Signal Integrity Fundamentals

Signal Integrity Fundamentals

Table of Contents
Signal Integrity Described . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Digital Technology and the Information Age . . . . . . . 3
Rising Bandwidth Challenges Digital Design . . . . 3 - 4
Review of Signal Integrity Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . 4 - 8
Problems Created by Digital Timing Issues . . . . . . . . . . 5
Isolating Analog Deviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Eye Diagrams: A Shortcut for Quickly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Detecting Signal Integrity Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Signal Integrity Measurement Requirements . . . 9 - 25

Discovering Digital Faults Using Logic Analyzers . . . . . . 9
Logic Analyzer Probing Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Uncovering Analog Diviations
with Digital Oscilloscopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Oscilloscope Probing Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Revealing the Frequency Domain
with Real-Time Spectrum Analyzers . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Identify Signal Integrity Problems
with Integrated Measurement Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Simplifying Complex Measurements
with Jitter Analysis Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Providing Critical Impedance Measurements
with Time Domain Reflectometry Solutions . . . . . . . 22
Signal Generators Complete the
Measurement System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

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Signal Integrity Fundamentals

Signal Integrity Described

By definition, integrity means complete and unimpaired.
Likewise, a digital signal with good integrity has clean, fast
transitions; stable and valid logic levels; accurate placement
in time and it would be free of any transients.

Evolving technology makes it increasingly difficult

for system developers to produce and maintain
complete, unimpaired signals in digital systems.
The purpose of this primer is to provide some insight into
signal integrity-related problems in digital systems, and to
describe their causes, characteristics, effects, and solutions.

Digital Technology and the

Information Age
Its been over twenty years since the personal computer
emerged and almost as long since cellular telephony went
from being a novelty to a consumer necessity. For both, one
trend has remained constant: the demand for more features
and services, and the need for more bandwidth to deliver
them. First-generation PC users were excited about the
power of creating a simple spreadsheet. Now they demand
detailed graphics, high-quality audio, and fast-streaming
video. And, cell phones are hardly a tool anymore for just
conversation.
Our much-smaller world now depends on increasingly more
content and its rapid, reliable delivery. The term Information
Age was coined to describe this new interwoven, interdependent, data-based culture.
With the Information Age has come a steady stream of
technology breakthroughs in the fields of semiconductors,
PC bus architectures, network infrastructures, and
digital wireless communications. In PCs and especially
in servers processor speeds have escalated into the
multi-GHz range, and memory throughput and internal bus
speeds have risen right along with them.

These dramatically increased rates support computer

applications such as 3D games and computer-aided design
programs. Sophisticated 3D imagery requires a huge amount
of bandwidth at the circuit board level, where the CPU, the
graphics subsystem, and the memory has to move data,
constantly, as the image moves.
Computers are just one facet of the bandwidth-hungry
Information Age. Digital communication equipment designers
(and particularly those developing the electrical and optical
infrastructure elements for both mobile and fixed networks)
are moving toward 40 Gb/s data rates. And digital video
product development teams are designing a new generation
of transmission equipment for high-definition, interactive
video.
Numerous technologies are pushing these data rate
advancements. Serial buses are emerging to break the speed
barriers inherent in older, parallel bus architectures. In some
cases, system clocks are intentionally dithered to reduce
unintended radiated emissions. And smaller, denser circuit
boards using ball grid array ICs and buried vias have become
common as developers look for ways to maximize density
and minimize path lengths.

Rising Bandwidth Challenges Digital

Design
Todays digital bandwidth race requires innovative thinking.
Bus cycle times are now up to a thousand times faster
than they were twenty years ago. Transactions that once
took microseconds are now measured in nanoseconds.
To achieve this improvement, edge speeds today are now
a hundred times faster than before.
Circuit board technology, however, has not kept pace
because of certain physical realities. The propagation time of
inter-chip buses has remained virtually unchanged. Although
geometries have shrunk, circuit boards still need sufficient
space for IC devices, connectors, passive components, and
of course, the bus traces themselves. This space equates to
distance, and distance means delay the enemy of speed.

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Signal Integrity Fundamentals

Its important to remember that the edge speed or rise

time of a digital signal can carry much higher frequency
components than its repetition rate might imply. Its actually
the higher frequency components that create the desired
fast transitions in a digital signal. With todays high-speed
serial buses, there is often significant energy at the 5th
harmonic of the clock rate.
As a result, circuit board traces just six inches long become
transmission lines when driven with signals exhibiting edge
rates below four to six nanoseconds. Circuit board traces
are no longer simple conductors. At lower frequencies, a
trace exhibits mostly resistive characteristics. As frequencies
increase, a trace begins to act like a capacitor. At the highest
frequencies, a traces inductance plays a larger role.
Signal integrity problems increase at higher frequencies.
Transmission line effects are critical. Impedance discontinuities along the signal path create reflections, which degrade
signal edges. Crosstalk increases. Power supply decoupling
becomes far less effective, as ground planes and power
planes become inductive and act like transmission lines.
EMI (electromagnetic interference) goes up as faster edge
speeds produce shorter wavelengths relative to the bus
length, which creates unintended radiated emissions.
These emissions increase crosstalk and can cause a digital
device to fail EMC (electromagnetic compliance) testing.
Faster edge speeds generally also require higher currents
to produce them. Higher currents tend to cause ground
bounce, especially on wide buses in which many signals
switch at once. Also, higher current increases the amount
of radiated magnetic energy and, with it, crosstalk.
As data rates increase to the gigabit range and beyond,
digital designers face all the frustrations that come with high
frequency design. An ideal digital pulse is cohesive in time
and amplitude, is free from deviations and jitter, and has fast,

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clean transitions. As system speeds increase it becomes

increasingly more difficult to maintain ideal signal characteristics, requiring careful consideration of signal integrity issues.

Review of Signal Integrity Concepts

At frequencies in the gigahertz range, a host of variables
can affect signal integrity: signal path design, impedances
and loading, transmission line effects, and even power
distribution on or off the circuit board.

The design engineers mission is to minimize

these problems from the start, and to correct
them when they do appear.
To do that, they must investigate both of the fundamental
sources of signal degradation: digital issues and analog
issues.

Problems Created by Digital Timing Issues

An engineer working with an evolving digital system design
is likely to encounter signal integrity problems in their
digital form. Binary signals on the bus or device outputs
produce incorrect values. The errors may appear in the
waveform (timing measurement) view on a logic analyzer,
and they may also show up at the state or even the protocol
level. It only takes one bad bit to dramatically affect the
outcome of an instruction or transaction.
Digital signal aberrations stem from many root causes.
Timing-related issues are especially common:
Bus Contention - Bus contention occurs when two driver
devices try to use the same bus line at the same time.
Normally, one of the drivers should go to a high impedance state and not hinder the other while it sends data.
If the high impedance device doesnt change in time,
the two drivers then contend for the bus. Neither driver
prevails, forcing the bus to an indeterminate amplitude

Signal Integrity Fundamentals

Every Design Detail is Important

At clock frequencies in the hundreds of megahertz
and above, every design detail is important to
minimize signal integrity problems:
Clock distribution
Signal path design
Stubs
Noise margin
Impedances and loading
Transmission line effects
Signal path return currents
Termination
Decoupling
Power distribution

that may fail to reach the threshold voltage. This creates,

for example, a 0 logic level where there should be a 1.
With a high-speed bus, this situation is complicated further
by the time of flight between the contending sources and
the receiver.
Setup and Hold Violations - Setup and hold violations
are increasing as digital systems push to faster speeds.
A clocked device, such as a D flip flop, requires the data
to be stable at its input for a specified time before the
clock arrives. This is known as setup time. Similarly, the
input data must remain valid for a specified time after
the leading edge of the clock. This is known as hold
time. Violating setup and/or hold requirements can cause
unpredictable glitches on the output, or can cause there

to be no output transition at all. Setup and hold times are

decreasing as device speeds increase, making the timing
relationships harder to troubleshoot.
Metastability - Metastability is an indeterminate or unstable data state that results from a timing violation, such as
a setup and hold problem. As a result, the output signal
might be late or achieve an illegal output level, such as a
runt, a glitch, or even the wrong logic level.
Undefined Conditions - Undefined conditions can occur
when the switching states on multiple inputs of a logic
device are not correctly aligned in time. This may be
caused by variations or errors in the delay on these input
signals.
Inter-Symbol Interference (ISI) - ISI is when one symbol
interferes with subsequent symbols, creating distortion
of the signal. It is caused by jitter and noise due to high
frequency losses and reflections.
Logic analyzers have powerful tools to help users acquire and
analyze digital signals in many formats. Todays advanced
logic analyzers can capture data from thousands of test
points simultaneously, then display streams of digital pulses
and their placement in time relative to each another.
With this type of conventional logic analyzer acquisition,
amplitude errors and glitches can appear to be valid logic
levels even though they contain incorrect data. It may be
possible to see an error value in the hexadecimal code,
for example, but the display wont show why the error is
occurring. It can be very difficult to find the cause of a
logic error if there is no means to probe further into the
signals behavior.

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Signal Integrity Fundamentals

Isolating Analog Deviations

Many digital problems are much easier to pinpoint if you
can probe deeply into the signals behavior and see the
analog representation of the flawed digital signal. Although
the problem may appear as a misplaced digital pulse,
the cause of the problem signal often is due to its analog
characteristics. Analog characteristics can become digital
faults when low-amplitude signals turn into incorrect logic
states, or when slow rise times cause pulses to shift in time.
Seeing a digital pulse stream with a simultaneous analog
view of the same pulses is the first step in tracking down
these kinds of problems.
Oscilloscopes are commonly used to identify the root
cause of signal integrity problems by analyzing a signals
analog characteristics. They can display waveform details,
edges and noise, and they can also detect and display
transients. With powerful triggering and analysis features,
an oscilloscope can track down analog aberrations and help
the design engineer find device problems causing faults.

Common causes of analog deviations:

Figure 1. Amplitude problems.

Amplitude Problems Amplitude problems include

ringing (oscillation), droop (decreased amplitude at the
start of a pulse), and runt pulses (those which dont
reach full amplitude).

Figure 2. Edge aberrations.

Edge Aberrations Edge aberrations can result

from board layout problems or from improper termination
or even quality problems in the semiconductor devices.
Aberrations can include preshoot, rounding, overshoot,
ringing, and slow rise time.

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Signal Integrity Fundamentals

Figure 3. Reflections.

Figure 5. Ground bounce.

Reflections Reflections can be caused by termination

and board layout problems, where the outgoing signal
bounces back toward its source and interferes with
subsequent pulses.

Ground Bounce Ground bounce, caused by excessive

current draw (and/or resistance in the power supply
and ground return paths), can cause a circuits ground
reference level to shift when current demands are high.

Figure 4. Crosstalk.

Figure 6. Jitter.

Crosstalk Crosstalk can occur when long traces

running next to each other couple their signals together
through mutual capacitance and inductance. In addition,
the higher current embodied in fast edges increases the
amount of radiated magnetic energy, and with it,
crosstalk.

Jitter Jitter is defined as edge placement variations

from cycle to cycle. Some important causes of jitter are
noise, crosstalk and timing instability. This can affect timing
accuracy and synchronization throughout a digital system.

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Signal Integrity Fundamentals

Eye Diagrams: A Shortcut For Quickly

Detecting Signal Integrity Problems

possible positive-going and negative-going transitions

(edges) and both data states in a single window. The
resulting image resembles an eye.
Ideally, each new trace would align perfectly on top of
the ones coming before it. In reality, however, signal
integrity factors cause the composite trace to blur as
it accumulates, with jitter causing a horizontal blur and
noise causing a vertical one.

Figure 7. Example of an eye diagram.

The eye diagram is a visual tool to observe the

general signal integrity on a clocked bus. It is a required
compliance testing tool for many of todays buses,
particularly serial types, but any signal line can be
viewed as an eye diagram.
The eye diagram (see Figure 7) is built up by overlaying
the waveform traces from many successive unit intervals
(UI). Eye diagrams display serial data with respect to
a clock recovered from the data signal using either
hardware or software tools. The diagram displays all

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Because an eye diagram presents all possible logic

transitions in a single view, it can also provide a fast
assessment of a signals condition. It can reveal such
analog problems as slow rise times, inter-symbol interference and attenuation levels. Some engineers start
their evaluations by looking first at eye diagrams, then
tracking down any deviations.
Many modern digitizing oscilloscopes offer tools that
can expedite complex clock recovery, triggering and
scaling, then perform quantitative measurements on
the data. These new software and hardware tools have
now incorporated the eye diagram measurement as a
standard, one-button operation.

Signal Integrity Fundamentals

Signal Integrity Measurement

Requirements
Direct signal observations and measurements are the only
ways to discover many causes of signal integrity-related
problems. As always, using the right tool will simplify
any task. Most signal integrity measurements are made
with the familiar combination of instruments found in
most electronics engineering labs: the logic analyzer, the
oscilloscope and, in some cases, the spectrum analyzer.
Probes and application software to perform tasks like
jitter analysis round out the basic toolkit. Signal sources
can be used to provide distorted signals for stress testing
and evaluation of new devices and systems. They can
also provide missing system inputs, or they can replicate
sensor signals to the device during test. A time-domain
reflectometry solution is helpful for tracking signal path
impedance problems, such as impedance mismatch and
other signal integrity problems that cause reflections or
amplitude loss.

Discovering Digital Faults Using Logic

Analyzers
As mentioned earlier, the logic analyzer is the first line of
defense for digital troubleshooting, especially for complex
systems with numerous buses, inputs and outputs. A logic
analyzer has the high channel count to acquire digital
information from many test points, and then display that
information coherently to identify problems.
Because its a digital instrument, the logic analyzer detects
threshold crossings on the signals its monitoring, then
displays the logic signals. Figure 8 shows a typical timing
diagram from a logic analyzer. The resulting digital waveforms
are clear and understandable, and can easily be compared
with expected data to confirm that the device is working

Figure 8. Logic analyzer display showing a timing diagram.

correctly. These waveforms are usually the starting point in

the search for problems that compromise signal integrity.
Logic analyzers offer two different data acquisition modes:
"state" and timing. State (or synchronous) acquisition is
used to acquire the state of the device under test (DUT).
A signal from the DUT defines when and how often data will
be acquired. The signal used to clock the acquisition may be
the devices clock, a control signal on the bus or a signal that
causes the DUT to change states. Data is sampled on the
active edge and represents the condition of the DUT when
the logic signals are stable.
Timing (or asynchronous) acquisition captures signal timing
information to create timing diagrams. In this mode, a clock
internal to the logic analyzer is used to sample data. There is
no fixed-timing relationship between the target device and the
data acquired by the logic analyzer. This mode is used when
a long, contiguous record of timing details is needed.

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Signal Integrity Fundamentals

Triggering Flexibility
CLK

D
Glitch
Q
t = timing resolution

Logic Analyzer Sampling

Figure 9. A logic analyzers timing resolution determines its ability to detect and
display signal deviations.

Timing Resolution
Timing diagrams are useful in detecting intermittent glitches.
These erratic pulses are unpredictable and often irregular
in amplitude and duration, which makes them difficult to
detect and capture. The logic analyzers timing resolution
will determine its ability to detect and display glitches, as
shown in Figure 9. The higher the timing resolution, the more
likely an event will be seen and triggered on, enabling further
analysis of the problem.

Memory Depth
Memory depth will impact a logic analyzers ability to detect
elusive problems. Memory depth, along with timing resolution, determines how much time and detail can be captured
in a single acquisition. The total acquisition time at a given
sample rate (or timing resolution) will increase as memory
depth increases. Likewise, deeper memory allows for a
higher sample rate, enabling more signal detail to be
captured. Acquiring more samples increases the chance
of capturing an error as well as the fault that caused it.

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Triggering flexibility is the key to fast, efficient detection of

unseen problems. In a logic analyzer, triggering is used to
set conditions that, when met, will tell the logic analyzer to
acquire data and display the result. When a logic analyzer
triggers on an error, it is proof that the error has occurred,
which enables fast detection. Most logic analyzers today
include triggers to detect events that compromise signal
integrity, like glitches and setup and hold time violations.
A unique strength of a logic analyzer is that these trigger
conditions can be applied across hundreds of channels
at once.
With its ability to analyze hundreds to thousands of digital
lines at a time, the logic analyzer is a powerful tool for
discovering device faults for further analysis. For fast and
efficient debugging, its important to carefully look at usability
features like triggering, as well as performance attributes,
when choosing a logic analyzer solution.

Logic Analyzer Probing Solutions

A logic analyzers probing scheme plays a critical role in
high-speed digital acquisition. It's critical that the probe
deliver the signal to the logic analyzer with the highest
possible fidelity. Most logic analyzer probes fulfill this
fundamental requirement, but some take the concept
even further.
Some logic analyzers require separate probing connections
for timing and state acquisitions. This is known as double
probing, which is a technique that can compromise the
signal environment, affecting the actual measurements
themselves. For example, connecting two probes at once
to the test point can create unacceptable levels of signal
loading. Connecting them individually exposes the test point
to double the risk of damage or misconnection. Moreover,
it is time-consuming to connect two probes.

Signal Integrity Fundamentals

Some logic analyzers have the ability to measure both timing

and state acquisitions through one probe. This simultaneous
timing/state acquisition speeds troubleshooting and supports
signal integrity analysis tasks by minimizing the impact of
probes on the DUT.
Recent advancements have taken logic analyzer probing
technology to a new level. The latest generation of probes
can carry both digital information to the logic analyzer while
also delivering the same information to an oscilloscope as
analog signals. Any pin of the probe can be used for both
digital and analog acquisition. The analog signal routes
through the logic analyzer to an external oscilloscope, making
it possible to determine, almost instantly, if a digital error is
associated with an analog fault.
In high performance digital systems, a dedicated test point
is usually the most practical way to measure signals. Some
dedicated test points are fitted with pins to simplify their
connection with clip-on probes and leadsets. These types
of test connectors have an effect on the target devices
signal environment, even when they arent connected to a
logic analyzer.
A logic analyzers probes can also mount to dedicated
connectors on the DUT. The matched impedance connector,
MICTOR, is a compact, high-density connector joined to a
matching connector on the logic analyzer probe. Boardmounted connectors add cost to the target device, and they
can affect high-speed signal operation, but they do provide
fast, positive connections.
High-density (HD) compression logic analyzer probes and
D-Max probing technology have emerged to provide an
alternative to conventional MICTOR probe connectors.
These probes don't require connectors on the DUT. Instead,
they mate directly to land pads on the circuit board.

Figure 10. D-MaxTM connectorless analyzer probe.

Figure 10 shows a D-Max connectorless probe installed

on a circuit board, which is held in place by threaded inserts.
Connectorless probes address lead inductance and also
offer very low capacitive loading. They also provide both
single-ended and differential measurements with no tradeoffs
in channel count.
A D-Max connectorless logic analyzer probe has much
less of an impact on the circuit board than a MICTOR-style
connection, but land pads still must be designed into the
board layout. The location at which a bus is probed can
make a difference in the appearance of the signals. Because
of that, its preferable to place test connection points close
to the receiving devices, where signals exhibit the
characteristics that will be seen by the logic ICs. The
D-Max connectorless probes small footprint offers flexibility
in this placement.

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Signal Integrity Fundamentals

Uncovering Analog Deviations with

Digitizing Oscilloscopes
Another major signal integrity measurement solution is the
digitizing oscilloscope. The oscilloscope is used to isolate
analog problems once they have been captured, in their
digital form, by the logic analyzer. The oscilloscope can
display waveform details, edges and noise; it can detect
and display transients and it can precisely measure timing
relationships like setup and hold times. Since digital errors
are often related to analog signal integrity problems, the
oscilloscope is a valuable tool in determining the cause of
a digital fault.
Digitizing oscilloscopes come in different forms, such as
the digital storage oscilloscope (DSO), the digital phosphor
oscilloscope (DPO), and the sampling oscilloscope. The
DSO is ideal for low-repetition rate signals with fast edges
or narrow pulse widths. The DSO also excels at capturing
one-time events and transients, and is the best solution for
high-speed, multi-channel design applications.
The DPO is the right tool for digital troubleshooting, for
finding intermittent signals, and for many types of eye
diagram and mask testing. The DPOs extraordinary
waveform capture rate overlays sweep after sweep of
information more quickly than any other oscilloscope,
providing frequency-of-occurrence details, in color and
intensity, with unmatched clarity. Figure 11 shows a DPO
display with intensity-grading.

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Figure 11. A digital phosphor oscilloscope with an intensity-graded display offers fast
insight into elusive problems.

A digital sampling oscilloscope is a better-suited tool when

the bandwidth (or the accuracy at high bandwidth) of a realtime oscilloscope isn't enough. The sampling oscilloscope
is an ideal tool for accurately capturing repetitive signals with
frequency components that are much higher than the oscilloscopes sample rate. The digital sampling oscilloscope is
capable of measuring signals of nearly an order of magnitude
faster than any other oscilloscope. By using sequential
equivalent-time sampling of repetitive signals, it can achieve
bandwidths of up to 100 GHz.
When choosing an oscilloscope, there are several key
performance considerations that impact the quality of signal
integrity measurements. These include bandwidth, rise time,
sample rate, waveform capture rate, record length, and
triggering flexibility.

Signal Integrity Fundamentals

Figure 12 shows a typical frequency response plot for a

1 GHz oscilloscope, including the characteristic roll-off and
specified -3 dB point.

Amplitude error (%)

100

Without adequate bandwidth, an oscilloscope will not be

able to resolve high-frequency changes. Amplitude will be
distorted, edges will disappear and details will be lost.
Without adequate bandwidth, all the strengths and special
features of the oscilloscope will mean nothing.

85

70.7
0.1

0.5
Frequency (GHz)

-3 dB
1.0

Figure 12. Typical frequency response plot for a 1 GHz oscilloscope.

Bandwidth
When troubleshooting designs with high data rates or fast
rise time signals, oscilloscope bandwidth is critical. The edge
speed (rise time) of a digital signal can carry much higher
frequency components than its repetition rate might imply.
An oscilloscope must have sufficient bandwidth to capture
the higher frequency components, and therefore show signal
transitions accurately.
All oscilloscopes have a low-pass frequency response that
rolls off at higher frequencies. Traditionally, oscilloscope
bandwidth has been specified as being the frequency at
which a sinusoidal input signal is attenuated to 70.7% of the
signals true amplitude. This is known as the -3 dB point,
which is a term based on a logarithmic scale. It means that
a sine wave measured at the oscilloscopes bandwidth rating
will have an amplitude error of -3 dB, or almost 30%.

To determine the oscilloscope bandwidth needed to accurately characterize signal amplitude for a specific application,
the 5 Times Rule is useful:
The 5 Times Rule:
Oscilloscope Bandwidth

Highest Frequency x 5
Component of Signal

An oscilloscope selected using the 5 Times Rule will have

less than a +/- 2% measurement error. In general, a higher
bandwidth will provide a more accurate reproduction of the
signal of interest.
For debug of todays high-speed serial buses, achieving the
5 Times Rule can be challenging given the fast data rates.
For design debug, its common to choose an oscilloscope
bandwidth that's three times higher than the fastest digital
clock rate in the DUT and therefore able to capture the
3rd harmonic of the clock rate. For characterization and
compliance testing of high-speed buses, the oscilloscope
often needs to capture the 5th harmonic, requiring a bandwidth that is five times higher than the DUTs clock rate.

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Signal Integrity Fundamentals

Serial Bus
Data Rate
3.0 Gbps
(SATA II)
4.25 Gb/s
(Fibre Channel)

Clock
Frequency

3rd
Harmonic

5th
Harmonic

1.5 GHz

4.5 GHz

7.5 GHz

TTL
CMOS

2.125 GHz

6.375 GHz

10.625 GHz

4.8 Gb/s
(FBD)

2.4 GHz

7.2 GHz

12.0 GHz

5.0 Gb/s
(USB 3.0)

2.5 GHz

7.5 GHz

12.5 GHz

5.0 Gb/s
(PCI-Express II)

2.5 GHz

7.5 GHz

12.5 GHz

6.0 Gb/s
(SATA III)

3.0 GHz

9.0 GHz

15.0 GHz

6.25 Gb/s
(2x XAUI)

3.125 GHz

9.375 GHz

15.625 GHz

8.0 Gb/s
(PCI-Express III)

4.0 GHz

12.0 GHz

20.0 GHz

8.5 Gb/s
(Fibre Channel)

4.25 GHz

12.75 GHz

21.25 GHz

10.0 Gb/s
(XFI)

5.0 GHz

15.0 GHz

25.0 GHz

Chart 1. Common serial bus data rates and the required oscilloscope bandwidths to
capture the 3rd and 5th harmonics.

Chart 1 shows common serial bus data rates and the

resulting oscilloscope bandwidths to capture the 3rd and
5th harmonics. It illustrates how todays high-speed buses
require substantial oscilloscope bandwidths.

Rise Time
In the digital world, rise time measurements are critical. Rise
time may actually be a more appropriate performance consideration than bandwidth when choosing an oscilloscope to
measure digital signals like pulses and steps. Since semiconductor device technology advances have brought faster edge
performance to virtually every logic family, its important to
remember that many digital systems that are designed with
slower clock rates may still have very fast edges (Chart 2).

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Logic Family

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Typical Signal Rise Time

2 ns
1.5 ns

GTL

1 ns

LVDS

400 ps

ECL

100 ps

GaAs

40 ps

Chart 2. Some logic families produce inherently faster rise times than others.

To calculate the oscilloscope rise time required for a specific

signal type, the following equation is useful:
1
5

Oscilloscope Rise Time Fastest Rise Time of Signal x

The basis for the oscilloscope rise time selection is similar to

that for bandwidth. In general, an oscilloscope with faster rise
time will more accurately capture the critical details of fast
transitions. Just as with bandwidth, achieving this rule of
thumb can be difficult when dealing with the extreme speeds
of todays high-speed serial buses.
The rise time measured by the oscilloscope will depend on
both the actual signal rise time and the oscilloscope rise time.
The faster the oscilloscope rise time, the more accurate the
measured rise time will be. A general formula for the net
measured rise time is:
Measured
Rise Time =

Signal
(Oscilloscope
Rise Time ) + ( Rise Time)

Signal Integrity Fundamentals

If the rise time of the oscilloscope is unknown, it can be

calculated from the specified bandwidth by using the following equation:
Bandwidth =

k
Rise Time

Where k is a value between 0.35 and 0.45, depending on

the shape of the oscilloscopes frequency response curve
and pulse rise time response.
Most oscilloscopes with a bandwidth specification of less
than 1 GHz have a slow frequency response roll-off, similar
to a Gaussian response, and they can be modeled with
a k value of 0.35. Higher bandwidth oscilloscopes typically
have a maximally flat frequency response with a sharp
roll-off, closer to a brick wall filter, and can be modeled
with a k value of 0.42.

Sample Rate
Sample rate specified in samples per second (S/s)
refers to how frequently a digital oscilloscope takes a sample,
or a visual snapshot, of the signal. A faster sample rate
provides greater resolution and detail of the displayed
waveform, making it less likely that critical information or
events will be lost.
In order to accurately reconstruct a signal and avoid aliasing,
the Nyquist theorem states that the signal must be sampled
at a rate of at least twice as fast as its highest frequency
component. But, the theorem assumes an infinite record
length and a continuous signal. Since no oscilloscope is
capable of infinite record length, and because, by definition,
glitches aren't continuous, sampling at only twice the rate
of the highest frequency component is usually insufficient.

Waveform Capture Rate

The waveform capture rate, expressed as waveforms per
second (wfms/s), determines how frequently the oscilloscope
captures a signal. While the sample rate indicates how
frequently the oscilloscope samples the input signal within
one waveform, or cycle, the waveform capture rate refers to
how quickly an oscilloscope acquires the whole waveform.
Oscilloscopes with high waveform capture rates provide
significantly more visual insight into signal behavior. They
can dramatically increase the probability that the oscilloscope
will quickly capture transient anomalies like jitter, runt pulses,
glitches, and transition errors.

Record Length
Record length is the number of samples the oscilloscope
can digitize and store in a single acquisition. Since an oscilloscope can store only a limited number of samples, the
waveform duration or length of time captured will be
inversely proportional to the oscilloscopes sample rate.

Time Interval =

Record Length
Sample Rate

Todays oscilloscopes allow the user to select the record

length for an acquisition to optimize the level of detail
needed for the application. If a very stable sinusoidal signal is
being analyzed, a 500-point record length may be sufficient.
However, if a complex digital data stream is being analyzed
for the causes of timing anomalies, a record length of over
a million points may be required. A longer record length
enables a longer time window to be captured with high
resolution (high sample rate).

In reality, accurate reconstruction of a signal depends on

both the sample rate and the interpolation method used to
fill in the spaces between the samples. Some oscilloscopes
offer sin(x)/x interpolation for measuring sinusoidal signals,
or linear interpolation for square waves, pulses, and other
signal types.
Oscilloscope Sample Rate > 2.5 x highest frequency component of signal
(For sin(x)/x interpolation)

Oscilloscope Sample Rate > 10 x highest frequency component of signal

(For linear interpolation)

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Signal Integrity Fundamentals

Trigger Flexibility
The triggering functions in an oscilloscope are just as critical
as those in the logic analyzer. Like a logic analyzer, the
oscilloscopes trigger is proof that a specified type of event
occurred. Modern oscilloscopes offer triggers for a host of
analog events:
Edge levels and slew rate conditions
Pulse characteristics, including glitches,
low-amplitude events and even width conditions
Setup and hold time violations
Serial digital patterns
All of these trigger types can assist engineers in detecting
and isolating signal integrity problems. There are also
various combinations of voltage, timing, and logic triggers,
as well as specialty triggers, for applications such as serial
data compliance testing.
The oscilloscope is a critical piece of the signal integrity
measurement solution. Once a digital fault has been isolated,
the oscilloscope can provide detailed analysis of the digital
signal to identify possible analog problems. For quality measurements, and for efficient debug, its important to look carefully at the performance of the oscilloscope to ensure it can
meet the challenges of the signals being analyzed. The key
to fast and efficient debug is usability features like triggering
flexibility and tools to efficiently navigate long record lengths.

Oscilloscope Probing Solutions

The oscilloscope probe is a critical element in signal integrity
analysis measurements. Essentially, the probe must bring the
systems full bandwidth and step response performance to
the test point. Also, it must be durable and small enough to
probe densely-packed circuit boards.
During troubleshooting for signal integrity problems, its
usually necessary to have one probe fixed on a test point
at which an error appears and another probe that can follow
the signal path to isolate the source of the problem.

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Figure 13. Probe loading effects on a high-speed signal.

For high-speed work, two important characteristics of a

probe are its capacitance and its inductance. Every probe
has resistance, inductance, and capacitance. The effects
of capacitance and inductance, however, increase with
frequency. Their combined effects can change the signal
and its measurement results.
Figure 13 demonstrates the probe loading effects on a typical
high-speed signal (ground-referenced 250 mV step with
about 200 ps rise time). This screen shows the same signal,
loaded and unloaded, on a 4 GHz oscilloscope. The addition
of the probe has loaded the original signal (the white trace),
as shown by the green trace, with the front corner of the step
being somewhat slowed. Simply stated, as capacitance and
inductance increase, loading on the signal also increases.
Similarly, lead length inductance can cause significant distortion in the signal being measured. Probe input characteristics
and lead length inductance can actually cause signal integrity
problems.

Signal Integrity Fundamentals

A new generation of ultra-low-capacitance oscilloscope

probes is the answer to signal integrity and high-speed
measurement problems. With wide bandwidths at the probe
tip, very short probe tip lead lengths and ultra-low input
capacitance, these probes better preserve the signal as it
travels to the oscilloscope input. They bring the signal to the
acquisition system accurately, with aberrations and all.
The probes performance is critical because its the first link,
in a chain of measurement subsystems, that must preserve,
capture and display the signal as accurately as possible. A
high-bandwidth, low-capacitance probe with both a very
short probe tip and ground lead lengths ensures that the
bandwidth of the oscilloscope is not wasted.

To help detect signal integrity problems, a spectrum analyzer

is typically used to determine how frequency and amplitude
parameters behave over short and long intervals of time.
Common measurement tasks include:
Observing signals masked by noise
Seeing tonal clock signals masked within spread
spectrum signals
Finding and analyzing transient and dynamic signals
Capturing burst transmissions, glitches and switching
transients
Characterizing PLL settling times, frequency drift and
microphonics
Frequency-stepped clock signals

Revealing the Frequency Domain with

Real-Time Spectrum Analyzers

Testing and diagnosing transient EMI effects

For some elusive events, a measurement tool with improved

frequency resolution may be required to see subtle frequency
events such as clock phase-slip, microphonics, and phase
lock loop (PLL) settling. Since a spectrum analyzer provides
much greater frequency resolution than an oscilloscope, it
can be an invaluable tool for tracking down these events. It is
also a good tool for measuring the frequency tolerance of
dither generation, which is becoming more common as
todays high-speed clocks are being intentionally dithered for
EMI suppression.

Isolating software and hardware interactions

Since the spectrum analyzer is inherently bandwidth-limited

as it is tuned over its frequency range, it also provides excellent dynamic range for measuring low-level signals that may
be otherwise masked by noise. Examples include impulse
noise, clock glitches from metastable events, and crosstalk
signals in the presence of higher amplitude signals.

Characterizing time-variant modulation schemes

Traditional swept spectrum analyzers (SA) and vector signal

analyzers (VSA) provide snapshots of the signal in the frequency domain or in the modulation domain. But often that's
not enough information to confidently describe the dynamic
nature of modern signals. Spectrum analyzers are not all
equal in their capabilities to see transient events.
Each of the measurement tasks listed above involves
high-frequency (RF) signals that change over time, often
unpredictably. To effectively characterize these signals,
engineers need a tool that can discover elusive events,
effectively trigger on those events and isolate them into
memory so that signal behavior can be analyzed in the
frequency, time, modulation, statistical and code domains.

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Signal Integrity Fundamentals

The Real-Time Spectrum Analyzer (RTSA) is designed to

overcome the measurement limitations of the SA and VSA to
better address the challenges associated with transient and
dynamic RF signals. The RTSA performs signal analysis using
real-time digital signal processing (DSP) that occurs prior
to memory storage unlike the post-acquisition processing
common in the VSA architectures. Real-time processing
allows the user to discover and trigger on events with 100%
certainty, given the minimum event duration of the signal and
the bandwidth of the spectrum analyzer. Once captured, the
data can then be extensively analyzed in multiple domains
time, frequency and modulation - using batch processing.
With the RTSAs unique architecture, it is possible to trigger
on an event in the frequency domain, capture a continuous
time record of changing RF events and perform time-correlated analysis in all domains, speeding troubleshooting of RF
signal integrity issues.
Since an RTSA must take all of the information contained
in a time domain waveform and transform it into frequency
domain signals, there are several important signal processing
requirements to consider when choosing an RTSA for signal
integrity analysis: frequency range, capture bandwidth,
sample rate, analysis interval and minimum event duration.

Capture Bandwidth and Frequency Range

The RTSAs frequency range and capture bandwidth are
critical parameters. Its important to choose the right RTSA
for the signal of interest, with considerations for things like the
signal's fundamental frequency, modulation type, frequency
spread, and PLL tuning steps.

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Sample Rate
The RTSAs analog-to-digital converter (ADC) clock rate must
be high enough to exceed the Nyquist criteria for the capture
bandwidth that's necessary for a particular measurement.

Analysis Interval
The analysis interval must be long enough to support the
narrowest resolution bandwidth of interest when repetitive
Fourier transforms are being used to discover, capture and
analyze infrequent transient events in the frequency domain.

Minimum Event Duration

A minimum event is defined as the narrowest, non-repetitive
rectangular pulse that can be captured with 100% certainty
at the specified accuracy. Narrower events can be detected,
but the accuracy and probability may degrade. Minimum
event duration will depend largely on the RTSAs DFT transform rate. For example, an RTSA with a 48,000 spectrums
per second DFT transform rate can detect RF pulses as
short as 24 microseconds with 100% probability and with
full specified accuracy. By comparison, a swept spectrum
analyzer with 50 sweeps per second requires pulses longer
than 20 milliseconds for 100% probability of detection at
full accuracy.
A RTSA is an indespensible tool for detecting and analyzing
subtle frequency events that require a measurement tool
with tight frequency resolution. Also, its high dynamic range
enables the measurement of low-level signals that may otherwise be masked by noise. As designs drive to high-speed
data rates, requiring fast timing and techniques like clock
dithering, the RTSA will become a critical part of the signal
integrity measurement tool set.

Signal Integrity Fundamentals

DPX Technology: a Revolutionary Tool for

Signal Discovery

Figure 14. DPX Spectrum display shows tonal clock signals within a
spread spectrum clock. The tonal signals are temperature colored hot to
demonstrate the proportionality of occurrence in the time domain. The
spread spectrum clock is cool to demonstrate the time-varying nature of
the signal over time.

Tektronix patented Digital Phosphor technology, or

DPX, reveals signal details that are completely missed
by conventional spectrum analyzers and vector signal
analyzers. The spectrum display is an intuitive live
color view of signal transients changing over time in
the frequency domain, giving immediate confidence in
the stability of a design or instantly displaying a fault
when it occurs. For example, Figure 14 is a spectrum
taken for system level EMI diagnostics. It shows the
emissions and abundance of clock sources that are
increasing the overall energy at a given frequency.
At up to 48,000 spectrum updates per second,
only the DPX spectrum can give the insight needed
that energy from multiple signals exists within the
spread-spectrum clock frequency.

Identifying Signal Integrity Problems with

Integrated Measurement Tools
Designers attempting to isolate digital errors must consider
the analog domain as well. In todays systems, with their fast
edges and data rates, the analog characteristics underlying
digital signals have an ever-increasing impact on system
behaviorreliability and repeatability in particular.

Figure 15. Crosstalk errors are quickly identified with time-correlated digital and analog measurements on the same display.

As mentioned earlier, digital signal deviations can arise from

problems in the analog domain like impedance mismatches,
transmission line effects, and crosstalk. Similarly, signal
deviations may be a by-product of digital issues like setup
and hold violations. There is a high degree of interaction
between digital and analog signal effects.
For devices with just a few digital lines, a mixed signal oscilloscope (MSO) provides both analog and digital measurement
capabilities. That enables simultaneous analysis of both
domains with one instrument. For more complex devices,
with many digital signals, a full-featured logic analyzer integrated with an oscilloscope is the right choice.
In some cases, it may also be desirable to include frequency
in the cross-domain analysis. In that case, a RTSA may be
integrated in with a logic analyzer and oscilloscope, allowing
the user to trigger in the frequency domain and capture
time-correlated frequency (RTSA), time (oscilloscope) and
digital (logic analyzer) signals, for further analysis.
Efficient troubleshooting calls for tools and methods that
can address many domains. Capturing the interaction
between multiple domains, and displaying time-correlated
signals in both analog and digital forms, is the key to
efficient troubleshooting, as shown in Figure 15.

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Signal Integrity Fundamentals

iLink Tool Set: Two Powerful

Measurement Tools Team Up
Although Logic Analyzers and Oscilloscopes have
long been the tools of choice for digital troubleshooting, not every designer has seen the dramatic benefits
that come with integrating these two key instruments.
Logic analyzers speed up debugging and verification
by wading through the digital information stream to
trigger on circuit faults and capture related events.
Oscilloscopes can quickly reveal signal integrity problems by peering behind digital timing diagrams and
showing the raw analog waveforms.
Several Tektronix logic analyzer models offer the
iLink toolset, a logic analyzer/oscilloscope integration package that is unique in the industry. The iLink
toolset joins the power of Tektronix logic analyzers to
selected oscilloscope models.
The iLink tool set brings time-correlated digital and
analog signals to the logic analyzer display. While the
logic analyzer acquires and displays a signal in digital
form, the attached oscilloscope captures the same
signal in its analog form and displays it on the logic
analyzer. Seeing these two separate views together
makes it easy to visualize, for example, how a digital
timing problem can result from an analog glitch.
The iLink tool set is a comprehensive package
designed to detect problems faster and speed up
troubleshooting:
iCapture multiplexing provides simultaneous
digital and analog acquisition through a single
logic analyzer probe
iView display delivers time-correlated, integrated
logic analyzer and oscilloscope measurements on
the logic analyzer display
iVerify analysis offers multi-channel bus analysis
and validation testing using oscilloscope-generated
eye diagrams

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Simplifying Complex Measurements with

Jitter Analysis Tools
Signal integrity analysis is not always a matter of finding a
slow edge or a low signal amplitude somewhere in the
system. As explained earlier, factors like timing jitter can play
a large role in system stability. Jitter typically originates in the
clock circuitry but can also arise from power supply noise,
crosstalk, and PLL circuits. Jitter can affect data, addresses,
enable lines and, in fact, virtually any signal in the system.
In todays high-speed designs, as signaling rates climb above
2 GHz and voltage swings shrink to conserve power, the
timing jitter in a system becomes a significant percentage of
the signaling interval. Under these circumstances, jitter
becomes a fundamental performance limit. Understanding
what jitter is, and how to characterize it, is the first step to
successfully deploy high-speed systems that dependably
meet their performance requirements.
Conceptually, jitter is the deviation of timing edges from their
correct locations. In a timing-based system, timing jitter
is the most obvious and direct form of non-ideal behavior.
As a form of noise, jitter must be treated as a random
process and characterized in terms of its statistics.
Jitter is divided into two generalized categories: deterministic
jitter and random jitter. Deterministic jitter is predictable and
consistent, and it has specific causes. Random jitter exhibits
a Gaussian distribution which is theoretically unconstrained
in amplitude. Since random jitter normally fits a Gaussian
distribution, certain statistical rules apply.
Time-interval error (TIE) is the basis for many jitter measurements. TIE is the difference between the recovered clock
(the jitter timing reference) and the actual waveform edge,
as shown in Figure 16. Performing histogram and spectrum
analysis on the TIE waveform provides the basis for
advanced jitter measurements, which is a key step in tracking
down the root cause of jitter in the DUT.

Signal Integrity Fundamentals

Measured
Waveform

Ideal Edge
Positions

TIE1

TIE2

TIE3

TIE4

Figure 16. Time-interval error is the difference between the recovered clock and the actual waveform edge.

With the spectrum approach, jitter is measured by using an

oscilloscope to acquire a single shot or real-time acquisition
of the data signal. To most accurately capture the jitter,
its essential that the oscilloscope have the best available
timing accuracy, signal-to-noise ratio, effective bits and signal
fidelity.
After the acquisition is complete, the record is parsed by software to determine the TIE for each of the clock edges. Then
the TIE results are passed through an FFT to compute their
spectrum. The result is a spectrum of the acquired signals
jitter, which shows the various components of the total jitter,
as shown in Figure 17. Once that is complete, the Bit Error
Rate (BER) resulting from jitter can be estimated.
In cases where more dynamic range is required, a real-time
spectrum analyzer (RTSA) may be the right choice for jitter
measurements. Because an RTSA is, by definition, band-limited to its capture bandwidth (which in turn is processed by
a resolution bandwidth filter), the noise floor of an RTSA
measurement is much lower than that of an oscilloscope.
That makes the RTSA much more sensitive to low level spurious signals that are embedded in noise. The RTSA is also
capable of measuring the jitter on a small signal that's in the
presence of larger ones.

Figure 17. Total jitter spectrum.

Jitter measurement is a challenge that grows in importance,

with each new advancement in system performance and
data rates. There are several approaches to jitter measurement, and each has its own strengths and tools. The oscilloscope offers the ability to observe jitter, using techniques
like histograms and eye diagrams. With back-end processing
software packages, oscilloscopes provide other useful functions like cycle-to-cycle measurements, trend and spectrum
plots, data logging and worst case capture. When more
dynamic range is needed, a real-time spectrum analyzer
(RTSA) may be the best solution, especially if jitter needs
to be measured in the presence of interfering signals.
Regardless of the approach, software tools are available to
simplify complex jitter measurements.

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Signal Integrity Fundamentals

Incident

Step
Source

Reflected

DUT

Sampler

Figure 19. Block diagram of a TDR acquisition setup using a TDR module.

TDR Display

5%

Figure 18. TDR impedance measurement screen.

Providing Critical Impedance Measurements

with Time Domain Reflectometry Solutions
The ideal tool for measuring impedances and channel loss
is a sampling oscilloscope equipped with a Time Domain
Reflectometer (TDR) module. The TDR module enables the
signal transmission environment to be analyzed in the time
domain, just as the signal integrity of live signals will be
analyzed in the time domain.
Time domain reflectometry measures the reflections that
result from a signal traveling through transmission environments like circuit board traces, cables or connectors. The
TDR display will show the impedance variations in the
signal path. Figure 18 is an example of a TDR impedance
measurement screen.
To make impedance measurements, the TDR instrument
sends a fast step pulse through the medium and displays
the reflections from the observed transmission environment.
Figure 19 is a simplified block diagram of this scheme.
The resulting TDR display is a voltage waveform that includes
the incident step and the reflections from the transmission

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PCI Express

Via
BGA
Pad

Figure 20. In this example, the TDR impedance display reveals how PCB features
such as connectors and vias can cause deviations in the impedance environment.

medium. The reflections increase or decrease the step amplitude depending on whether the resistance is higher or lower
at the mismatch, or if the nature of the discontinuity is more
inductive or capacitive, respectively.
The impedance display is read from left to right. The left-most
events are those physically closest to the step generator,
which is the origin of the signal. The reflections on the display
are produced by the elements along the signal path when
they receive the energy from the incident step, as shown in
Figure 20. A perfect path with perfect terminations would
produce no reflections.

Signal Integrity Fundamentals

The same measurement tools can also be used to visualize

and measure the transmission of the signal through the channel; this TDT (time domain transmission) simply replaces
acquisition of the reflected signal by the acquisition of the
transmitted waveform.
The ability of a TDR/TDT instrument to accurately capture
and measure impedance discontinuities along a signal path
depends on four key parameters: channel count, system rise
time, incident step quality and differential TDR measurement
capability.

Channel Count
Some device designs require TDR measurements on multiple
signal paths. For instance, a multi-lane, differential bus could
require measurements on several differential pairs for multilane impedance characterization. Crosstalk and through
measurements require connection to at least two different
points on the DUT. When choosing a TDR solution, channel
count should be a consideration.

Rise Time
The physical spacing of any two discontinuities determines
how closely their reflections will be positioned relative to each
other on the TDR waveform of the signal path. To distinguish
between two neighboring discontinuities, the distance
between them must be less than half of the rise time for the
TDR instrument. A faster rise time will result in more accurate
impedance measurements.

Incident Step Quality

The quality of the incident step pulse provided by the TDR
instrument is also critical, especially when measuring short
traces. The step pulse must have a fast rise time, accurate
amplitude and, to ensure quality measurements, it must be
free of aberrations.

Differential TDR Measurements

Many of todays high-speed serial standards rely on differential transmission techniques, using complementary signals.
Two wires, or PCB traces, carry simultaneous mirror images
of the signal. Although it's more complex than the singleended approach, differential transmission is less vulnerable to
external influences like crosstalk and induced noise, and it
generates less of both.
Differential paths require TDR measurements just the same as
in other transmission environments. The incident pulse must
be sent down both sides of the differential pair and the reflections measured. With true differential TDR measurements, the
DUT receives a differential stimulus signal similar to what it
will encounter in the end user application, providing insight
into the devices real-world response. True differential TDR
measurements require a TDR instrument capable of launching simultaneous and complementary incident pulses.
TDR measurements provide critical information on impedance
discontinuities within a device, which can reveal potential
causes for signal integrity problems. Analyzing the transmission environments of circuit board traces, cables or connectors may be necessary to track down the root cause of a
problem.

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Signal Integrity Fundamentals

Signal Generators Complete the

Measurement System
An oscilloscope, logic analyzer or other acquisition instrument
can only make a measurement when there is some kind of
signal to acquire. And there are many instances in which no
such signal is available unless it is externally provided.
Checking the characteristics of a trace or determining the
impedance of a connector are both examples of debug situations where an external signal is required to make the measurement. In other situations, an external stimulus is needed to
replicate sensor signals or simulate other missing system
inputs for the DUT to even function.
Signal generators are also needed for functional verification,
characterization and stress testing of electronic designs.
Engineers need to characterize their emerging designs to
make sure that new hardware meets design specifications
across the full range of operation and beyond. This is known
as margin or limit testing. Its a measurement task that
requires a complete solution; one that can generate signals
as well as make measurements.
Most signal generators today are based on digital technology.
Many of them can fulfill both analog and digital requirements,
but the most efficient solution is usually a signal generator
that has features that can be optimized for the particular
application either analog or digital.
Arbitrary waveform generators (AWG) and arbitrary function
generators (AFG) are aimed primarily at analog and mixedsignal applications, with faster AWGs also being used for
high-speed serial data testing. These instruments use sampling techniques to build and modify waveforms of almost
any imaginable shape. For example, with the AWG, its
possible to create signals with specific jitter profiles that
encompass full channel characteristics without the need
for other external generators or hardware.

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Digital waveform generators encompass two classes of

instruments. Pulse generators drive a stream of square waves
or pulses from a small number of outputs, usually at very
high frequencies. These tools are most commonly used to
exercise high-speed digital equipment. Pattern generators,
also known as data generators (or data timing generators),
typically provide eight, sixteen or even more synchronized
digital pulse streams as a stimulus signal for computer buses
or other devices.
There are several ways to create waveforms with a signal
generator. The method of choice depends upon the information available about the DUT and its input requirements;
whether there is a need to add distortion, error signals, or
other variables. Typical methods include:
Creating brand new signals for circuit stimulus and testing
Synthesizing an unavailable real-world signal captured
from an oscilloscope or a logic analyzer
Generating ideal or stressed reference signals for industry
standards with specific tolerances
The ability of a signal generator to accurately replicate a
desired signal depends on a few different performance
criteria: channel count, memory depth, sample rate, bandwidth and availability of a sequence controller.

Channel Count
Typically, AWGs and AFGs have one to four outputs. In
some AWGs, these main sampled analog outputs are supplemented by separate marker outputs to aid the triggering
of external instruments and synchronous digital outputs that
present sample-by-sample data in digital form.

Memory Depth
Memory depth determines the maximum number of samples
that can be stored to define a waveform. Particularly in
the case of complex waveforms, memory depth is critical
in reproducing signal details accurately, since many samples
are necessary to create the transitions and fluctuations
in the signal.

Signal Integrity Fundamentals

Sample Rate
Sample rate is also a critical factor affecting the frequency
and fidelity of the output signal. Sample rate (usually specified
in terms of megasamples or gigasamples per second),
denotes the maximum clock or sample rate at which the
instrument can operate. The Nyquist Sampling Theorem
states that the sampling frequency, or clock rate, must be
more than twice that of the highest spectral frequency component of the generated signal to ensure accurate signal
reproduction. Since complex waveforms can have high-frequency information in their pulse edges and transients, a
faster sample rate will enable the accurate reproduction of
a complex signal.

Bandwidth
The signal generators bandwidth is an analog term that
exists independently of its sample rate. The analog bandwidth of a signal generators output circuitry must be sufficient to handle the maximum frequency that its sample rate
will support. In other words, there must be enough bandwidth to pass the highest frequencies and transition times
that can be clocked out of the memory, without degrading
signal characteristics.

Sequence Controller
Its often necessary to create long waveform files to fully exercise the DUT. Where portions of the waveforms are repeated,
a waveform sequencing function can save a lot of tedious,
memory-intensive waveform programming effort.
Sequencing allows a large number of virtual waveform
cycles to be stored in the instruments memory. The waveform sequencer borrows instructions from the computer
world: loops, jumps, etc. These instructions, which reside in a
sequence memory separate from the waveform memory,
cause specified segments of the waveform memory to
repeat. With a sequence controller, a waveform of almost
unlimited length can be generated.

Figure 21. Most measurements require a solution made up of a signal generator

paired with an acquisition instrument. Triggering connectivity simplifies capturing
the DUT output signal.

The signal generator is the stimulus source that combines

with an acquisition instrument to make up the two elements
of a complete measurement solution. The two tools flank the
input and output terminals of the DUT as shown in Figure 21.
In its various configurations, the signal generator can provide
stimulus signals in the form of things like analog waveforms,
digital data patterns, modulation, intentional distortion and
noise. To make effective design, characterization, or troubleshooting measurements, its important to consider both
elements of the solution.

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25

Signal Integrity Fundamentals

Summary
Signal integrity measurements have become a critical step
in the process of developing digital systems. The design
engineer is tasked with isolating and eliminating these
problems anywhere in the system.
A powerful and complete measurement tool set is needed
to do that; One that has the bandwidth and time-saving
features to properly address high-speed signal deviations.

These tools include digitizing oscilloscopes,

logic analyzers, real-time spectrum analyzers,
time-domain reflectometry solutions, signal
generators, high-fidelity probes and analysis
software.
Innovative measurement solutions such as high-density
compression probes, application-specific jitter software and
integrated logic analyzer/oscilloscope waveform viewing
have emerged to help designers deal with problems that
affect signal integrity. Using these powerful tools, the engineer
can quickly locate and trace faults back to their source.
Until recently, unseen signal integrity problems were often
the cause of schedule delays and reliability issues with new
digital products. Now the designer has the measurement
solutions to overcome even the toughest signal integrity
challenges.
Figure 22. A complete tool set for signal integrity measurements may include an
oscilloscope, logic analyzer, real-time spectrum analyzer, time-domain reflectometer,
signal generator, probes and analysis software.

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Signal Integrity Fundamentals

www.tektronix.com/signal_integrity

27

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South Africa +27 11 206 8360
Spain (+34) 901 988 054
Sweden 020 08 80371
Switzerland +41 52 675 3777
Taiwan 886 (2) 2722-9622
United Kingdom & Ireland +44 (0) 1344 392400
USA 1 (800) 426-2200

For other areas contact Tektronix, Inc. at: 1 (503) 627-7111

Updated 30 October 2008

For Further Information

Tektronix maintains a comprehensive, constantly expanding
collection of application notes, technical briefs and other
resources to help engineers working on the cutting edge of
technology. Please visit www.tektronix.com
Copyright 2009, Tektronix. All rights reserved. Tektronix products are covered
by U.S. and foreign patents, issued and pending. Information in this publication
supersedes that in all previously published material. Specification and price
change privileges reserved. TEKTRONIX and TEK are registered trademarks
of Tektronix, Inc. All other trade names referenced are the service marks,
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
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