Page 2 - Notices; CAUTION; notice denotes a hazard.; CAUTION; notice; WARNING; 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 ...
Page 3 - Safety Summary; General Safety Precautions
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 int...
Page 5 - Contents; Introduction 7
Contents Contents 1 Introduction 7 2 Getting 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 3 Operating N5980A with the User Interface 16 Introduction 16 Running the ...
Page 6 - Programming Reference 30
Contents Error 25 Sync Loss 25 Setup and Advanced Tab 26 Setup 26 Advanced 27 BER and Advanced BER Tab 28 BER 28 Advanced BER 29 5 Programming Reference 30 Introduction 30 Common Command Summary 30 Agilent N5980A Command Summary 30 SCPI Instrument Command List- Reference 31 Common Commands 31 All Ch...
Page 7 - Introduction
Introduction 1 Introduction This chapter introduces you to the Serial BERT User Guide, and it provides information on the various chapters and topics covered. 1 Getting Started Inspect Shipment Connect the Instrument Install User Software for N5980A 2 Operating N5980A with the User Interface ...
Page 8 - Getting Started; Inspect Shipment; Serial BERT
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 ins...
Page 9 - Connect the Instrument; Figure 1; Front Panel; SFP
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 standa...
Page 10 - LED; LEDs Function; Figure 2; Rear Panel; NOTE; Power In; NOTE
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 thi...
Page 11 - Serial BERT setup diagram; Install User Software for N5980A; The requirements for software installation:
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 inst...
Page 12 - To Install the User Software for N5980A; Insert the CD in the PC’s CD Drive.
Getting Started To Install the User Software for N5980A 1 Insert the CD in the PC’s CD Drive. 2 Double-click Displays the Welcome screen. 3 The Installer guides you through the installation process. 12 N5980A User Guide
Page 13 - Select the folder in which N5980A will be saved.
Getting Started Select the folder in which N5980A will be saved. N5980A User Guide 13
Page 14 - After the installation is completed, click; Finish; to close the installer.; Program File
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...
Page 15 - In; Demo Offline; mode N5980A need not be connected to the PC. The
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 th...
Page 16 - Operating N5980A with the User Interface; For more details check the Reference for the User Interface
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...
Page 17 - Running the BER Test; Gating Errors; To run the basic measurement, click on; Start Gating Period; or; The; Gating Time; can be modified in Advanced Mode.
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 m...
Page 18 - Setting the Instrument Parameters; Setup; Use the scroll bar to see the complete list of patterns provided.
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) di...
Page 19 - To view the Advanced page, click on the File menu and enable the; Advanced Mode; Advanced; page has the following settings:
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 Gene...
Page 20 - Viewing the Results
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 ...
Page 21 - Reference for the User Interface; When N5980A is launched the following screen is displayed:; File Menu; File; menu has the following options.; Store Setting
Reference for the User Interface 4 Reference for the User Interface This section explains the measured parameters, and the display options that are specific to these measurements. Additionally, some information is provided to explain the theoretical background to these measurements. When N5980A is l...
Page 22 - Store Setting As; This recalls the saved settings.; Factory Default Setting; Store Current Setting As Instrument Default; This closes the session with N5980A.; Connection Menu; This has the following options:
Reference for the User Interface Store Setting As This is used to store/recall any setting with a user selected filename. The user selects a specific location, and file name to save the settings. Recall Setting This recalls the saved settings. Factory Default Setting Restores the factory default set...
Page 23 - Connect...; If there are no instruments connected to the PC, then; Connect; button will be; Available Devices; Each PC can control only one N5980A.; Refresh
Reference for the User Interface Connect The Connect… option shows the Connection Dialog box. NOTE If there are no instruments connected to the PC, then Connect button will be disabled. If an instrument is connected, the user can connect to that instrument. In the Available Devices , the list of con...
Page 24 - Info; Help Menu; About; Error Indicators
Reference for the User Interface Info This option provides the following information. Help Menu The Help Menu has the following information. About gives you the Software details. Error Indicators The GUI screen contains the Error Indicator: There are two indicators and a BER bar, see the screen abov...
Page 25 - BER Bar
Reference for the User Interface BER Bar The BER bar displays the BER calculated during a period of 200 ms. Error This indicator turns red when errors are detected. Stable errors are caused by the error add function: it turns SFP/SMA Error Insertion Rate off. Variable and high errors may be caus...
Page 26 - Setup and Advanced Tab; The following screen lists the available Data Rates.; Generator; There are two levels provided, the; ECL; and the
Reference for the User Interface Setup and Advanced Tab Setup General Data Rate: There are different data rates in the drop down list. These rates are common to the Generator, and the Error Detector. The following screen lists the available Data Rates. Generator Data Pattern: There are different pat...
Page 27 - Error Detector; Automatic; There are two inputs to the Error Detector, the; In the; tab you can separately set the Data Patterns, and
Reference for the User Interface Error Detector Data Pattern: The Error Detector (ED) has a built in CDR for automatic clock recovery, and phase alignment. The ED also performs automatic polarity correction when required. Additionally it can detect the incoming PRBS. The input for the Data Pattern h...
Page 28 - SFP Error Insertion Rate:; Trigger Out; lists a set of clock triggers. The list is shown below:; The maximum gating time is 168 hours 59 minutes and 59 seconds.; BER and Advanced BER Tab; BER
Reference for the User Interface On the advanced page the SFP and the SMA Data pattern can be adjusted independently. NOTE SFP Error Insertion Rate: This drop down list gives a set of Error Insertion Rates that can be inserted for the SFP output. SMA Error Insertion Rate: This drop down list gives a...
Page 29 - The screenshot below shows the Gating BER Bar.; Elapsed Gating Time; This bar shows the gating time while the test runs.; Advanced BER
Reference for the User Interface The screenshot below shows the Gating BER Bar. Elapsed Gating Time This bar shows the gating time while the test runs. Before the test begins this bar is empty as shown below: And after the gating time is complete this bar appears as shown below: Advanced BER This pa...
Page 30 - Programming Reference; The missing standard SCPI features:; Common Command Summary
Programming Reference 5 Programming Reference Introduction The SCPI commands represent the instrument’s advanced analysis, and pattern generation features that can be controlled from within the remote programs. Programming can only be done using raw Windows Sockets. The remote programming language i...
Page 31 - SCPI Instrument Command List- Reference; Common Commands; Syntax
Programming Reference :SOUR1:VOLT :SOUR1:VOLT? :SOUR2:PATT :SOUR2:PATT? :SOUR2:PATT:EADD :SOUR2:PATT:EADD:RATE :SOUR2:PATT:EADD:RATE? :SOUR3:PATT? :SOUR3:PATT :SENS1:SYNC:TYPE :SENS1:SYNC:TYPE? :SENS1:PATT? :SENS1:GATE:PER :SENS1:GATE:PER? :SENS1:FETC:ECO? :SENS1:FETC:ECO:DELT? :SENS1:FETC:ERAT? :SE...
Page 32 - Read error queue; Load factory default setting
Programming Reference Read error queue :SYST:ERR? Syntax :SYST:ERR? Description Reads one error from the instruments error queue. Load factory default setting *RST Syntax *RST Description Discards the current instrument setting, and loads the reset/default setting. Operation complete *OPC? Syntax *O...
Page 33 - Store current setting; All Channels
Programming Reference Store current setting :MMEM:STOR:STAT “filename” Syntax :MMEM:STOR:STAT “filename” Description Stores the current setting into the specified file. If a file with the same name already exists, then this file will be overwritten. Recall setting :MMEM:LOAD:STAT “filename” Syntax :...
Page 34 - The SMA output is accessed via the root node :SOUR1; Pattern; Available
Programming Reference SMA Output (Electrical Generator) The SMA output is accessed via the root node :SOUR1 Pattern :SOUR1:PATT Syntax :SOUR1:PATT? :SOUR1:PATT PRBS7 | PRBS15 | PRBS23 | PRBS31 | CLK2 | CLK4 | CLK8 | CLK10 | CLK16 | CLK20 | K28_5 Description Either sets or gets the pattern of the SMA...
Page 35 - Error Insertion; Add Single Error
Programming Reference Error Insertion The error insertion is capable to enforce a given error ratio, and to add single errors into the data stream. Both are available in parallel. Insertion Rate :SOUR1:PATT:EADD:RATE Syntax :SOUR1:PATT:EADD:RATE? :SOUR1:PATT:EADD:RATE NR3 Description Either sets or ...
Page 36 - The SFP output is accessed via the root node :SOUR2
Programming Reference SFP Output (Optical Generator) The SFP output is accessed via the root node :SOUR2 Pattern :SOUR2:PATT Syntax :SOUR2:PATT? :SOUR2:PATT PRBS7 | PRBS15 | PRBS23 | PRBS31 | CLK2 | CLK4 | CLK8 | CLK10 | CLK16 | CLK20 | K28_5 Description Either sets or gets the pattern of the SFP ou...
Page 38 - Trigger Output; The trigger output is accessible via the root node :SOUR3; The Error Detector channel is accessed via the root node :SENS1; Detected Pattern
Programming Reference Trigger Output The trigger output is accessible via the root node :SOUR3 Pattern :SOUR3:PATT Syntax :SOUR3:PATT? :SOUR3:PATT CLK2 | CLK4 | CLK8 | CLK10 | CLK16 | CLK20 Description Either sets or gets the pattern of the trigger output. Available Patterns Name Parameter Clock / 2...
Page 39 - Synchronization mode; Actual Bit Error Rate
Programming Reference Synchronization mode :SENS1:SYNC:TYPE Syntax :SENS1:SYNC:TYPE AUTO|SFP|SMA|PRBS7|PRBS15|PEBS23|PRBS31 :SENS1:SYNC:TYPE? Description Either sets or gets the synchronization type. The synchronization type defines which patterns will be used to synchronize when a synchronization l...
Page 41 - Gating Progress; Input Selection
Programming Reference Gating Progress :SENS1:GATE:STAT Syntax :SENS1:GATE:STAT? Description Requests the current state of the gating interval. It will return 1 while the gating is in progress and 0 if the gating is finished/ inactive. It is guaranteed that the very first :SENS1:GATE:STAT? query afte...
Page 42 - Sample Code
Programming Reference Sample Code The following example code shows how to control the N5980A from within a remote program. The example code is implemented in C#. The code snippets show the required code that needs to be added to a user program. It implements a class N5980A in the namespace N5980AExa...
