Rohde & Schwarz automates VNA for PCIe 5.0 and 6.0 cables and connectors
To save time without compromising precison in compliance testing the latest generation PCIe 5.0 and 6.0 cables and connectors in line with PCI-SIG specifications, Rohde & Schwarz has developed the R&S ZNrun vector network analyser (VNA) automation suite option.
The R&S ZNrun-K440 is designed for automatic compliance testing of PCIe 5.0 and 6.0 internal and external cables and connectors in line with PCI-SIG specifications, saving users a lot of time. The test setup is based on the R&S ZNB26 or R&S ZNB43 VNA with four test ports in combination with multiple open switch and control platforms, depending on the number of the DUT (device under test) lanes for verification, to provide multiple four-port measurements without reconnecting to the DUT and repeatedly terminating the other lanes. A PCIe x8 cable, for example, has 16 lanes and requires 64 test ports, provided by three R&S OSP320 platforms, while a PCIe x4 cable only needs 32 test ports from two R&S OSP320 platforms.
For a fully automated verification of a PCIe x8 cable, for example, the software controls a setup with the ZNB VNA with a scalable R&S OSP switch matrix configuration, creating a multi-port VNA with 64 test ports. The solution reduces testing times for PCIe x8 cables to just a few minutes for complete test runs with all through and all crosstalk combinations, as well as corresponding metric calculations for pass / fail evaluations, reported Rohde & Schwarz. Manual testing takes several hours and involves major risk of connection errors by test engineers, added the company.
The R&S ZNrun-K440 solution automates all measurements in line with the PCIe specification. Post processing of defined PCIe metrices is also covered. A powerful test configurator lets test items be selected and deselected by lane to meet customer needs and preferences in R&D and verification testing. In addition to a test report with a pass / fail verdict generated at the end of the automated measurement, the setup features a new calibration procedure, which reduces the number of calibration steps and calibration connections. It also includes a method for de-embedding of the test fixture as required in the PCIe test specifications.
Each PCIe link has one, two, four, eight or 16 lane pairs, with each lane pair consisting of one differential TX and one differential RX lane. With eight lane pairs in a x8 configuration, a PCIe 6.0 cable can have transfer rates of up to 64Gbytes per second.
Certain limit mask excursions are not critical for overall PCIe 5.0 / 6.0 system behaviour, pass / fail verdicts are based on metrices such integrated return loss (iRL) and component contribution to integrated crosstalk noise (ccICN).
PCI-SIG is in the process of defining standardised cables for internal (inside a chassis) and external (chassis-to-chassis) applications, including the corresponding electrical requirements for mated cable assemblies and mated cable connectors at both 32G and 64G transfers per second. R&S ZN-run-K440 will also cover these PCIe tests, once they are standardized.
The R&S ZNrun-K440 option will be available soon and complements the Rohde & Schwarz compliance test software automation portfolio. The R&S ZNrun-K410 and R&S ZNrun-K411 options are already available for high-speed Ethernet cable assemblies in line with IEEE 802.3bj, by, cd and ck.
Rohde & Schwarz will demonstrate its automated solution for PCIe 5.0 and 6.0 cable and connector compliance testing at the PCI-SIG Developers Conference in Santa Clara (13 to 14 June 2023).
