DDR Memory Bus Electrical Validation and Analysis Software

Features & Benefits

• Auto-configuration Wizard Guides Easy Setup and Test Configuration
• Analyze All Read/Write Bursts in the Entire Acquisition
• Plot DQS and DQ Eye Diagrams for Reads and Writes
• Perform JEDEC Conformance Tests with Pass/Fail Limits
• Use Chip Select to Qualify Multi-rank Measurements
• Navigate and Time Stamp Reads and Writes in an Acquired Record using Search and Mark
• Use Pinpoint Triggering, Visual Trigger, and DPX to Quickly Identify Infrequent Anomalies
• Easily Move between Conformance-test and Analysis/Debug Tools
• Automatically Produce Consolidated Reports with Pass/Fail Information, Statistical Measurement Results, and Test-setup Information
• On MSO70000, Use Address/Command Bus to Precisely Qualify Read and Write Bursts or Other Events
• On MSO70000, Perform Bus Timing Measurements on the Address/Command Bus

Applications

• DDR1
• DDR2
• DDR3
• LPDDR
• LPDDR2
• GDDR3
• GDDR5

Option DDRA accelerates the analysis, validation, and JEDEC conformance testing of memory systems based on DDR1, DDR2, DDR3, and DDR derivative technologies like LPDDR, LPDDR2, GDDR3, and GDDR5. Option DDRA supports the common data rates plus custom data rates up to and beyond 2133 MT/s. Whether you are doing intensive signal integrity analysis or debugging a specific memory transaction, DDRA will speed your ability to trigger on and identify read and write bursts in the acquired data record and then perform parametric measurements on the signals of interest.

DDRA Wizard for Easy Test Selection and Configuration

The wizard consolidates Tektronix experience and expertise in DDR testing into a simple, easy-to-follow test selection interface. The user selects which DDR technology, speed grade, and measurement group (reads, writes, clocks, address, and control lines) they are testing, using check boxes to select some or all measurements in a category. DDRA can then automate oscilloscope scale selection, DQ and DQS level selections, and threshold detection, then automate burst identification using search and mark. Search and mark (for read/write measurements) data is used to identify and separate all read vs. write bursts across the entire acquisition and qualify measurement zones for use by DPOJET Advanced Jitter and Eye Analysis. DPOJET will generate an eye diagram of the data and perform JEDEC standard measurements qualified on read or write bursts. Measurement configurations and JEDEC pass/fail limits are automatically applied for the selected measurements. Every edge in each identified burst is measured, then measurement results are included in statistics and plots for a complete analysis of the acquired waveform.

JEDEC-conforming Measurements and Conformance Testing

Comprehensive Measurements for JEDEC Conformance Testing

Option DDRA adds a long list of JEDEC-specific measurements to the rich toolset of generic jitter, timing, and signal-quality measurements already present in DPOJET. In addition to the measurements shown below (for DDR2 in this example), Option DDRA also performs de-rating of Setup and Hold pass/fail limits based on the result of slew rate measurements, as stipulated by JEDEC in the test specs for DDR2 and DDR3 (JESD79-2F, JESD79-3D as of this writing).

JEDEC Measurements Supported for DDR2

Easily Switch between Conformance Testing and Advanced Debug Tools

DDRA gives you the option to easily switch between conformance testing and advanced analysis and debug modes. The power of the DPOJET analysis engine allows you flexibility to reconfigure existing measurements or add new measurements not specifically required by JEDEC and to create new user-specified test limits. You can also use features like logging, filters, histograms, and time trends in addition to the information produced by the DDRA wizard.

Fast Fault Identification using Pinpoint^® Triggers and DPX Technology

In addition to all of the measurement and analysis tools that DDRA offers, you can use Pinpoint^® triggering and DPX^® to find infrequent signal events. Pinpoint^® triggering allows you to trigger on reads or writes so that only relevant bursts can be shown. Once you have set the hardware triggering on a read or write condition, you can use DPX^®, the industry’s highest waveform acquisition rate for signal integrity testing and to determine specific DDR read/write signal characteristics. DPX^® enables quick identification of infrequent events by using a color-graded display to see both frequent and infrequent waveform events, such as areas where there is bus contention, reflections, or system timing issues. New Visual Trigger feature now adds additional tools for setting precise trigger conditions to capture specific bit patterns or other waveform events, based on keep-in and keep-out areas.

Additional Capabilities using a Performance MSO (Mixed-Signal Oscilloscope)

The MSO70000 Series Performance MSOs allow you to probe more signals on the DDR bus and to trigger on and view specific bus events. Up to 16 digital channels can be used to view logic states of command and address signals such as RAS, CAS, WE, CE, CS, etc. Signal integrity of these 16 inputs can be analyzed using the iCapture™ multiplexing feature, which allows any of the digital input signals to be internally routed to one of the scope’s four analog channels. Measurements involving command-bus cycle timing can also be analyzed using the bus-decode features of the MSO and DDRA software.

Full Bus Analysis using Logic Analyzer and Oscilloscope

When full protocol analysis or probing of the entire memory bus is required, a logic analyzer can provide this additional capability. The TLA7000 Series logic analyzers can also be linked with Tektronix oscilloscopes to provide an integrated test setup using tools such as iCapture mentioned above. This eliminates the need for double probing and allows full analog capture of any signals probed by the logic analyzer. In addition, the iView™ display interface allows transfer of the oscilloscope data to the logic analyzer display, so that data from both instruments are analyzed and time-aligned on one display screen.