Wireless testing vendor Keysight Technologies has unveiled measurement software to characterize PAM-4 (pulse amplitude modulation with four amplitude levels) signals using the Keysight V-Series, Z-Series, and S-Series real-time oscilloscope platforms.
Keysight will demonstrate digital test solutions, including PAM-4 generation and measurement capability, at OFC 2015, Booth 1201, at the Los Angeles Convention Center, March 24-26.
Keysight has priced PAM-4 oscilloscope solutions — N8827A and N8872B software applications — at $7,500.
Significantly benefitting engineers, the Keysight N8827A PAM-4 analysis software (for V- and Z-Series oscilloscopes) and N8827B PAM-4 analysis software (for S-Series oscilloscopes) provides analysis of electrical PAM-4 signals.
By changing the modulation technique from NRZ (non-return-to-zero) encoding to pulse amplitude modulation, engineers can increase the amount of data they can send across high-speed digital communication links.
While PAM-4 technology leverages some traditional NRZ measurement algorithms for PAM-4 signals, to fully analyze system performance, unique PAM-4 measurements and parameters are required, said Keysight in a statement.
“By delivering both analysis and debug capabilities for PAM-4 signals, our latest PAM-4 analysis software for our real-time oscilloscopes helps engineers address these challenges and quickly get their designs to market,” said Dave Cipriani, vice president and general manager of Keysight’s Oscilloscope and Protocol Division.
V-Series, Z-Series and S-Series real time oscilloscopes offer the industry’s lowest noise floors for wide bandwidth real-time oscilloscopes. 63 GHz Z-Series oscilloscope enables designers to achieve accurate analysis of electrical PAM-4 signals to 32 Gbaud. Engineers can perform offline analysis on stored PAM-4 signals using the N8900A Infiniium Offline oscilloscope analysis software installed on a PC.
