Tektronix SerialXpress® Application Software - Release Notes Product: Tektronix SerialXpress® Application Software Version: 3.0 Last Revised: November 30th, 2009 Contents of these release notes: 1) Description 2) Target Platforms 3) Target Markets and Application 4) What is new in 3.0? 5) What is new in 2.2? 6) What is new in 2.1? 7) What is new in 2.0? 8) Key features & Benefits 9) Known Issues 10) Pre-requisite 11) Software Compatibility 12) Installation Notes 13) Viewing Sample Files 14) Contacting Tektronix 15) Copyright Description: SerialXpress® is a powerful easy to use software package to synthesize high speed serial data signals, for arbitrary waveform generators (AWG). Target Platforms: SerialXpress can run on AWG7000 and AWG7000B Series arbitrary waveform generators platform or as an offline version in a PC with the following operating systems: * Windows XP Professional * Windows Vista Target Markets and Applications: * Design, debug, characterization and compliance testing of high speed serial data receivers SATA, PCI-E, SAS, Display Port, Fiber Channel, HDMI, USB 3.0 Receiver Testing What is new in 3.0? a. Direct sequencing from SerialXpress Users will be able to select a set of patterns and arrange them in to a sequence. When compiled, the SerialXpress creates a AWG sequence and transfers them into AWG sequence. Application automatically takes care of the sequencer needs of the AWG and optionally adjusts for wrap-around effects between the sequence elements. b. Support for cross-talk: Users can simulate a cross talk using an 8-port touchstone file. The cross talk could be defined by defining the aggressor signal that includes amplitude, data rate, rise time and pattern c. Cascading touchstone files: Users will be able to cascade up to 6 similar touchstone files to simulate the real-life scenarios where multiple channels and connectors are all connected serially. d. Support for scrambling: You could define a polynomial to scramble the input pattern e. Marker settings: User can chose different ways of creating markers including all high, all low and clock patterns. f. Presets: A set of "ready to use" SerialXpress setups are provided in the form of Presets. Presets are available for SATA-Gen1, SATA-Gen2, SATA-Gen3, Displayport, HDMI and USB 3.0. Selecting Preset for a given standard loads the appropriate setup into SerialXpress saving the users the trouble of setting up each parameter. g. Improved Idle state support Idle state could be defined as a part of the pattern definition along with binary / symbol / Hex formats (by using the word "z"). You could also give an offset to Idle state h. You could define the compiled waveform length in "time" i. Up to 3 band limited Random Jitter (Rj) can be defined What is new in 2.2? Support for long waveforms: Users create large waveforms (greater than 32M samples) and transfer them to AWG Random seed: Users can select random seed to generate random jitter. This helps to create same random jitter with each waveform compilation. Repetition count: Using repetition count, the waveform length can be controlled. This will decide how many times the base pattern is repeated. SSC Frequency deviation increased up to 200,000ppm Create Pre/De-emphasis up to 20dB Amplitude of the output waveform can be specified by min and max values USB3.0 patterns added under USB standard What is new in 2.1? Bug fixes What is new in 2.0 Programmatic interface: The application can be controlled using SCPI commands when it’s running on the Arbitrary Waveform Generator instruments. The programmatic interface can be used either with GPIB or on LAN. Improved SSC support: a.Frequency deviation increased up to 60000 ppm b.Frequency modulation increased up to 500 KHz c.Support for Custom Modulation - Custom SSC profile allows you to import your own user defined profile by literally allowing any kind of shape to be added as SSC to the base pattern. d.Ability to define the exact location and duration of df/dt on the SSC slope. Marker output support: Ability to directly configure Marker outputs to input base pattern or clock. Support for symbol input in base pattern: You can now create a base pattern using symbols (K and D words) instead of zeroes and ones. This simplifies creation of base patterns. USB Pattern support: USB 2.0 patterns are pre-packaged with this version of SerialXpress Key Features & Benefits Flexibility: Jitter generation has now become so flexible that now the user has the freedom to try various permutations and combinations of Jitter parameters like Pj, Rj, ISI, Noise, etc. Replicate scenarios: The signals are digitally synthesized. All Arbitrary Waveform Generator setups can be recalled and the scenarios can be replicated on any other Arbitrary Waveform Generator within seconds. Analog nature of digital signals: In reality all digital signals are analog in nature and hence SerialXpress exploits the capabilities of an Arbitrary Waveform Generator to generate real world signals. Ease of use: It is easy to integrate a multitude of Sj tones into the waveforms at no additional cost. Band-limited Rj can be injected with ease. Simple test set-up: The generation of Pre/De-emphasis or arbitrary impairments is a purely numerical process and so is virtually unlimited in the types of signal generation that can be achieved. It also eliminates the need for equipments like power combiners, power dividers and their associated complexities. Channel emulation through S-parameter filter: Touchstone files can easily be inserted to simulate the exact behavior of cable emulators, which can be again controlled and modified by adding Jitter and other parameters. You can also tweak the imported touchstone file data to adjust the ISI to see how the receiver responds to those variations. The effect of the channel can also be de-embedded by selecting the Inverse filtering option. Closed EYE can be opened up by adding right amount of pre-emphasis or by varying the Rise Time. ISI Direct Dial-in: ISI can be directly dialed-in at ease. It’s no longer necessary to use FR4 traces which are inflexible and need frequent calibration when switching from one to another. Supports a wide variety of standards: SerialXpress can cater to any emerging standard from 500 Kbps to 6 Gbps when teamed with the appropriate Tektronix AWG. Offlinemode: SerialXpress application can run on an external PC, thereby reducing the time taken to synthesize large waveforms and leaving the Arbitrary Waveform Generator free for continued testing. Known Issues: * Since ISI is a Data Dependent Jitter, it needs manual calibration based on Input Pattern, Rise Time and the Data Rate. Calibration feature in SerialXpress works only for Random Jitter (Rj) and Periodic Jitter(Pj) * Waveform greater than 35M record length cannot be imported using Import from Tektronix Oscilloscope option * When importing a Math or Ref waveform from Tektronix Oscilloscope, a math equation must be created on the Oscilloscope and Reference memory must contain a valid waveform. Otherwise the application will crash. * PRBS equation is not restored when Reset to default button is clicked on PRBS Dialog Pre-requisite: - Microsoft .NET 2.0 runtime framework is required for SerialXpress to run. - MATLAB Runtime version 7.6 is required for SerialXpress to run. - TekVISA version 3.3.2.7 or above is needed to run Calibration and Import waveform from Oscilloscopes. - For transferring data from SerialXpress to the AWG, you must first run the AWG application before starting the SerialXpress application. Software Compatibility: The following table shows the individual components of the Tektronix SerialXpress Application Software, other software components required by SerialXpress, and their version numbers. Also shown are the other major SerialXpress software components that are external to the application Software (that are installed separately). Release 3.0 SerialXpress Application SW 3.0 SerialXpress Application 3.3.0.172 TekVISA 3.3.2.7 MATLAB Runtime 7.6 Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Where to get TekVISA? TekVISA compatible with SerialXpress can be downloaded from the following link: www.tek.com/site/sw/search or Application CD browser To define the search criteria, use TekVISA in the search by Keyword field Where to get Microsoft .NET Framework? Microsoft .NET framework can be freely downloaded from the Microsoft website: www.microsoft.com or Application CD browser Where to get MatLab Runtime 7.6? MATLAB Runtime Environment is installed automaticlly if it is not found. Running SerialXpress on Windows Vista In Windows Vista, you must always run SerialXpress with Administrator privileges. To do so, right-click either on the SerialXpress desktop shortcut or on the SerialXpress application from Windows Start menu >All Programs > Tektronix SerialXpress and select Run as Administrator from the shortcut menu. Does SerialXpress support 64-bit processor? No, SerialXpress supports only 32-bit processor. Installation Notes: You need to have administrator privileges to install Tektronix SerialXpress software in your system. If you have not installed the required version of TekVISA, MATLAB runtime and .Net Framework 2.0 or above then the SerialXpress installation program will detect and prompt you to install them. If you want to reinstall your Tektronix SerialXpress application software, you must first uninstall the existing software. You can uninstall the software by going to Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs and selecting SerialXpress. You can also uninstall SerialXpress from Start > Programs > Tektronix SerialXpress. If a failure occurs at any point during the installation of SerialXpress, the installer will not perform a complete uninstall. For this reason, it is important not to pre-maturely close the installer application by clicking on its close box in the upper-right corner of the background window; the installer willautomatically close the background window. For details regarding the installation and use of SerialXpress software, refer to the SerialXpress Installation Manual.pdf file. Viewing Sample Files The installation program will copy several SerialXpress sample files onto the target folder. You can open this folder from target folder\Samples. Contacting Tektronix: If you have any questions, please contact the Tektronix Technical Support Center: Phone 1-800-833-9200* Address Tektronix, Inc. 14200 SW Karl Braun Drive P.O. Box 500 Beaverton, OR, 97077 USA Web site www.tektronix.com Sales support 1-800-833-9200, select option 1* Service support 1-800-833-9200, select option 2* Technical Support Email: techsupport@tektronix.com 1-800-833-9200, select option 3* 6:00 a.m - 5:00 p.m. Pacific time -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This number is toll free in North America. After office hours, please leave a voice mail message. Outside North America, contact a Tektronix sales office or distributor; see the Tektronix web site for a list of offices. Copyright Copyright © Tektronix. All rights reserved. TEKTRONIX and TEK are registered trademarks of Tektronix, Inc. The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE. MATLAB(R) Copyright 1984 - 2007 The MathWorks, Inc.