Tektronix BitAlyzer 1500 Quick Start Guide

1500

Quick Start Guide

3475-D Edison Way

Menlo Park, California U.S.A. 94025

Voice [phone]

Fax [phone]

Email [e-mail]

www.synthesysresearch.com

BitAlyzer® technology is

registered with the U.S. Patent

and Trademark Office, U.S.

Patent No. 5,414,713



 SYNTHESYS RESEARCH INC.



This manual is copyrighted and all righ ts are reserved. No portion of this document
may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means , electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying and recording, for any purpose without the
express written permission of SyntheSys Research Inc.

Products of SyntheSys Research Inc. are covered by U.S. and foreign patents and/or
pending patents .

BitAlyzer is a registered trademark of SyntheSys Research Inc.

BitAlyzer1500 Quick Start Guide
Part Number 0150-702-02.2
18 May 2004

Declaration of Conformity

3475-D Edison Way
Menlo Park, California U.S.A. 94025

We declare under our sole responsibility that the

Bit Error Rate Analyzer, Model BitAlyzer 1500
BA1500 Software Version 2.6 and above

are in compliance with the intent of EMC Directive 89/336/EEC for
Electromagnetic Compatibility and the Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC.
Compliance was demonstrated to the following specifications:

EN61326-1 Radiated, Class B Standard
EN61326-1 Conducted, Class B Standard

EN61000-3-2 Harmonics Current Emission

EN61000-3-3 Voltage Fluctuations and Flicker
EN61000-4-2 ESD
EN61000-4-3 RF Fields
EN61000-4-4 Fast Transients
EN61000-4-5 Surge Tests
EN61000-4-6 Conducted Immunity/Susceptibility
EN61000-4-11 Voltage Dips and Short Interruptions
UL3111-1 United States Safety Standard
EN61010-1 European Safety Standard

Table of Contents

Initial Setup......................................................................................... 1

Unpacking.................................................................................................................1

Technical Support.....................................................................................................2

Calibration.................................................................................................................2

Maintaining Connectors............................................................................................2

Connections..............................................................................................................3

Connect Peripherals.........................................................................................................3

Connect External Clock Source........................................................................................4

Power On..........................................................................................................................5

Display Description...................................................................................................6

Generator Fundamentals................................................................... 8

Available Settings .....................................................................................................8

Data Patterns............................................................................................................8

Creating a Pattern.............................................................................................................8

Saving and Playing Back an Error Data File..................................................................... 8

Live Signal Generation.....................................................................................................8

Detector Fundamentals ..................................................................... 9

Available Settings .....................................................................................................9

Selecting the Analysis Type......................................................................................9

Setting Up a View............................................................................................................. 9

Important Settings to Define Analysis.....................................................................10

Integration Period...........................................................................................................10

Burst Minimum Length....................................................................................................10

Burst Error Free Threshold.............................................................................................11

Data Block Size..............................................................................................................11

Histogram Data Range................................................................................................... 11

BitAlyzer1500 Quick Start Guide Table of Contents

• i

How to Use the BitAlyzer1500......................................................... 13

Lesson 1: Configure Pattern Generator and Error Detector ..................................13

1.1 Generator.................................................................................................................13

1.2 Detector...................................................................................................................17

1.3 If Synchronization is Not Achieved ..........................................................................20

1.4 Reset to Zero...........................................................................................................21

Lesson 2: Perform Error Location Analysis............................................................22

2.1 Set Up a Test Case..................................................................................................23

2.2 Select Basic BER View............................................................................................24

2.3 Choose the Parameters...........................................................................................25

2.4 Basic BER Data.......................................................................................................27

2.5 Select Burst Length View.........................................................................................28

2.6 Burst Length Parameters.........................................................................................28

2.7 Burst Length Data....................................................................................................29

2.8 Select Error Free Interval View................................................................................30

2.9 Error Free Interval Parameters................................................................................30

2.10 Error Free Interval Data.........................................................................................31

Lesson 3: Eye Diagram..........................................................................................34

3.1 Select Eye Diagram View........................................................................................34

3.2 Choose Eye Diagram Parameters ...........................................................................35

3.3 View Eye Diagram...................................................................................................36

3.4 Make Eye Measurements........................................................................................38

Conclusion..............................................................................................................40

Index..................................................................................................41

ii • Table of Contents BitAlyzer1500 Quick Start Guide

BitAlyzer1500 Quick Start Guide

Initial Setup

Unpacking

The BitAlyzer1500 is carefully packaged for shipping to ensure against
damage. Nonetheless, damage or loss may occur, and so we recommend you
verify the contents of the shipping container, inspect the unit mechanically,
and perform a quick operational test when you first receive your unit.

A clear indicator of potential damage is a damaged shipping container. Please
inspect the exterior of the shipping container(s) to assess any damage. If
damage is apparent, we recommend you keep the shipping container and all
materials until the unit has been checked out electronically and
mechanically. If damage has occurred, we recommend you contact your
shipping agent as well as SyntheSys Research as soon as possible to report the
situation.

The items that were shipped to you include:

1. BitAlyzer1500 Chassis

2. Keyboard

3. Power Cord

4. PS/2 Splitter Cord

5. Serial Mouse

6. OEM WindowsNT

7. Registration Card

8. BA1500 Quick Start Guide

9. BA1500 Remote Control Guide
If the shipping container contents are not complete, please notify SyntheSys

Research immediately. Other items may be shipped with your unit depending
on optional configurations.

BitAlyzer1500 Quick Start Guide



Certificate

• 1

Technical Support

Should your unit require repair in the future, you are responsible for
packaging it adequately for return shipment. We recommend you retain the
original shipping container and shipping materials for this purpose.

For service or questions, please contact us at:

Service Department

SyntheSys Research Inc.

3475-D Edison Way

Menlo Park, CA 94025 USA

Voice: 650 364-1853

Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Website: http://www.synthesysresearch.com
When you contact SyntheSys Research for service, please have your product

model number, serial number, and purchase date information at hand. Our
service department is available from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Time),
Monday through Friday.

Calibration

SyntheSys Research recommends an annual factory calibration for this
equipment. Contact our Technical Support to arrange for factory calibration.

Maintaining Connectors

Advances in measurement capabilities make the condition of the physical
connectors and connection techniques more significant than ever.

Keep connectors clean.
Use plastic endcaps during storage. Do not touch mating plane

surfaces. Do not set connectors contact-end-down.

Inspect all connectors before every use. Look for metal particles,

scratches, or dents. Do not use damaged connectors.

Clean the connector threads with compressed air before using. Do not

use abrasives. Do not get liquid onto the plastic support beads.
Align connectors carefully. Make preliminary connection lightly.
To tighten, turn connector nut only. Do not over tighten. Do not apply

bending force to connection. Do not twist or screw in connectors.

2 • Quick Start Guide BitAlyzer1500

Connections

Connect Peripherals

The BA1500 supports a touchscreen as well as a mouse and a keyboard.
If you plan to use a mouse and/or keyboard, it is best to connect them before

turning on the power. The connector is located on the rear panel of the
BA1500 (a splitter cable is supplied if you wish to connect both the mouse
and keyboard).

The printer connector is also on the rear panel of the unit.

Printer
Connector

Keyboard/Mouse
Connector

In addition, the Line Power plug and connectors for Ground, Network,
Monitor, Com1, and IEEE-488 (Remote Control) are on the rear panel.

BitAlyzer1500 Quick Start Guide

• 3

Connect External Clock Source

The BA1500 Generator uses either its internal clock or an optional external
clock source. The Clock connectors are on the front panel. 50-ohm SMA
cables and connectors are recommended.

Generator
(Blue)
Connectors

Ground
Connector

External
Clock
Connector

Detector
(Green)
Connectors

A Ground connector is provided at the lower left corner the front panel.
Note that the connectors for the Data Generator and Error Detector are color-

coded for easy identification. The connectors on the front panel are:

Generator (Blue) Detector (Green)

Clock+ Output Clock+ Input
Clock– Output Clock– Input
Data+ Output Data+ Input
Data– Output Data– Input
External Clock Input Start Detect Input
Pattern Start Input Marker (TTL Level) Input
Page Select (TTL Level) Input Blank (TTL Level) Input
Trigger Output Error Output
Trigger Output

4 • Quick Start Guide BitAlyzer1500

Power On

1. The line power connector is located on the rear panel of the BA1500.
Use the included power cord.

2. Turn on the line power using the power switch on the front panel of
the unit.

1

Line Power
Connector

Power
Switch

2

Upon powering up, the system performs a quick self-check and then the
operating system loads. This takes a few minutes, and may report errors if the
computer or any of its peripherals are damaged. If the keyboard is not plugged
in, WindowsNT® will report that the driver did not initialize properly. A
keyboard is not necessary and this reported error can be ignored if you do not
plan to use one.

If any damage is indicated, contact SyntheSys Research Support at
[e-mail].

BitAlyzer1500 Quick Start Guide

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To power-down the unit, first allow the operating system to perform its
shutdown procedures completely. To do so, touch the Shutdown button on
the Control Console. The screen will display a dialog asking if you wish to
terminate only the BA1500 application or shut down the entire system.

In the event of power failure or accidental power disconnect, the unit is very
resilient. You may find that the next time you power up, the boot-up sequence
takes a few moments longer to verify the hard disk file system integrity.

Display Description

The Control Console is permanently displayed on the right side of the touch­screen. At the bottom of the screen is a Status Bar showing the state of the
Generator and Detector, BER statistics, and signal source. The center of the
screen will show the selected view. The first example below is the Home
View:

Control
Console

Status Bar

The Control Console and Status Bar remain visible from all views.

6 • Quick Start Guide BitAlyzer1500

A

A

The Generator and Detector Views are presented as a schematic of the
generation or detection process. Touching any of the icons on the screen
accesses settings and help for that element.

In addition to a chart display, Analysis Views include three responsive
sections: Setup buttons across the top, the violet Histogram Information
Panel, and access to the Analysis Console (which is normally hidden, to
allow more room for the chart display). Each of these areas accesses controls
used to set up the appearance of the view and the parameters of the analysis.

nalysis

Engine

Button

nalysis

Console

Setup

Buttons

Histogram

Information

Panel

BitAlyzer1500 Quick Start Guide

• 7

Generator Fundamentals

Errors are found by sending a controlled bit stream into a channel and then
performing a bit-for-bit compare on what comes out of the channel. The
Generator provides this controlled data stream, using either industry-common
pseudo-random sequences or a user-defined pattern. The data stream is
synchronized to either an internal or an external clock, and both data and
clock are then passed to the Detector.

Available Settings

Open the Generator View to access the settings. Each icon on the Generator
view opens a menu of its associated parameters. You can select a data type,
the characteristics of input and output data and clock signals, whether or not to
inject errors into the data stream, and the characteristics of those errors. The
pop-up menus for these selections also provide direct access to context­sensitive Help.

Data Patterns

The Generator uses two types of patterns, either a selection of pseudo-random
sequences defined by a generating polynomial (PRBS), or a user-defined
pattern. The user pattern may be a prerecorded file of error information, or a
file created using a Pattern Generation Language (PATLING) to embody
particular features.

Creating a Pattern

The Online Help explains the PATLING pattern generation language. Using
this language, you can create error data files to match specific criteria for
testing. You can also create a pattern by capturing data from the Detector
inputs.

Saving and Playing Back an Error Data File

Open the Editor View to create, open, name, rename, save, or delete an error
data file. Set the Detector Pattern Mode to User Pattern and select a pattern
filename, then touch Run to initiate playback of that file.

Live Signal Generation

Touch the icons on the Generator View to set the characteristics of a
generated signal. Touch the Run button on the Control Console to begin
transmitting.

8 • Quick Start Guide BitAlyzer1500

Detector Fundamentals

The BA1500 Error Detector and Analyzer investigates error statistics present
in digital channels. Errors are mismatches between what was expected to be
seen and what was seen during detection. By comparing a specific, known
pattern bit-for-bit with what is detected on the incoming channel, the Detector
can not only count errors, but can pinpoint the exact bit position of errors in
the digital channel.

This error location information provides more than just bit error rate testing.
Using the exact bit location of errors found in the data stream, the BA1500
measures independent bit and burst error statistics, correlates errors to reveal
pattern sensitivities, displays the probability of having error bursts of different
lengths, isolates systematic error sources, and much more, clarifying error
relationships in addition to error counts. The varied types of analysis can
reveal previously undetermined idiosyncrasies of a data channel.

Available Settings

Open the Detector View to access the settings. Each icon on the Detector
view opens a menu of its associated parameters. You can select the
characteristics of input data and clock signals, delay, data patterns, and
synchronization parameters. The pop-up menus for these selections also
provide direct access to context-sensitive Help.

Selecting the Analysis Type

Touch the View button to open the pop-up menu of the available views.
Touch Error Analysis or Physical Layer Test to open second pop-up
lists from which to choose. Error Analysis Views include: Basic BER, Block
Errors, Burst Length, Correlation, Error Free Interval, Pattern Sensitivity,
Strip Chart, and optional views such as FEC Emulation and 2-D Error Map.
Physical Layer Tests include Eye Diagram, BER Contour, Mask Test, Jitter
Peak, and Q-Factor.

Setting Up a View

Each Error Analysis View has an Analysis Engine button at the bottom left
corner that opens an Analysis Console, where most parameters can be set
or changed. Each view has access to its appropriate settings—certain universal
settings affect all views, but can be changed as often as necessary. Touch the
violet Histogram Information Panel to set the Histogram Chart Range
and resolution. The settings are described below under “Important Settings”.

BitAlyzer1500 Quick Start Guide

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