Keysight Sampling Oscilloscopes for 1.6T Transceiver Testing

Keysight Technologies has introduced two new sampling oscilloscopes tailored to meet the demands of rapidly deploying AI data center networks that utilize 1.6T optical interconnects. These interconnects pose significant measurement challenges due to their extreme data rates and stringent signal integrity requirements. The single and dual optical channel DCA-M sampling oscilloscopes have been engineered to provide the highest optical measurement sensitivity and integrated clock recovery capabilities up to 120 GBaud. These instruments are specifically designed to address the rigorous demands of testing 1.6T transceivers for next-generation optical interconnects in AI clusters within data centers.

Engineers working on 1.6T optical interconnect applications face the task of characterizing and validating transceiver performance under a wide range of challenging operating conditions. This necessitates precise test equipment with exceptional bandwidth, low noise, and high sensitivity. In manufacturing, automated testing must be efficient, scalable, and precise to validate critical parameters across large volumes with high throughput and yield, all while meeting data center requirements and adhering to industry standards.

The DCA-M sampling oscilloscopes boast high sensitivity, low jitter, wide precision bandwidth, and cutting-edge measurement technology that maximize measurement margin. With less than 15 µW of optical channel noise and under 90 fs of intrinsic time-based jitter, these oscilloscopes maintain critical measurement margins even under the demanding signal conditions of 1.6T transceivers. This capability empowers R&D and manufacturing engineers to meet stringent specifications and ensure design reliability with enhanced throughput.

Integrated clock recovery in the DCA-M supports baud rates of up to 120 GBaud, enabling the oscilloscope to recover the clock at the full data rate as required by standards, eliminating the need to configure and route a separate sub-rate signal for clocking. This simplifies test system complexity and ensures compliance with industry standards.

To enhance production test efficiency and throughput, the FlexOTO Optical Test Optimization software seamlessly integrates with the DCA-M, maximizing instrument utilization and test efficiency while reducing the overall cost of testing. Built on the industry-leading FlexDCA measurement science platform, FlexOTO ensures the highest quality optical waveform analysis.

Osa Mok, CMO of TeraHop, expressed, “Keysight has been a reliable partner, providing critical test technologies with high performance and quality. This new line of Keysight sampling oscilloscopes will accelerate the deployment of 1.6 Tbps optical solutions for a new generation of AI compute networking applications.” Dr. Joachim Peerlings, Vice President of Network and Data Center Solutions at Keysight Technologies, emphasized, “Enabling next-generation data centers and AI clusters sets a new standard for the time-to-market and performance of R&D and manufacturing.”