Test application improves reliability

The Agilent U7231A DDR3 application automatically configures the oscilloscope for each test and generates an HTML report at the end of the test.

Agilent Technologies has released the industry's first oscilloscope-based DDR3 compliance test application.

This tool is ideal for engineers working in the computer, data storage, electronic data processing and consumer electronics industries.

The Agilent U7231A DDR3 test application, which runs on Infiniium 54850 and 80000 series oscilloscopes, provides DDR3 compliance measurements based on the Joint Electronic Device Engineering Council (JEDEC) JESD79-3 DDR3 SDRAM specifications.

It covers clock, electrical and timing parameters.

This application also features an Advanced Debug mode, which provides critical measurements such as eye-diagram analysis, mask tests, ringing measurements and other tests that are not covered in the JEDEC specifications.

Each of these tests helps engineers find the root causes of problems in their designs.

DDR3 devices will feature higher bandwidths and smaller chip footprints and will consume less power and generate less heat.

DDR3 achieves this with modern fine ball-grid array packaging, enhanced on-die termination, self calibration and automatic self-refresh for improved control of signal integrity.

"With the huge benefits of DDR3 memory, we expect system OEMs and system integrators to embrace the technology rapidly in the near future", said Jay Alexander, Vice President and General Manager of Agilent's Design Validation Division.

"We are ready with the tools that will help engineers validate their designs quickly and easily".

The Agilent U7231A DDR3 application automatically configures the oscilloscope for each test and generates an HTML report at the end of the test.

It compares the results with the specification test limit and indicates how closely the device passes or fails each test.

The complex analysis runs seamlessly within the scope, which saves users' time and effort compared to making and analysing measurements manually.

When a problem is encountered during the test, engineers can use the Advanced Debug feature to analyse the cause.

The application sets up the scope to separate read and write signals so engineers can debug signal integrity issues.

Infiniium oscilloscopes also feature the InfiniiScan tool for finding signal problems.

With the DDR3 clock rate approaching microwave speeds, signal integrity performance of the measurement tools becomes increasingly critical to achieve accurate and consistent measurements.

Agilent's Infiniium 80000 series oscilloscope offers the industry's lowest noise floor, lowest trigger jitter and flattest frequency response.

Using 80000 series oscilloscopes with InfiniiMax probes and the powerful U7231A DDR3 application, engineers can maximise their design margins and gain greater insights into their system performance.

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