default Settings
(Eye/Mask Mode)
Extinction Ratio, Jitter RMS, Average Power,
Crossing Percentage
Default Settings
(Oscilloscope Mode)
Rise Time, Fall Time, Period,
V amptd
Histograms
Configure
Histogram scale (1 to 8 divisions)
Histogram axis (vertical or horizontal)
Histogram window (adjustable Window via
marker knobs)
Math measurements
4 User definable functions Operator — magnify,
invert, subtract, versus, min, max
Source — channel, function, memory, constant,
response (TDR)
Calibrate
All calibrations
Module (amplitude)
Horizontal (time base)
Extinction ratio
Probe
Optical channel
Front panel calibration output level
User selectable –2V to 2V
Utilities
Set time and date
Remote interface
Set GPIB interface
Touch screen configuration/calibration
Calibration
Disable/enable touch screen
Upgrade software
Upgrade mainframe
Upgrade module
Additional capabilities
9
Built-in information system
The 86100C has a context-sensitive on-line
manual providing immediate answers to your
questions about using the instrument. Links on
the measurement screen take you directly to the
information you need including algorithms for all of the
measurements. The on-line manual includes technical
specifications of the mainframe and plug-in modules. It
also provides useful information such as the mainframe
serial number, module serial numbers, firmware revision
and date, and hard disk free space. There is no need for a
large paper manual consuming your shelf space.
File sharing and storage
Use the internal 40 GB hard drive to store instrument
setups, waveforms, or screen images. A 256 MB USB
memory stick is included with the mainframe. Combined
with the USB port on the front panel this provides for
quick and easy file transfer. Images can be stored in
formats easily imported into various programs for
documentation and further analysis. LAN interface is
also available for network file management and printing.
An external USB CD-RW drive is available as an option to
the mainframe. This enables easy installation of software
applications as well as storage of large amounts of data.
File security
For users requiring security of their data, 86100C
Option 090 offers a removable hard drive. This also
enables removal of the mainframe from secure
environments for calibration and repair.
Powerful display modes
Use gray scale and color graded trace displays to gain
insight into device behavior. Waveform densities are
mapped to color or easy-to-interpret gray shades.
These are infinite persistence modes where shading
differentiates the number of times data in any individual
screen pixel has been acquired.
Direct triggering through clock recovery
Typically an external timing reference is used to
synchronize the oscilloscope to the test signal. In cases
where a trigger signal is not available, clock recovery
modules are available to derive a timing reference
directly from the waveform to be measured. The Agilent
83496A/B series of clock recovery modules are available
for electrical, multimode optical, and single-mode optical
input signals. 83496A/B modules have excellent jitter
performance to ensure accurate measurements. Each
clock recovery module is designed to synchronize to a
variety of common transmission rates. The 83496A/B
can derive triggering from optical and electrical signals
at any rate from 50 Mb/s to 13.5 Gb/s.
Clock recovery loop bandwidth
The Agilent clock recovery modules have adjustable loop
bandwidth settings. Loop bandwidth is very important
in determining the accuracy of your waveform when
measuring jitter, as well as testing for compliance. When
using recovered clocks for triggering, the amount of
jitter observed will depend on the loop bandwidth. As
the loop bandwidth increases, more jitter is “tracked out”
by the clock recovery resulting in less observed jitter.
• Narrow loop bandwidth provides a “jitter free” system
clock to observe all the jitter
• Wide loop bandwidth in some applications is specified
in the standards for compliance testing. Wide loop
bandwidth settings mimic the performance of
communications system receivers
The 83496A/B has a continuously adjustable loop
bandwidth from as low as 15 kHz to as high as 10 MHz,
and can be configured as a golden PLL for standards
compliance testing.
Loading...