Use the product documents for more information on the application functions, understand the theory of operation, how to remotely program or operate the application, and do other tasks.

This application help uses the following conventions:

• The term "Application," and "Software" refers to the TekExpress Thunderbolt application.
• The term “DUT” is an abbreviation for Device Under Test.
• The term “select” is a generic term that applies to the two methods of choosing a screen item (button control, list item): using a mouse or using the touch screen.
• A Note identifies important information.

Table 1. Icons used in the help

Icon	Description
	This icon identifies important information
	This icon identifies conditions or practices that could result in loss of data.
	This icon identifies additional information that will help you use the application more efficiently.

Tektronix values your feedback on our products. To help us serve you better, please send us your suggestions, ideas, or comments on your application or oscilloscope. Contact Tektronix through mail, telephone, or the Web site. See Contacting Tektronix at the front of this document for contact information.

When you contact Tektronix Technical Support, please include the following information (be as specific as possible):

Use the following list to set up and performing Thunderbolt tests.

1. Allow test instruments to warm up (~20 minutes).
2. Deskew the real-time oscilloscope.
3. Set up test equipment.
4. Verify the required instruments are connected to Thunderbolt (refer TekExpress instrument control settings).
5. Set DUT Parameters.
6. Select tests.
7. View acquisition settings.
8. Set global signal-related parameters.
9. Select test notification preferences.
10. Select report options.
11. Check the prerun checklist
12. Click Start to Run tests.

Use the following procedure to deskew direct input SMA channels on a Real Time Oscilloscope.

Note:DPOJET has an automatic deskew option. Refer to your DPOJET online help for information on how to deskew the channels.

1. Run Signal Path Compensation (SPC) on the oscilloscope.

2. Connect a SMA Power Splitter (preferred) or SMA 50 Ω coaxial “T” connector to the Fast Edge output of the oscilloscope.

3. Connect SMA cables from each of the two channels to be deskewed to the power splitter (or SMA coaxial “T” connector). Use matched cables for high speed serial measurements. Ensure that, you will use the same cables during deskew that you will use for subsequent measurements.

4. Select Default Setup, and then select Autoset on the oscilloscope front panel.

5. Set the oscilloscope for 70% to 90% full screen amplitude on both channels. Center both traces to overlap.

6. For Deskew, Ensure that volts/div, position, and offset should be identical for the two channels.

7. Set the time/div to approximately 100 ps/div or less, with the sample rate at 1 ps/pt. These settings are not critical, but should be close.

8. Set the horizontal acquisition mode to average, which provides a more stable display.

9. Select Deskew from the Vertical menu.

10. Verify that the reference channel (typically CH1 or CH2) is set to 0 ps deskew.

11. In the deskew control window, select the channel to deskew (typically CH3 or CH4). Adjust the deskew to overlay the rising edge as best as possible.

Note:Typical values are in the 10’s of ps or less with cables connected directly from Fast Edge to SMA inputs. If you are using a switch box (for example, Keithley), deskew the complete path from where the test fixture connects, through the switch, and into the oscilloscope. Deskew values in these cases may be as much as 30 ps or more.

Note:There can be significant differences in the skew between two TCA-SMA adapters. If you find that a system requires a very large correction, obtain a pair of TCA-SMA adapters that closely match each other to reduce the amount of correction.

Note:TekExpress retains the user configured Deskew values, and does not override the values during test runs.

Click the Setup > Test Selection > Schematic button to open a PDF file that shows the compliance test setup diagrams (instrument, DUT, and cabling) for supported testing configurations.

After selecting and configuring the tests, review the prerun checklist and then click Start to run the tests. While tests are running, you cannot access the Setup or Reports panels. To monitor the test progress, switch back and forth between the Status panel and the Results panel.

The application displays a report when the tests are complete. While the tests are running, other applications may display windows in the background. The TekScope application takes precedence over other applications, but you can switch to other applications by using the Alt + Tab key combination. To keep the TekExpress Thunderbolt application on top, select Keep On Top from the TekExpress Options menu.

Follow the below steps before you click Start to run a test:

Note:If you are running a test on the application for the first time, Ensure that you have completed the procedures mentioned in Required My TekExpress folder settings before continuing.

1. Ensure that all the required instruments are properly warmed up (approximately 20 minutes).

2. To perform Signal Path Compensation (SPC):

   1. On the oscilloscope main menu, select the Utilities menu.

   2. Select Instrument Calibration.

   3. Follow the on-screen instructions.

3. Verify that the correct instruments are connected (oscilloscope and signal sources):

   1. In TekExpress Thunderbolt, click Setup > Configuration.

   2. Click Global Settings.

   3. In the Instruments Detected list, verify that the test setup instruments are listed. If they are not in the list, click the arrow button to list and select from all detected instruments. If the required instrument is still not listed, use the TekExpress Instrument Control Settings dialog box to scan for and detect instruments (refer TekExpress instrument control settings).

TekExpress Thunderbolt uses panels to group related configuration, test, and results settings. Click a button to open the associated panel. A panel may have one or more tabs that list the selections available in that panel. Controls in a panel can change depending on settings made in that panel or another panel.

To access the Options menu, click in the upper-right corner of the application. It has the following selections:

Use the Email Settings utility to get notified by email when a measurement completes or produces any error condition. Follow the steps to configure email settings:

1. Select Options > Email Settings to open the Email Settings dialog box.
2. (Required) For Recipient email Address(es), enter one or more recipient email addresses. To include multiple addresses, separate the addresses with commas.
3. (Required) For Sender’s Address, enter the email address used by the instrument. This address consists of the instrument name, followed by an underscore, followed by the instrument serial number, then the @ symbol, and the email server ID. For example: [email protected].
4. (Required) In the Server Configuration section, type the SMTP Server address of the Mail server configured at the client location, and the SMTP Port number, in the corresponding fields.

   If this server requires password authentication, enter a valid login name, password, and host name in the corresponding fields.

   Note:If any of the above required fields are left blank, the settings will not be saved, and email notifications will not be sent.

5. In the Email Attachments section, select from the following options:
   • Reports: Select to receive the test report with the notification email.
   • Status Log: Select to receive the test status log with the notification email. If you select this option, then also select whether you want to receive the full log or just the last 20 lines.
6. In the Email Configuration section:
   • Enter a maximum file size for the email message. Messages with attachments larger than this limit will not be sent. The default is 5 MB.
   • Enter the number in the Number of Attempts to Send field, to limit the number of attempts that the system makes to send a notification. The default is 1. You can also specify a timeout period.
7. Select the Email Test Results When complete or on error check box. Use this check box to quickly enable or disable email notifications.
8. To test your email settings, click Test Email.
9. To apply your settings, click Apply.
10. Click Close when finished.

Use the TekExpress Instrument Control Settings dialog box to search the instruments (resources) connected to the application. You can use the Search Criteria options to search the connected instruments depending on the connection type. The details of the connected instrument is displayed in the Retrieved Instruments window.

To access, click Options > Instrument Control Settings. Select GPIB as search criteria for TekExpress application and click Refresh. The connected instruments displayed in the Retrieved Instruments window and can be selected for use under Global Settings in the test configuration section.

Use the DUT tab to select parameters for the device under test. These settings are global and apply to all tests of current session. DUT settings also affect the list of available tests in the Test Selection tab.

Click Setup > DUT to access the DUT parameters:

Table 1. DUT tab configuration

Setting	Description
DUT ID	Adds an optional text label for the DUT to reports. The default value is DUT001. The maximum number of characters supported is 32. You cannot use the characters (.,..,...,\,/:?”<>|*) in an ID name.
Comments icon (to the right of the DUT ID field)	Opens a comments dialog box which allows you to enter optional text to add to a report. You can enter a maximum number of 256 characters. Refer Configure report view settings to enable or disable comments which displays on the test report.
Acquire live waveforms	Acquire active signals from the DUT for measurement and analysis.
Use prerecorded waveform files	Run tests on a saved waveform. Also refer Load a saved test setup.
DUT Type	Select the DUT type form the drop-down: Device Host
CTS Version	Displays the CTS version.
Version	Select a supported TBT version TBT3 TBT4
Test Mode	Displays the selected test mode. Preselects tests and parameters needed to meet the compliance specifications for the selected device type. When Test mode = compliance, cable emulator in the Embed/De-embed configuration menu cannot be changed by user.
Test Method	Displays the selected test method. The selected test method, sets the algorithms used to measure and analyze the signal. SigTest: Select to perform measurements implemented in SigTest. DPOJET: Select to perform measurements implemented in DPOJET.
Test Type	Select the test type from the drop-down: Signal Test: Select to run Unit Interval, Spread Spectrum Clocking, Jitter(TP2 & TP3), Eye (TP2 & TP3), Transmitter Equalization, Preset Calibration and Voltage measurements. Preset calibration: Select to run preset calibration measurements.
Data Rates	Sets the test data rate (10 Gbps, 20 Gbps, 10p3 Gbps, and 20p6 Gbps). Gen2(10p3 Gbps): Select to include the data rate for Gen2 Legacy. Gen2(10 Gbps): Select to include the data rate for Gen2 Rounded. Gen3(20 Gbps): Select to include the data rate for Gen3 Rounded. Gen2(20p6 Gbps): Select to include the data rate for Gen3 Legacy. When TBT3 compatibility is selected, sets the test data rate at 10p3 Gbps or 20p6 Gbps
Lane Selection	Select the Lane Selection from the drop-down: Both Lane 0 Lane 1
DUT Automation	There are two options for DUT Automation: Manual Automated Click button. Displays the DUT automation window In the DUT Automation window, select the appropriate DUT Type from the dropdown: Goshen Ridge Tiger Lake Ice Lake Titan Ridge Alpine Ridge Set the DUT Port Number. For Goshen Ridge and Tiger Lake value varies from 0 to 63. For Ice Lake, Titan Ridge, and Alpine Ridge set the value as pa, pb or any user defined value. Set the value for Wait till for an automated pattern change. Default value is 5 seconds.
Embed/De-embed configuration	Click button to change the Differential de-embed filter files and common mode de-embed filter files. The test mode is fixed to compliance, therefore, cable emulator (for TP3 measurements) files are fixed. The de-embed S parameter file (.s4p) is loaded into the SDLA Equalizer to deembed the cables connected to the fixture. The 4 port index configuration for the chosen file is displayed. Assign the valid port depending on the loaded .s4p file. The two ports on the left are input ports and the two ports on the right are the output ports.

Use the Test Selection tab to select the tests. The test measurements available depends on the settings selected in the DUT tab.

Note:All tests are selected by default.

Note:The application does not show the oscilloscope cursor1 and 2 for each burst. The application runs an analysis on the first five bursts of an acquisition and displays the result statistics.

Use Acquisitions tab to view the test acquisition parameters. The contents displayed on this tab depends on the DUT type and the tests selected.

Note:Thunderbolt acquires all waveforms required by each test group and data rate being tested (Gen2, Gen3) before performing analysis.

Table 1. Acquisitions tab configuration

Setting	Description
Source Selection	Lists the signal type and input channel assigned to that type. Click on Source fields to assign a channel source to a signal type. The (Source) channels are auto selected, based on the probe type used and Lane selected on the DUT tab. Note:When the Test Method is set to SigTest in the DUT panel, the application will not allow you to select the source channels.
Refresh sources	Updates the list of available channel sources as used by the Source fields in the Device list. Click this button if you want to change the channel connections in the test setup.
View Probes	Displays the Source, Probe Type, and Probe models.
Acquisition and save options	Saves all waveforms before the analysis.
Signal Validation	Sets the signal validation actions from the drop-down: Prompt me if signal fails Skip test if signal validation fails Use signal as is - Don't Check When the signal validation option is set to "Prompt me if signal validation fails", the application validates whether the signal is PRBS31, PRBS15, SQ128, or SQ2 pattern. Additionally, it also validates if the signal is Electrical idle. If the signal is valid, the measurement continues normally. If the signal is invalid, the following window displays: Note: If Pattern type validation is selected as Use signal as is - Don't Check, then the measurement continues with the acquired waveform. Click Reacquire to start the acquisition again. Click Use Anyway to continue with the currently acquired waveform. Click Skip Test to skip all pattern type tests. The rest of the selected measurements continue.

TekExpress Thunderbolt application saves all acquisition waveforms to files by default. Waveforms are saved in a unique folder for each session (a session is started when you click the Start button). The folder path is X:\TekExpress Thunderbolt\Untitled Session\<dutid>\<date>_<time>. Images created for each analysis, XML files with result values, reports, and other information specific to that particular execution are also saved in this folder.

Saving a session moves the session file contents from the Untitled Session folder to the specified folder name and changes the session name to the specified name.

Use Configuration tab to view and configure the Global Settings and the measurement configurations. The measurement specific configurations available in this tab depends on the selections made in the DUT panel and Test Selection panel.

Note:You cannot change test parameters that are grayed out.

Table 3. Configuration tab: Measurements configuration

Setting	Description
Measurements
Measurements	Displays the list of measurements.
Config	Select the configuration for the measurements with TP3.
Gen2 and Gen3 CTLE	Select the CTLE filter file for Gen2 and Gen3 from the drop-down: Optimize Fixed Note: The option Fixed is not available when the Test Method is set to SigTest in the DUT panel.
Perform with DFE (Max Tap Value: 50 mV)	Select to perform the DFE. Note:The option DFE is not available when the Test Method is set to SigTest in the DUT panel.

Use Preferences tab to set the application action on completion of a measurement. The Preferences tab has the feature to enable or disable certain options related to the measurement execution.

Refer the below table for the options available in the Preferences tab:

The tests are grouped and displayed based on the Clock and Data lane. It displays the tests along with the acquisition type, acquire, and analysis status of the tests. In pre-recorded mode, Acquire Status is not valid.

The Test Status tab presents a collapsible table with information about each test as it is running. Use the symbols to expand () and collapse () the table rows.

The Test Status tab displays the detailed execution status of the tests. Also, displays each and every execution step in detail with its timestamp information. The log details can be used to troubleshoot and resolve any issue/bug which is blocking the test execution process.

The Configuration tab describes the report generation settings to configure the Reports panel. Select report settings before running a test or when creating and saving test setups. Report settings configured are included in saved test setups.

Table 1. Report configuration panel settings

Control	Description
View	Click to view the most current report.
Generate Report	Generates a new report based on the current analysis results.
Save As	Specify a name for the report.
Report Update Mode Settings
Generate new report	Each time when you click Run and when the test execution is complete, it will create a new report. The report can be in either .mht, .pdf, or .csv file formats.
Append with previous run session	Appends the latest test results to the end of the current test results report. Each time when you click this option and run the tests, it will run the previously failed tests and replace the failed test result with the new pass test result in the same report.
Include header in appended reports	Select to include header in appended reports.
Replace current test results	Replaces the previous test results with the latest test results. Results from newly added tests are appended to the end of the report.
In previous run, current session	Select to replace current test results in the report with the test result(s) of previous run in the current session.
In any run, any session	Select to replace current test results in the report with the test result(s) in the selected run session’s report. Click and select test result of any other run session.
Report Creation Settings
Report name	Displays the name and path of the <Application Name> report. The default location is at \My Documents>\My TekExpress\<Application Name>\Reports. The report file in this folder gets overwritten each time you run a test unless you specify a unique name or select to auto increment the report name. To change the report name or location, do one of the following: In the Report Path field, type the current folder path and name. Double-click in the Report Path field and then make selections from the popup keyboard and click Enter. Be sure to include the entire folder path, the file name, and the file extension. For example: C:\Documents and Settings\your user name\My Documents\My TekExpress\<Application Name> \DUT001.mht. Note:You cannot set the file location using the Browse button. Open an existing report Click Browse, locate and select the report file and then click View at the bottom of the panel.
Save as type	Saves a report in the specified file type, selected from the drop-down list. The report is saved in .csv, .pdf, or .mht. Note: If you select a file type different from the default, be sure to change the report file name extension in the Report Name field to match.
Auto increment report name if duplicate	Sets the application to automatically increment the name of the report file if the application finds a file with the same name as the one being generated. For example: DUT001, DUT002, DUT003. This option is enabled by default.
Create report automatically at the end of the run	Select to create the report with the settings configured, at the end of run.
View report after generating	Automatically opens the report in a Web browser when the test execution is complete. This option is selected by default.

The View Settings tab describes the report view settings to configure the Reports panel. Select report view settings before running a test or when creating and saving test setups. Report settings configured are included in saved test setups.

Sample report and its contents

A report shows detailed results and plots, as set in the Reports panel.

Setup Information

The summary box at the beginning of the report lists setup configuration information. This information includes the oscilloscope model and serial number, optical module model and serial number, and software version numbers of all associated applications.

Test Name Summary Table

The test summary table lists all the tests which are executed with its result status.

Measurement

The measurement table displays the measurement related details with its parameter value.

User comments

If you had selected to include comments in the test report, any comments you added in the DUT tab are shown at the top of the report.

You can save the test setup and recall it later for further analysis. Saved setup includes the selected oscilloscope, general parameters, acquisition parameters, measurement limits, waveforms (if applicable), and other configuration settings. The setup files are saved under the setup name at X:\TekExpress Thunderbolt

Note:Images that are shown in this Saving and recalling test setup chapter are for illustration purpose only and it may vary depending on the TekExpress application.

You can save a test setup before or after running a test. You can create a test setup from already created test setup or using a default test setup. When you save a setup, all the parameters, measurement limits, waveform files (if applicable), test selections, and other configuration settings are saved under the setup name. When you select the default test setup, the parameters are set to the application’s default value.

• Select Options > Save Test Setup to save the opened setup.
  
  
  
  
• Select Options > Save Test Setup As to save the setup with different name.
  
  
  
  

To open (load) a saved test setup, do the following:

• Select Options > Open Test Setup.
  
  
  
  
• From the File Open menu, select the setup file name from the list and click Open.
  
  
  
  

Note:Parameters that are set for the respective test setup will enable after opening the file.

Use this option to re-run a complete test using just the oscilloscope and the saved test setup files, if you selected to save the captured waveforms when you originally ran the saved test.

Note:When you run a saved test in prerecorded mode and then save it under the same name, the test results are saved in a new session folder named for the date and time of the session. Any test settings that you changed for the session are saved as a new test session file and be paired with a folder of the same name. Example. When you open a test setup that has multiple sessions and you select a session from the Run session list in the DUT tab, the settings associated with that test session are restored.

Each test session folder has a matching test session file that stores the individual test settings for that session.

1. Use the Options menu to Open a saved test setup file
2. Select Setup > DUT and then select Use pre-recorded waveform files. A Run session drop-down list appears that displays the previous saved sessions for this test.
3. Select the session to run.

   Note:If you select a session for which no waveform files were saved, you will receive an error message. You have selected to use Pre-recorded waveforms. The pre-recorded waveform(s) are not specified for the following Acquisition(s).

4. Click Start.
5. To save the test results, session settings, and related files, save the test setup before selecting another test setup or exiting the application.

Use this method to create a variation on a test setup without having to create the setup from the beginning.

1. Select Options > Open Test Setup.

2. Select a setup from the list and then click Open.

3. Use the Setup and Reports panels to modify the parameters to meet your testing requirements.

4. Select Options > Save Test Setup As.

5. Enter a test setup name and click Save.

This section describes the steps to configure the TCPIP socket configuration in your script execution device and the steps to configure the TekVISA configuration in the oscilloscope to execute the SCPI commands.

This command sets or queries the device name of the application.

This command sets or queries the suite name of the application.

This command selects or deselects the specified test name of the application.

This command sets or queries the version name of the application.

This command sets or queries the general parameter values of the application.

This command sets or queries the acquire parameter values of the application.

This command sets or queries the analyze parameter values of the application.

This command queries the list of available devices on the DUT panel as comma separated values.

This command queries returns Thunderbolt.

This command queries the list of available suites for the selected device as comma separated values.

This command queries the list of available tests of the application for the selected device as comma separated values.

This command queries the list of available version names of the application for the selected device as comma separated values.

This command queries the list of available instruments based on the specified instrument type.

This command sets or queries the IP address of the instrument based on the specified instrument type.

This command queries the information of the generated report file in the format "<FileSize>","<FileName>".

This command queries the information of the generated waveform files in the format.

<File1Size,"File1Name”>.

If there are more than one waveform, the waveform file names are displayed with the comma separated values in the format

<File1Size,"File1Name">,<File2Size,"File2Name">.

This command queries the information of the generated image files in the format.

<File1Size,"File1Name”>.

If there are more than one image, the image file names are displayed with the comma separated values in the format

<File1Size,"File1Name">,<File2Size,"File2Name">.

This command queries the active TekExpress application name running on the oscilloscope.

This command sets or queries the DUTID of the application.

This command sets or queries the acquire mode status.

This command sets or queries the execution mode status.

This command generates the report for the current session.

This command queries the value of specified report header field in the report.

Command arguments

Argument Name	Argument Type
<Device Field> Device field is the header name of each field in the setup information section of the report.	<String>

This command queries the value of specified result detail available in report summary/details table.

This command restores the setup to default settings.

This command saves the setup.

This command saves the settings to a specified session.

This command opens the setup from a specified session.

This command queries the current setup file name.

This command run/stop/pause/resume the selected measurements execution in the application.

This command queries the current measurement execution status.

This command queries whether the current setup is saved or not saved.

The command exits or close the application

This command queries whether the previous command execution is completed successfully.

This command queries the last error occurred.

This command sets or queries the popup details.

This command sets or queries the limit values in the limits editor window.

This command set or queries the waveform file recalled for the specified test name and acquire type.

If there are more than one waveform, the waveform file names are displayed with the symbol "$" separated values in the format

<WaveformFileName1$ WaveformFileName2>.

This command sets or queries the enable/disable status of Continuous Run function.

This command queries the enable or disable status of Continuous run function.

This command sets or queries the enable/disable status of Verbose function.

This command sets or queries the continuous run duration time value.

This command sets or queries the option for session creation in the continuous run function.

This command sets or queries the enable/disable status of the View report after generating function.

This command returns the report as XML string.

This command copies all the images from current run session to the given destination location.

This command selects the specified test(s) and deselect all other tests.

This command returns the complete information about the selected test.

The information includes application name, TestID, Device selected, Suite selected, version, Test name, Test description.

Sets the application configurations to default value.

Enter the name to save/config the session.

Load the selected config/run session.

Deletes the selected config/run session.

Run the selected config/run session.

Returns the list of available config/run session.

Returns the selected config/run session.

Overrides the selected config/run session.

This query command returns the statistics for test name which is passed as argument.

This query command returns statistics for all tests which are passed as argument.

You can find the application files at C:\Program Files\Tektronix\TekExpress Thunderbolt3. The application directory and associated files are organized as follows:

The TekExpress Thunderbolt software uses the following file name extensions:

Files related to tests are stored in My Documents\TekExpress Thunderbolt\Untitled session folder. Each test setup in this folder has both a test setup file and a test setup folder, both with the test setup name. The test setup file is preceded by the TekExpress icon.

Inside the test setup folder is another folder named for the DUT ID used in the test sessions. The default is DUT001.

Inside the DUT001 folder are the session folders and files. Each session also has a folder and file pair, both named for the test session using the naming convention (date)_(time). Each session file is stored outside its matching session folder:

Each session folder contains image files of any plots generated from running the test session. If you selected to save all waveforms or ran tests using prerecorded waveform files, these are included here.

The first time you run a new, unsaved session, the session files are stored in the Untitled Session folder located at X:\TekExpress Thunderbolt. When you name and save the session, the files are placed in a folder with the name that you specify. A copy of the test files stay in the Untitled Session folder until you run a new test or until you close the application.

The return value of the remote automations at the server-end is OP_STATUS, which changes to a string value depending on its code, and is returned to the client. The values of OP_STATUS are as follows:

Note:The Fail condition for PI commands occurs in any of the following cases:

If the server is locked, the application displays "Server is locked by another client".

If the session is unlocked, the application displays "Lock session to execute the command".

If the server is not found, the application displays " Server not found-Disconnect!".

If the fail condition is not one of the above types, the application displays "Failed".