Tektronix Tests GigE

BEAVERTON, Ore. -- Tektronix, Inc. (NYSE:TEK) , the world's leading manufacturer of oscilloscopes, today announced a comprehensive new oscilloscope-based application package that answers unmet compliance test needs in the growing Gigabit Ethernet (1000Base-T or GbE) datacomm market segment.

According to researchers in the Dell'Oro Group, Gigabit Ethernet port shipments grew 14% during the first quarter of 2003, marking a sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth. Declining component prices are expected to continue driving Gigabit Ethernet deployment and market growth, reaching $15.2 B in 2007.

To develop products to satisfy this demand, engineers need measurement tools that can provide fast, accurate results for the complete set of compliance tests for their emerging designs. Tektronix' new TDSET3 Ethernet Compliance Test Software package offers accurate, repeatable results against the broadest range of compliance tests, including the industry's first oscilloscope-based Return Loss test. The TDSET3 package runs on selected Tektronix oscilloscopes and carries out efficient "one-button" automated testing and reporting for the entire range of tests available.

"When meeting the growing market pressure for Gigabit Ethernet products, our customers in today's resource-constrained engineering departments have found that the margins specified by the standards committees are extremely tight. They need measurement solutions that speed the entire job of compliance testing and, at the same time, quickly deliver accurate and repeatable results," said Colin Shepard, Vice President, Oscilloscope Products, Tektronix, Inc. "Not only is Tektronix' new TDSET3 the first compliance software package to verify Return Loss (correct signal operation) over a wide range of impedence tolerances, it allows users to do automated and dependable compliance testing quickly and easily using familiar instruments they already have on their bench."

Gigabit Ethernet Challenges Designers and Their Test Equipment

Gigabit Ethernet pushes the limits of the Category 5 copper cable technology used to connect GbE elements. Consequently there is a need for rigorous compliance tests to ensure connectivity and interoperability under all circumstances. The burden of proof for compliance falls upon each individual GbE product maker. With limited staffing and frugal equipment budgets, GbE manufacturers must find ways meet their compliance obligations.

Automated Compliance Application Delivers the Right Answers, Fast

The new TDSET3 Ethernet Compliance Test Software package installs on Tektronix TDS6000 and TDS/CSA7000/B, oscilloscopes and runs as a "Windows(R)-based test application. It is the first solution to provide uncompromised Return Loss testing in an oscilloscope over the defined range of impedance tolerances. The Return Loss test not only provides plot for 100ohm impedances, but also for 85(omega) and 115/111(omega), as required by the standards, to validate performance within defined cabling characteristics without purchasing additional hardware, which was once needed.

With the addition of Return Loss test, designers can also automatically generate reports alongside several other tests available on TDSET3. The test is performed using the same bench instruments including an oscilloscope and an arbitrary waveform generator that are used for other compliance tests, implying efficient use of resources. The Common Mode Voltage test is another industry first for TDSET3. Innovative error removal techniques ensure dependable results, while essential low-level measurements gain improved accuracy by applying the oscilloscope's full dynamic range. All in all, the application performs the widest range of Gigabit Ethernet compliance tests in the industry. The TDSET3 package paired with a TF-GBE test fixture from Tektronix development partner Crescent Heart Software comprises a complete GbE physical layer compliance solution.

The automation features in TDSET3 permit users to do more compliance measurements in less time, with fewer personnel. With the tool's one-button automation, an engineer can "Select All" and run several required compliance tests in minutes, with minimal setup time. Analysis and reporting procedures are similarly automated.

The TDSET3 application package joins other proven products in Tektronix' broad range of software applications providing critical domain expertise in ever evolving compliance standards and specific applications for the general-purpose oscilloscope. These applications encompass Infiniband, PCI Express, DVI, USB 2.0, and other industry standards. Equipment manufacturers who use multiple standards across diverse product lines can use the same tool -- their Tektronix oscilloscope -- for all of their compliance and validation test needs.

Tektronix Inc.