Ethernet (2.5G, 5G, and 10G) Electrical Testing Software for 6 Series and 6 Series B MSO

The Ethernet Transmitter Test application automates 10GBASE-T, NBASE-⁠T (2.5GBASE-T and 5GBASE-T), and IEEE802.3bz (2.5G/5G) physical medium attachment (PMA) physical-layer (PHY) electrical testing to provide a fast and accurate way of testing your ethernet designs.

Based on the TekExpress test automation framework, the Ethernet Transmitter Test application performs all PMA electrical measurements as specified by the IEEE802.3an standard, the IEEE802.3bz standard, and the NBASE-T specification. This allows you to quickly and efficiently test ethernet devices running at 2.5G, 5G, and 10G data rates.

To accurately make these measurements, you need the Tektronix TF-⁠XGBT test fixture. The TF-⁠XGBT test fixture allows you to easily access the device under test (DUT) using either differential probes or matched SMA cables.

Key features

• Comprehensive automated solution for 2.5GBASE-T, 5GBASE-T and 10GBASE-T PHY testing

• Highly optimized and user friendly interface flow that sets up the test configuration for quick validation of electrical signals.

• Compliance and margin testing for accurate analysis and improved interoperability.

• Time-domain and frequency-domain measurements made with single analysis instrument.

• Test execution on an oscilloscope with remote control using programmatic interface from an external PC.

• Single instrument analysis of time and frequency domain measurements.

• Signal acquisition and analysis support for differential probes or direct SMA cabling.

Test selection and instrument setup

Test selection is easy and straight forward through the intuitive TekExpress workflow. Select the measurements to execute and click on Start button.

For each measurement selected, the Ethernet Transmitter application automatically configures the oscilloscope, saving setup time and ensuring repeatable, reliable results.

As each test is performed, the application guides you through the connection diagrams.

Reports

A summary report with Pass/Fail status for each test is created after the test execution is complete. This report includes test configuration details, waveform plots, and margin analysis to provide more insight into your design.

Margin testing

You can make changes to test specific parameters like test limits and other parameters to perform detailed margin analysis to validate your device performance.

Probe support for signal acquisition

The application allows signal acquisition and analysis with either matched pair SMA cables or differential probes.

Return loss

The automated test application simplifies Return Loss testing and eliminates the need for a Vector Network Analyzer by using a patented oscilloscope-based measurement along with a Tektronix AWG. Calibration data for Open, Load, and Short can be stored in a file and recalled in the test application.

Complete programming interface

The TekExpress application provides a programmatic interface with support for a high-level automation layer such as Visual Basic, Microsoft.Net, C#, C⁠++, Python, or any other web application. This lets you control the execution of the TekExpress Ethernet application running on an oscilloscope from a local machine or using a remote computer.

Programming examples are found in the application examples folder.

Pre-recorded waveform analysis

Offline analysis feature of the TekExpress Ethernet application allows the user to analyze the already acquired waveforms. Select Use pre-recorded waveform files in the application DUT panel to acquire the waveforms and save it as a waveform files.

This allows the waveforms to be captured from an oscilloscope and shared across multiple users, sites to perform analysis using other oscilloscopes.