Agilent Technologies N5980A User manual

Agilent
3.125 Gb/s Serial BERT
N5980A
User Guide

Notices
© Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2006
No part of this manual may be reproduced in
any form or by any means (including electronic
storage and retrieval or translation into a
foreign language) without prior agreement and
written consent from Agilent Technologies,
Inc. as governed by United States and
international copyright laws.
Manual Part Number
N5980A-91010
Edition
Revision 1.0 May 2006
Printed in Germany
Agilent Technologies, Deutschland GmbH
Herrenberger Str. 130
71034 Böblingen, Germany
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For Product Updates
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cturing_BERT
Warranty
The material contained in this document is
provided “as is,” and is subject to being
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applicable law, Agilent disclaims all
warranties, either express or implied, with
regard to this manual and any information
contained herein, including but not limited to
the implied warranties of merchantability and
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separate written agreement with warranty
terms covering the material in this document
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control.
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The hardware and/or software described in
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and may be used or copied only in accordance
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as a “commercial item” as defined in FAR
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Safety Notices
CAUTION
A CAUTION notice denotes a hazard.
It calls attention to an operating
procedure, practice, or the like that, if
not correctly performed or adhered to,
could result in damage to the product
or loss of important data. Do not
proceed beyond a CAUTION notice
until the indicated conditions are fully
understood and met.
WARNING
A WARNING notice denotes a
hazard. It calls attention to an
operating procedure, practice, or the
like that, if not correctly performed
or adhered to, could result in
personal injury or death. Do not
proceed beyond a WARNING notice
until the indicated conditions are
fully understood and met.
2 N5980A User Guide

Safety Summary
General Safety Precautions
The following general safety
precautions must be observed during
all phases of operation of this
instrument. Failure to comply with
these precautions or with specific
warnings elsewhere in this manual
violates safety standards of design,
manufacture, and intended use of the
instrument.
Agilent Technologies Inc. assumes
no liability for the customer's failure
to comply with these requirements.
Before operation, review the
instrument and manual for safety
markings and instructions. You must
follow these to ensure safe operation
and to maintain the instrument in
safe condition.
General
This product is a Safety Class 1
instrument (provided with a
protective earth terminal). The
protective features of this product
may be impaired if it is used in a
manner not specified in the
operation instructions.
All Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
used in this product are Class 1
LEDs as per IEC 60825-1.
Environment Conditions
This instrument is intended for
indoor use in an installation category
II, pollution degree 2 environment. It
is designed to operate at a maximum
relative humidity of 95% and at
altitudes of up to 2000 meters.
Refer to the specifications tables for
the ac mains voltage requirements
and ambient operating temperature
range.
Before Applying Power
Verify that all safety precautions are
taken. The power cable inlet of the
instrument serves as a device to
disconnect from the mains in case of
hazard. The instrument must be
positioned so that the operator can
easily access the power cable inlet.
When the instrument is rack
mounted the rack must be provided
with an easily accessible mains
switch.
Ground the Instrument
To minimize shock hazard, the
instrument chassis and cover must
be connected to an electrical
protective earth ground. The
instrument must be connected to the
ac power mains through a grounded
power cable, with the ground wire
firmly connected to an electrical
ground (safety ground) at the power
outlet. Any interruption of the
protective (grounding) conductor or
disconnection of the protective earth
terminal will cause a potential shock
hazard that could result in personal
injury.
Do Not Operate in an Explosive
Atmosphere
Do not operate the instrument in the
presence of flammable gases or
fumes.
Do Not Remove the Instrument
Cover
Operating personnel must not
remove instrument covers.
Component replacement and internal
adjustments must be made only by
qualified personnel.
Instruments that appear damaged or
defective should be made
inoperative and secured against
unintended operation until they can
be repaired by qualified service
personnel.

Safety Symbols on
Instruments
General Recycling Mark for
plastic parts used in the product.
Indicates warning or caution. If
you see this symbol on a product,
you must refer to the manuals for
specific Warning or Caution
information to avoid personal
injury or damage to the product.
Notice for European Community:
This product complies with the
relevant European legal
Directives: EMC Directive
89/336/EEC and Low Voltage
Directive 73/23/EEC.
Safety requirements for electrical
equipment for measurement,
control, and laboratory use
CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 1010.1
(1993) UL 3101, 3111 (First
Editions). This equipment has
also been evaluated to IEC 61010
edition 1 including amendments
1 and 2.
Conformity Mark of the
Australian ACA for EMC
compliance.
Environmental Information
4 N5980A User Guide

Contents
Contents
1Introduction 7
2Getting Started 8
Inspect Shipment 8
Connect the Instrument 9
Front Panel 9
Rear Panel 10
Install User Software for N5980A 11
To Install the User Software for N5980A 12
To Access N5980A 14
3Operating N5980A with the User Interface 16
Introduction 16
Running the BER Test 17
Setting the Instrument Parameters 18
Setup 18
Advanced 19
Viewing the Results 20
4Reference for the User Interface 21
File Menu 21
Advanced Mode 21
Store Setting 21
Store Setting As 22
Recall Setting 22
Factory Default Setting22
Instrument Default Setting 22
Exit 22
Connection Menu 22
Connect23
Info 24
Help Menu 24
Error Indicators 24
BER Bar 25
N5980A User Guide 5

Contents
Error 25
Sync Loss 25
Setup and Advanced Tab26
Setup 26
Advanced 27
BER and Advanced BER Tab 28
BER 28
Advanced BER 29
5Programming Reference 30
Introduction 30
Common Command Summary 30
Agilent N5980A Command Summary 30
SCPI Instrument Command List- Reference 31
Common Commands31
All Channels 33
SMA Output (Electrical Generator) 34
SFP Output (Optical Generator) 36
Trigger Output38
Synchronization mode 39
Sample Code 42
6 N5980A User Guide

Introduction
1 Introduction
This chapter introduces you to the Serial BERT User Guide, and it
provides information on the various chapters and topics covered.
1Getting Started
Inspect Shipment
Connect the Instrument
Install User Software for N5980A
2Operating N5980A with the User Interface
Introduction
Running the BER Test
Setting the Instrument Parameters
Viewing the Results
3Reference for the User Interface
4Programming through SCPI
Introduction
Common Command Summary
SCPI Instrument Command List
Sample Code
N5980A User Guide 7

Getting Started
2 Getting Started
Inspect Shipment
Before you get started with the Serial BERT check if the shipment
package contains the following standard deliverables:
Agilent N5980A 3.125 GB/s
Serial BERT
Local Power Cord
If the content is incomplete, if there is
mechanical damage, or if the
instrument does not work within its
specifications, notify the nearest Agilent
office. The Agilent office will arrange
for repair or replacement without
awaiting settlement.
USB Cable
SFP Loopback connector
CD (see CD content below).
The CD content is:
Autorun.inf – If your PC supports autorun, this file starts the
installation.
dotnetfx.exe - This installs the latest Microsoft .Net Framework
2.0. This should be done in case .Net Framework 2.0 is not
already installed, and internet access is not available.
N5980A.msi – The Serial BERT installer package
Setup.exe – If your PC doesn’t support autorun, execute this file
to run the installation.
DoC.pdf - Declaration of Conformity
DataSheet.pdf – This document contains the product
specifications.
Presales_Presentation.pdf – Describes typical applications.
UserGuide.pdf – This document contains the details about how
to use the Serial BERT.
8 N5980A User Guide

Getting Started
Connect the Instrument
In order to connect the Serial BERT let’s have a look at the Front and
the Rear Panels:
Front Panel
The Front Panel has LEDs, Data In/Out ports, and an SFP connector.
Figure 1 Front Panel
SFP
The Small Form Factor Pluggable interface (SFP) is an industry
standard daughter card used in networking devices. It interfaces a
network device with a networking cable. Typically SFP modules are
optical transceivers using multimode (850 nm), or single-mode (1310
nm, 1550nm) cabling.
An SFP loopback connector is part of the N5980A shipment delivery.
This connector is used for functional verification of the SFP port. It
has an internal loop from the SFP output to the SFP input signal.
NOTE SFP compliant modules can be inserted into the SFP slot. While selecting
golden SFP modules observe the specifications of the selected device. Make
sure that the supported maximum PRBS length, and the maximum data rate
matches with the N5980A settings. Make sure that the wavelength of the SFP
module, and the cabling are identical, and that the optical power is within the
specified limit. To measure BER at the SFP input, select the Input “SFP
(Optical)” in the user interface.
N5980A User Guide 9

Getting Started
LED
LEDs Function
Power LED Indicates power-on
USB Active Indicates that the instrument is currently being
used/controlled by the user software
Signal Detect Indicates the status of the Signal Detect line when the
inserted SFP module supports a Signal Detect Control line.
Usually this pin indicates whether the optical input power
is above or within the specified range.
Data Error Indicates that the error detector has detected bit errors
Rear Panel
The Rear Panel has the USB connector,the Power in, and the safety
symbols.
Figure 2 Rear Panel
NOTE For proper ventilation keep the Serial BERT at a distance of 2 cm on both sides,
and 10 cm at the back.
To Connect N5980A
1Connect the N5980A power cord at the rear panel Power In.
2Connect the instrument, via USB, to the PC on which the User
Interface will be installed.
NOTE Some USB hubs might decrease performance. If possible, directly connect the
N5980A to your PC.
10 N5980A User Guide

Getting Started
Figure 3 Serial BERT setup diagram
Install User Software for N5980A
The requirements for software installation:
Either Windows 2000 Service Pack 4, or Windows XP Service
Pack 2
Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 is automatically downloaded from
the Microsoft download center during installation. Alternatively
dotnetfx.exe may be run from the installation CD in order to
install the Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0. This step should be
executed in case .Net Framework 2.0 is not already installed on
the computer, or the available internet connection is slow.
NOTE To execute the User Software, Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 is required.
N5980A User Guide 11

Getting Started
To Install the User Software for N5980A
1Insert the CD in the PC’s CD Drive.
2Double-click
Displays the Welcome screen.
3The Installer guides you through the installation process.
12 N5980A User Guide

Getting Started
Select the folder in which N5980A will be saved.
N5980A User Guide 13

Getting Started
After the installation is completed, click Finish to close the installer.
To Access N5980A
To launch N5980A, go to Program File and click on:
If there is a N5980A connected to the PC via USB, and the User
Software is installed, then the following screen appears:
NOTE Typical Hardware Initialization duration is between 3 to 5 minutes.
14 N5980A User Guide

Getting Started
Upon completion of Hardware Initialization, the User Interface starts
and the following window appears.
Demo Offline
In Demo Offline mode N5980A need not be connected to the PC. The
connection dialog looks like the screen below.
Click Demo (Offline) to start the offline version of the GUI.
NOTE Before disconnecting the USB cable, or powering down the instrument, make
sure you have closed the User Software.
.
N5980A User Guide 15

Operating N5980A with the User Interface
3 Operating N5980A with the User Interface
Introduction
The graphical user interface runs on the PC, and the screen is
divided into two areas; one for setting parameters, and the other for
viewing results.
The Setting Parameters area of the screen has options for setting
parameters like Data Rate, Data Pattern and so on. The Viewing
Results area of the screen runs the test, and displays the results.
The User Software operates in two modes, Standard Mode and
Advanced Mode.
In Standard Mode you can modify the basic instrument setting,
and view the results.
In Advaced Mode you can modify the detailed instrument
settings, and view all the results.
NOTE For more details check the Reference for the User Interface
.
16 N5980A User Guide

Operating N5980A with the User Interface
Running the BER Test
The User Software supports a quick pass/fail measurement, which is
generally used for testing the DUT in manufacturing. This
measurement allows you to count the number of bit errors during a
user specified gating time. The result of the measurement is
displayed as Gating Errors, Gating BER, and by a simple red (=fail)
/ green (=pass) color coding of the Gating BER bar.
1To run the basic measurement, click on Start Gating Period or
F12.
2In case you want to stop the running measurement, click on:
3Once the measurement is complete, the results would appear as
follows:
NOTE The Gating Time can be modified in Advanced Mode.
N5980A User Guide 17

Operating N5980A with the User Interface
Setting the Instrument Parameters
N5980A has two (SFP and SMA) integrated Pattern Generators,
which can be adjusted to different parameters, for example, different
patterns or different error insertion rates.
The N5980A Error Detector has two (SFP and SMA) different
physical input ports, while only one input port can be analyzed at a
given time. The analyzed input can be selected with the User
Software.
There are two setting pages, Setup and Advanced.
Setup
In the Setup page you can change, the Data Rate, which applies for
the Pattern Generator, and the Error Detector ; Data Pattern and
Logic Level for the Pattern Generator; and Data Pattern and the
analyzed Input of the Error Detector.
1The following options are under Data Rate; and XAUI
[3,125.00Mb/s] is the default data rate:
2The Data Pattern of the Pattern Generator supports PRBS
polynoms, clock patterns, and K28.5 pattern. PRBS 2^23-1 is
the default pattern:
NOTE Use the scroll bar to see the complete list of patterns provided.
3Logic Level has two options, ECL [850mV], and LVDS [400mV].
ECL [850mV] is the default level.
4Error Detector Pattern. For details refer to Error Detector.
5Error Detector Input has two options, SMA [Electrical], and
SFP [Optical]. SMA [Electrical] is the default input for the
Error Detector.
18 N5980A User Guide

Operating N5980A with the User Interface
Advanced
To view the Advanced page, click on the File menu and enable the
Advanced Mode:
The Advanced page has the following settings:
In this page you can set SFP and SMA Data Patterns, Error Insertion
Rate, and also select Clock Trigger Output for the Generator. It also
gives the option for setting the Gating Time for the Error Detector.
N5980A User Guide 19

Operating N5980A with the User Interface
Viewing the Results
There are two options for viewing the results, BER and Advanced
BER, as shown below.
BER displays Gating BER and the Elapsed Gating Time.
The Advanced BER page can be opened only when Advanced Mode
is enabled. See below:
In this page you can see the Gating Errors, Actual Errors , and the
Pattern that is currently being used by the Error Detector.
20 N5980A User Guide