SC178 Test and Measurement of High-Speed Communications Signals

Monday, March 23, 2009
9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Greg Lecheminant; Agilent Technologies, USA
Level: Advanced Beginner (basic understanding of topic is necessary to follow course material)

Course Description

The ability to accurately characterize signals and waveforms is an essential element in the development and manufacturing of high-speed communications components and systems. This course will emphasize measurement tools and techniques to characterize signal quality and how well it is maintained when transmitted through an optical system. It will focus on three measurement areas: bit-error-ratio (BER) analysis, oscilloscope waveform analysis with emphasis on the eye diagram, and jitter analysis. The basics for each measurement type will be covered, gradually building to the more difficult aspects of measurements, including common measurement problems and their solutions. Results from tests performed on actual components and systems using BERTs, high-speed sampling oscilloscopes, and jitter test sets will be presented. The course will emphasize research and development and manufacturing measurements of components and subsystems instead of installation and maintenance test.

Benefits and Learning Objectives

This course should enable you to:

  • Determine the relationships between BER, eye-diagrams and jitter tests.
  • Avoid common mistakes that degrade measurement accuracy.
  • Define the relationship between Q-factor and BER.
  • Identify ways to increase test efficiencies.
  • Develop test strategies to verify compliance to industry standards.
  • Compare the different approaches to characterizing jitter and recognize what the results imply in a systems context.

Intended Audience

This course is appropriate for engineers, technicians and scientists who have a basic or higher knowledge of high-speed communications systems and signals. A basic knowledge of common laboratory measurement instrumentation will be helpful.

Biography

Greg LeCheminant holds B.S.E.E.T (1983) and M.S.E.E. (1984) degrees from Brigham Young University. He began work for Agilent Technologies/Hewlett-Packard in 1985 as a microwave circuits manufacturing development engineer. Since 1989, he has been involved in the development of measurement tools and applications for high-speed digital communications signals and systems with an emphasis in optical transmission.