Jitter Solutions for

Telecom, Enterprise, and

Digital Designs

Complete solutions for characterization

and test of jitter in high-speed digital
transmission systems, high-speed I/O
connections, and buses
Overview
The measurement of jitter today is a necessity for ensuring
error free digital communication. As data rates climb, new standards
appear, and development cycles shrink, you need the tools that
help you keep pace with this changing environment. Agilent provides
a wide range of solutions for the prediction, characterization,
and testing of jitter.
TELECOM ENTERPRISE HIGH SPEED I/O

Definition Metro/Long Distance Up to 10 Km Point to Point Point to Point Traffic from

Network Traffic. VOIP/TCP-IP. cms to meters. Memory,
Voice/Data Backbone. Building, Site, Campus. Storage & Peripherals

Technologies SONET, SDH, OTN. 100M, 1GbE (Copper), Infiniband, S-ATA, USB,
OC-48/192/768, 10GbE (Optical), PCI Express, FibreChannel,
STM-16/64/192, 3.125G XAUI electrical RapidIO, HyperTransport
OTU-1/2/3.

Standards ITU-T G.783, G.825, IEEE-802.3ae Various.

G.8251, Telcordia GR-253 NCITS-TR25

Measurements Unit Interval (UI) vs. Freq.
"Sinusoidal" Test with
Jitter Analyzers
Stressed Eye, Transmitter Eye Diagram, Bathtub,
Dispersion Penalty (TDP). Histogram, RJ/DJ. Jitter
"Worst Case Statistical" specifications are evolving.
Test with BERTs and DCA Test with Oscilloscopes,
DCA and BERTs.

Figure 1: Industry views of jitter

Different market segments from engineer to really understand the

telecommunications to high-speed
I/O connections for data communi-
cations use the term jitter (see
Figure 1). In telecommunications
and enterprise arenas, jitter
specifications and measurements
are well documented through
standards bodies, so the measure-
ments to make are well known.
In the high-speed I/O arena, many
new bus standards are being intro-
duced with little commonality in
specifying and measuring jitter.
This forces the designer and test
different jitter measurement
viewpoints and what measurement
techniques will be best for them.
This brochure concentrates on the
jitter measurements required by
many of todays high-speed digital
transmission system, bus and
interconnect standards SONET/
SDH/OTN, Ethernet, InfiniBand, PCI
Express, Serial ATA, etc.

2 w w w. a g i l e n t . c o m / f i n d / j i t t e r
 Data Rates <3.2 Gb/s Data Rates >3.2 Gb/s
Analysis Stimulus/Analysis Stimulus Analysis Stimulus/Analysis Stimulus

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Best Fit
Eye Diagram/Mask
Enterprise & High-Speed I/O

Good Fit
Bathtub Curve
Fair Fit
Extrapolated Bathtub
TIE Histogram
Parameter Histogram
Measurement vs. Time
FFT Spectrum
RJ/DJ Separation
DJ Views
Jitter Generation
SDH/OTN
SONET/

Jitter Transfer
Jitter Tolerance
Wander

Figure 2: Agilent's jitter solutions and measurement viewpoints

Agilent provides a wide range of can be a more economical solution

jitter measurement solutions (see
Figure 2). For SONET/SDH/OTN and
electrical/optical jitter measurements,
the Agilent JS-1000 performance
jitter solution is ideal in R&D for
components. The Agilent OmniBER
family is the ideal one-box solution
for testing electrical and optical
components, subsystems, and systems.
For electrical jitter measurements,
the real time oscilloscope, the
Agilent 54850 Infiniium with the
E2681A jitter analysis software,
provides the most versatile view of
jitter. The sampling oscilloscope,
Agilent 86100B Infiniium DCA,
and is the critical tool when data
rates exceed 3.2 Gb/s. When you
need bit error ratio (BER) measure-
ments, the Agilent 81250 ParBERT
and N4901/2/6A Serial BERTs con-
struct precise bathtub curves and
are the ultimate proof of perform-
ance. When a precision, low jitter
stimulus is required, the Agilent
81133/4A pulse/pattern generators
are ideal.

3
SONET/SDH/OTN Jitter Measurements
Jitter is defined as the misalignment
of the significant edges of a digital
signal from their ideal positions in
time. Such misalignment, if uncon-
trolled, can lead to errors in digital
transmission. Jitter can also be
thought of as an unwanted phase
modulation of a digital signal. The
term jitter is applied where the fre-
quency band of the unwanted phase
modulation is above 10 Hz. Where
the frequency band is less than 10 Hz,
the modulation is referred to as
wander. Even within the jitter band-
width, international SONET/SDH/OTN
standards further band-limit the
spectrum when verifying compliance.
Different filter values are used for
different data rates. For example, for
10 Gb/s SONET/SDH signals, filters
rejecting jitter components below
20 KHz and above 80 MHz are used.
A further filter is also used to measure
only those frequencies above 4 MHz.
The international SONET/SDH/OTN
standards specify measuring jitter
generation, jitter transfer, and jitter
tolerance in the control of jitter. The
following pages review these measure-
ments and highlight Agilents key
solutions for this space the Agilent
JS-1000/500 architecture-flexible
solutions that allow for changes in
amplitude, data rate, frequency band,
etc, and the OmniBER OTN/718
(ITU-T) O.172/3 compliant, one-box
solutions for testing at standard rates
and interfaces.
4 w w w. a g i l e n t . c o m / f i n d / j i t t e r
Figure 3 Jitter generation histogram plot from JS-1000
Jitter generation provide you with the maximum
design insight, beyond compliance,
Jitter generation, sometimes called
with the lowest intrinsic jitter
intrinsic jitter, refers to the jitter
available (see Figure 3). The
present on the output of a single
OmniBER family offers best-in-class
device (output jitter refers to that
jitter intrinsics, exceeding the (ITU-T)
from the network). It is specified in
O.172 test equipment specification.
unit intervals and the result as a RMS
or peak-to-peak value. Most measure- Jitter tolerance
ment systems use high-pass and
In order to ensure that your devices
low-pass filters to band limit the
can operate error free in the presence
spectrum. Output jitter results are
of the worst-case jitter from preced-
strongly influenced by the data being
ing sections in the network, you need
carried. Test results can vary widely
to measure jitter tolerance. A signal is
between those for a simple repetitive
generated with added sinusoidal jitter
pattern such as 1010, and those for a
and applied to the DUT. At each jitter
complex PRBS pattern. It is impor-
frequency, the amplitude of the jitter
tant that the data being transmitted
is increased until transmission errors
be defined when measuring and spec-
are detected. Alternatively, a specified
ifying jitter generation. Likewise, it is
level of input jitter is generated and
crucial when measuring jitter genera-
error-free operation is checked. In the
tion that the result not be affected by
real world, jitter is unlikely to be
the intrinsic jitter of the measure-
sinusoidal, but it is easy to generate
ment system. The Agilent JS-500
and gives repeatable results. Jitter
Clock Jitter Measurement System and
JS-1000 Performance Jitter Solution

Figure 4: Jitter tolerance plot on OmniBER OTN
Tolerance requires a source of sinu-
soidal jitter and a method to assess
BER. Because the OmniBER OTN and
OmniBER 718 contain both, they are
ideally suited for this measurement
(see Figure 4). Using a modulation
source such as the Agilent 33250A
function/arbitrary waveform genera-
tor, the Agilent N4901/2A Serial BERTs
and 81250 ParBERT can measure
jitter tolerance on electrical devices.
Jitter transfer
Jitter transfer is typically used to
describe how a clock recovery module
or repeater locks and tracks data as
jitter is placed on it. Jitter transfer
requirements on clock recovery cir-
cuits specify a minimum amount of
jitter gain vs. frequency up to a given
cut-off frequency, beyond which the
jitter must be attenuated. The jitter
transfer specification is intended
to prevent the buildup of jitter in a
network consisting of cascaded
regenerators. When measuring jitter
transfer, you need to be assured
your DUT does not transfer more
than the SONET/SDH mandated
0.1dB of peaking. The Agilent JS-1000
Performance Jitter Solution,
OmniBER OTN, and OmniBER 718 can
measure jitter transfer on electrical
and optical devices (see Figure 5).
Figure 6:
TIE plot on
OmniBER 718
Wander
Wander is the longer-term phase
variations ranging from 10 Hz down
to micro-Hertz and below. While
jitter is normally measured with
reference to a clock extracted from
the data signal, wander is measured
against an external reference clock.
The fundamental measurement is
Time Interval Error (TIE), the
instantaneous time deviation of the
clock signal under test relative to
the reference source. TIE samples
are used to calculate wander
results such as Maximum TIE (MTIE)
and Time Deviation (TDev). The
OmniBER OTN and OmniBER 718
make these wander measurements
in real-time (see Figure 6).
Figure 5:
Jitter transfer
measurement plot
from JS-1000
5
Enterprise and High-Speed I/O Jitter Measurements
What is jitter?
Jitter is defined as the misalignment
of the significant edges in a sequence
of data bits from their ideal positions.
Misalignments can result in data
errors. Tracking these errors over an
extended period of time determines
the system stability. Jitter can be due
to deterministic and random phenom-
ena, also referred to as systematic
and nonsystematic respectively.
From a general standpoint, jitter
characterization involves a statistical
measurement of the relative position
variance of clock or data edges. Serial
data communication eliminates the
physical and bandwidth limitations of
clock and data bus transmission by
embedding the clock in the transmit-
ted data. Since the data clock is not
transmitted separately, the problem
of maintaining the clock and data
temporal alignment is eliminated in
the data stream. However, other
issues become important, such as the
minimization of jitter in data trans-
mission, faithful clock extraction from
the serial data, and network timing.
These problems are manifest because
of random and systematic effects.
Random jitter
Random jitter (RJ) is Gaussian in
nature and typically results from
thermal noise, shot noise, etc. In that
RJ is unbounded, it is often charac-
terized through an RMS or mean
Random
6 w w w. a g i l e n t . c o m / f i n d / j i t t e r
BER Multiplier
10 --4 7.438
10 --6 9.507 Deterministic jitter
10 --7 10.399 Deterministic jitter (DJ) is due to
10 --9 11.996 systematic events and is bounded in
10 --11 13.412 amplitude. DJ is composed of periodic
10 --12 14.069 jitter (PJ), data dependent jitter
10 --13 14.698 (DDJ), duty cycle distortion (DCD),
10 --15 15.883 and uncorrelated (to the data) bound-
ed jitter. PJ is typically sinusoidal in
Figure 7: Converting RMS to Peak-to-Peak nature, while uncorrelated bounded
for specific BER
jitter is frequently caused by cross-
talk. DDJ includes data smearing
value. This allows one to assess the components such as Inter Symbol
probability that the jitter will fall both Interference (ISI). ISI is due to band-
inside and outside a specified range. width limitations of the system. DCD
When an RMS value is measured, the is due to voltage offsets between
peak-to-peak RJ value can be estimat- differential inputs and system rise/fall
ed through multiplication by a factor time differences. Deterministic jitter
dependent upon the desired bit error is bounded and therefore measured
ratio (BER) probability (see Figure 7). as a peak-to-peak value.
Note that these multipliers are valid
for purely random jitter. When DJ is Total jitter
present, the BER margin is reduced
Total jitter (TJ) is the sum of the
by the DJ value. A significant peak-to-peak values of deterministic
amount of data is required to yield jitter (DJ) and random jitter (RJ).
a statistically accurate, high confi- By defining random jitter as an
dence characterization of RJ. As equivalent peak-to-peak value at a
seemingly small amounts of RMS RJ given probability, total jitter can
correspond to large peak-to-peak always be expressed as a sum.
values, precisely assessing the full Figure 8 illustrates the components
impact of the jitter is achieved by of total jitter, each of which presents
directly measuring the probability itself in a different way. It can be
of RJ at the desired low BERs.
difficult to separate deterministic
and random jitter from the measure-
ment of total jitter and not all test
solutions offer this capability. When
characterizing your design, the key
Total Jitter to success is to understand what
you need to test for and optimizing
a solution that works for you.
Deterministic
Jitter Jitter
Periodic Data Dependent Duty Cycle Uncorrelated
Jitter Jitter Distortion Bounded
Figure 8:
Inter Symbol The components of jitter
Interference
What jitter measurement viewpoints
should you use?
Given the various jitter components,
understanding what you need to
measure is critical to understanding
what is the best test solution for you.
The intent of a jitter compliance
measurement is to ensure meeting a
certain bit error ratio (BER) perform-
ance specification. For low BERs
(i.e. 10 -12 and lower), empirical tests
can be long in time duration to cap-
ture enough data to confirm the BER
specification conformance with suffi-
cient statistical confidence. For design
optimization and troubleshooting,
post-processed jitter calculations can Figure 9: Eye diagram with the 54850 Infiniium oscilloscope
quickly provide insight.

The following pages review several Eye diagram

different measurement viewpoints
for capturing jitter information for
enterprise and high-speed I/O appli-
cations, the best uses of each of the
views and Agilents solutions. Three
common measurement views
Eye Diagram, Bathtub Curve and
Time Interval Error (TIE) Histogram
provide information on the total
jitter. Other measurement views pro-
vide insight into the distinct jitter
components Measurement vs. Time,
FFT Spectrum, RJ/DJ Separation,
and DJ Views. It is important to
understand how alternate views can
provide additional insight.
An eye diagram is a time overlay of which is typically insufficient to
level transitions aligned with respect capture the extremes of the random
to a derived, or externally provided jitter peak-to-peak value. Agilents
timing reference, typically a synchro- 54850 Infiniium 6 GHz bandwidth
nous clock. For certification and oscilloscope (see Figure 9) and
validation this measurement is 86100B Infiniium Digital Communi-
compared to a standard eye mask cation Analyzer (see Figure 10, pg. 8)
provide eye diagram and eye mask
depicting the allowed eye opening in
capabilities.
time and amplitude. The eye pattern
measurement technique relies on a
data clock that can be derived or
accessed and total jitter that is less
than the bit period. The crossing point
of the eye can be smeared by the
trigger circuitry of the oscilloscope,
so low trigger jitter is critical.
The eye mask test is generally short
in terms of test time. The eye diagram
is typically captured for a sufficient
amount of time to acquire the full
extent of the deterministic jitter,

7
Figure 10: Eye diagram with the 86100 Infiniium DCA
33250A

The eye diagram is useful for certifi- To create a jittered test signal,
cation and validation, development pair the oscilloscope with an
and manufacturing. For development Agilent 81133/4A Pulse/Pattern
engineers, the eye diagram is the most Generator to add jitter to
intuitive measurement. It is easy to clock and data signals up
set up and provides an immediate to 3.35 GHz and control Device
view of amplitude versus time. Blatant the eye closing over the time Under
irregularities are easily identified for axis. Real world, or worst case, Test
further development, however it is signals can be simulated with
hard to precisely correlate the cause the 81133/4A using the 81134A
of DDJ, PJ and ISI with this view Agilent 33250A function/
alone. In manufacturing, the eye dia- arbitrary waveform generator
gram provides a quick measurement as a modulation source. The
for confidence, but it does not com- Agilent N4901/2A 13.5/7.0 Gb/s
pletely guarantee jitter performance. Serial BERTs and 81250 ParBERT
sources can also be jittered with
an external modulation source for
device characterization. 86100B Infiniium DCA

Figure 11:
Stressed eye generation using the
81134A pulse generator

8 w w w. a g i l e n t . c o m / f i n d / j i t t e r
 However the speed of the BER meas-
urement is a function of the BER to
be measured and the desired statisti-
cal confidence factor for the result.
Various extrapolation techniques can
be used to speed up the BER meas-
urement, one of which is based on
the bathtub curve called BERT scan.
10-5
Deterministic
and 10- 9 ) by adjusting the sampling
point in time, and then extrapolates
the jitter at much lower BERs
(i.e. 10- 12 ). The 81250 ParBERT
and N4901/2/6A Serial BERTs have
accelerated extrapolation techniques
to measure the bathtub curve,
extract RJ and DJ components, and

Deterministic

BERT scan allows data to be taken to estimate conventionally unmeasur-

BER

10-7
at several quick BERs (i.e. 10- 5, 10- 7,
Random

Random

10-9 able BERs to reduce test times.

10-12 Calculated

DJ DJ
0 TL 0.5T B TR TB

Figure 12: Model of the jitter bathtub curve

Bathtub curve
Figure 13:
Plotting the points on a graph of BER Bathtub curve
versus sampling location in time from the N4906A
Serial BERT
results in a curve that resembles the
cross section of a bathtub, hence the
term bathtub curve (see Figure 12).
A bathtub curve can be created
either by software extrapolation from
voltage over time measurement done
by an oscilloscope, or by actually
sampling the bits as done by a BERT.
Any instrument capable of performing
a BER measurement can be used
to create a bathtub curve, as long as
the sampling point can be varied in
time. The Agilent N4901/2/6A
13.5/7.0/3.6 Gb/s Serial BERTs
(see Figure 13) and 81250 ParBERT
(see Figure 14) can be used to create
the bathtub curve.

For development engineers, the final

proof of performance of a component
or subsystem is the direct measure-
Figure 14: Bathtub curve from the 81250 ParBERT
ment of BER at optimized timing and
threshold levels employing error
detection on every transmitted bit.

9
Histogram
Figure 16:
A histogram is a portrayal of the TIE histogram from
54850 Infiniium
relative occurrence of measured
6 GHz oscilloscope
values. Depending on the actual
jitter distribution, the histogram
shows deterministic jitter compo-
nents (time interval error) and
Figure 15:
spread. This is a key measurement Histogram from
in meeting compliance specifications. 86100 Infiniium
digital communica-
Agilents 86100B Infiniium tions analyzer

digital communication analyzer

(Figure 15) and 54850 Infiniium
oscilloscope with the E2681A jitter
analysis software (Figure 16)
provide a histogram of the time
interval error (TIE). The 54850
oscilloscope also provides addi-
tional insightful parameters in the
histogram format cycle-to-cycle
jitter, TIE, rise time, duty cycle,
etc. Variations in these parameters
offer the development engineer Figure 17:
insight to the next level of analysis Measurement
and troubleshooting. The 81250 vs. time plot
on the 54850
ParBERT can calculate and display
Infiniium 6 GHz
a histogram view from the bathtub oscilloscope
curve measurement.

Measurement vs. time

The measurement versus time view

supplies an intuitive view of rise
time, fall time, duty cycle, or TIE
versus time. While waveform spikes
in the time domain are indicative of
errors, these spikes can be correlated
to independent signals by comparing
them in the time domain.
The 54850 Infiniium oscilloscope with
the E2681A jitter analysis software
(see Figure 17) depicts measurement
versus time. Parameters such as rise
time, fall time, duty cycle, TIE, and
period can be measured this way.
Comparing the measurement trend
and the actual data/clock signal can
provide key insight into your
design. For example, with TIE vs.
time it is possible to determine
if certain bit sequences cause a
positive correlation.

10 w w w. a g i l e n t . c o m / f i n d / j i t t e r
FFT spectrum

Any measurement vs. time can also
be processed to the frequency domain
through an FFT conversion. Viewing
the jitter spectrum that results can
yield swift conclusions of interfering
mechanisms than cannot be readily
seen in the time domain. Effects that
have periodicity in the time domain
result in easily discernable spectral
components in the frequency domain.
Clock
Signal
Deter-
ministic
Jitter
For development engineers, this per-
spective provides the highest level of
insight into deterministic, periodic,
and data dependent jitter mecha-
nisms. Agilents 54850 oscilloscope
with the E2681A jitter analysis soft-
ware provides a FFT spectrum (see
Figure 18). The 54850 oscilloscope
when used with the InfiniiMax prob-
ing system assures that the jitter is a
Jitter
Spectrum
Averaged
Spectrum
result of the circuit and not resulting
from the probes. The Agilent N4901/2A
Serial BERTs and 81250 ParBERT
also offer a spectral decomposition
capability (see Figure 19).
RJ/DJ separation
Most standards require the decom-
position of total jitter into the con-
stituent components random jitter
(RJ) and deterministic jitter (DJ).
This separation can be achieved in
two ways: extrapolation from a bath-
tub curve, or by analysis of the FFT
spectrum. Using the bathtub curve
jitter model, the graph can be curve-
fitted to perform a best fit in order
to report the RJ and DJ values. The
DJ forms the horizontal wall portion
of the bathtub curve, while the bath-
tub curves sloped portion is due to
RJ (see Figure 12, pg. 9).

In the frequency domain, DJ compo-

nents such as Periodic Jitter (PJ),
Inter Symbol Interference (ISI)
or Duty Cycle Distortion (DCD),
appear as distinct spectra and
Figure 18: can easily be discerned by the eye
FFT spectrum and or by a search algorithm. RJ is
RJ/DJ separation Gaussian in nature and appears
view on a
as a broad and relatively flat
54850 Infiniium
spectrum. These differences are
oscilloscope with
jitter software. used in separating RJ and DJ in
the frequency domain.

Figure 19:
Spectral
decomposition
view on
81250 ParBERT

11
 Figure 20:
Histogram plot
For the certification engineer, this
and RJ/DJ separation
view is crucial to proving compliance. values on 81250
For the development engineer, the ParBERT
measurement is a tool to quantify the
effects of environmental changes on
RJ and DJ to circuit performance.
Agilents 54850 Infiniium oscilloscope
with the E2681A jitter analysis soft-
ware can be used to identify DJ in
the frequency domain (see Figure 18,
pg. 11). The 81250 ParBERT (see Figure 21:
Figure 20) and N4901/2/6A Serial RJ/DJ separation
BERTs (see Figure 21) separate RJ view on N4906A
Serial BERT
and DJ via extrapolation from the
bathtub curve model.

DJ views

Deterministic jitter is composed of

periodic jitter (PJ), data dependent
jitter (DDJ), duty cycle distortion
(DCD) and uncorrelated (to the data)
bounded jitter. PJ is asynchronous
to the data, DDJ is due to data
smearing, while DCD is pulse width
distortion. DDJ and DCD can be
identified by repetitively averaging
the total jitter versus time measure-
ment. This effectively removes periodic
uncorrelated jitter and random jitter
components, leaving primarily DDJ
and DCD. The 54850 Infiniium
oscilloscope with the E2681A jitter
analysis software provides this capa-
bility when using a fixed data pattern
Figure 22: DJ view on a 54850 Infiniium 6 GHz oscilloscope
and triggering on the same point in
the pattern (see Figure 22).

12 w w w. a g i l e n t . c o m / f i n d / j i t t e r
Jitter Measurement Solutions
86100B Infiniium DCA
Wide-Bandwidth Oscilloscope
View optical and electrical waveforms
with bandwidths to 80 GHz electrical
and 65 GHz optical. Built-in measure-
ments for high-speed digital commu-
nications and module configurations
for a test system to match your spe-
cific needs. View the true jitter of
your device with an ultra-low, intrin-
sic trigger jitter of less than 200 fs.
Typically used to view an eye dia-
gram, the magnitude of the jitter can
be immediately viewed in one simple
display. Estimate random and deter-
ministic jitter components using the
built-in histogram capabilities.
Key features/benefits
The eye diagram provides the most
common and easy-to-understand
display of a waveform
Ultra low instrumentation jitter
allows measurement of extremely
low jitter on signals, critical for
high-performance applications
Comprehensive waveform
characterization is possible
83495A 9.95-11.3 Gb/s Clock
Recovery Module with selectable
loop BW
Time Domain Reflectometer
modules available to further char-
acterize high-speed data channels
For more information order the
following literature:
86100B Technical Specifications
5988-5311EN
83495A Technical Specifications
5988-9827EN
54850 Infiniium
6 GHz Bandwidth Oscilloscope
The Agilent 54850 Series Infiniium
oscilloscopes and the InfiniiMax 1130
Series probing system deliver the
highest performance real-time end-to-
end measurement system available.
With its 20 GSa/s sample rate per
channel, the Infiniium 54850 Series
is an ideal tool for making signal
integrity and jitter measurements for
the following standards: PCI Express,
Infiniband, HyperTransport, RapidIO,
Serial ATA, AGP and other similar
high speed signaling standards.
Key features/benefits
6 GHz, 4 GHz, and 2.5 GHz band-
width real-time oscilloscopes with
20 GSa/s sample rate on all four
channels simultaneously
Up to 1 Mpts MegaZoom deep
memory at all sample rates and
32 Mpts MegaZoom deep memory
at 2 GSa/s and slower sample rates
Trigger jitter as low as 1.0 ps RMS
and 1.4 ps RMS jitter noise floor
for accurate jitter measurements
E2681A jitter analysis software
with jitter set up wizard
InfiniiMax 7 GHz, 5 GHz, and
3.5 GHz probing systems that
support differential and single-
ended measurements for a more
cost-effective solution
For more information order the
following literature:
Data Sheet 5988-7976EN
81133A/81134A
Pulse/Pattern Generators
The 81133A (1 channel) and the
81134A (2 channels) are high per-
formance sources for square waves,
pulses, data patterns and pseudo ran-
dom data sequences up to 3.35 GHz.
The hardware PRBS generation from
2 5-1 to 231 -1 and 8 kB standard/12 MB
extended pattern memory make the
81133A/81134A an ideal stimulus for
jitter tolerance, jitter transfer and
stressed eye measurements. Timing
and levels can be individually pro-
grammed. The fast rise times of less
than 60 ps and low jitter of 1.5 ps
typical ensure the highest signal
integrity when timing is critical.
For stress tests, stressed eye meas-
urements, jitter tolerance and jitter
transfer tests the amount of jitter
(random, deterministic and combina-
tions of these types) on the data and
clock signals can be controlled by an
external modulation source.
Key features/benefits
Delay Control Input (Jitter Control)
Direct Mode (instrument follows
external frequency exactly)
Clock, data and PRBS signals
For more information order the
following literature:
Product Overview 5988-5549EN
13
Jitter Measurement Solutions
81250 ParBERT
The 81250 ParBERT provides parallel
BER testing up to 45 Gb/s for high-
speed digital components. The modu-
lar design lets you mix and match
analyzer channels, generator chan-
nels and speed classes (333 kHz-675
MHz, 333 Mb/s-1.65 Gb/s or 2.7 Gb/s,
21 Mb/s-3.35 Gb/s, 620 Mb/s-7 Gb/s,
620 Mb/s-13.5 Gb/s and 38-45 Gb/s).
The 81250 ParBERT provides the
ability to generate jitter (3.35 Gb/s,
7 Gb/s and 13.5 Gb/s modules only)
and analyze jitter. The low intrinsic
jitter of the 3.35G/7G/13.5 Gb/s
receivers enable jitter analysis of a
DUTs output. The 3.35G/7G/13.5 Gb/s
generators are capable of stressing
the DUT by injecting RJ and DJ with
a per channel delay control input
(driven by an external modulation
signal).
Key features/benefits
Generate custom patterns, pseudo
random word sequences (PRWS)
and standard PRBS up to 2 31 1
Jitter analysis (extract and extrap-
olation) with bathtub curve and
spectral decomposition
External delay control input
(jitter modulation) on the
3.35G/7G/13.5 Gb/s generators
(up to 200 MHz with 250 ps delay
range for 3.35 Gb/s, up to 1 GHz
with 100 ps delay range for
7G/13.5 Gb/s)
For more information order the
following literature:
Product Overview 5968-9188E
14 w w w. a g i l e n t . c o m / f i n d / j i t t e r
N4906A Serial BERT
Operating over the data range of
50 Mb/s to 3.6 Gb/s, this integrated
pattern generator and error detector
is designed to quickly solve your
design and manufacturing problems.
The N4906A brings a new level of
insight into your testing toolbox.
Easy to set up and use, in a small,
expandable package makes digital
testing easy. The instrument includes
bathtub jitter analysis built-in that
provides insight into the underlying
causes behind bit errors.
Key features/benefits
Up to 3.6 Gb/s measurements
Easy to learn, easy to use
World class waveform
Q-factor measurement
Up to 10 ns clock/data delay range
Bathtub Jitter Analysis
For more information order the
following literature:
Product Brochure
5988-8918EN
Technical Specifications
5988-9276EN
N4901A/N4902A Serial BERTs
The N4901/2A Serial BERTs are the
ideal solution for the research, devel-
opment and manufacturing test of
digital components; devices and sub-
systems from 150 Mb/s to 13.5 Gb/s
(N4901A) or 7.0 Gb/s (N4902A).
Bathtub jitter analysis is built-in and
provides insight into the underlying
causes behind bit errors.
With this high performance serial
pattern generator and error detector,
you can perform error analysis to
verify the operation and quality of
lightwave submarine cable systems,
SONET/SDH telecom and high-speed
I/O transceivers, 10 Gigabit Ethernet,
and high-speed I/O serial links.
Key features/benefits
Up to 7.0 or 13.5 Gb/s measurements
Easy to learn, easy to use
World class waveform
Jitter analysis (extract and
extrapolation) with bathtub curve
and spectral decomposition
External delay control input
(jitter modulation) up to 1 GHz
with 100 ps delay range
For more information order the
following literature:
N4901A Technical Specifications
5988-9674EN
N4902A Technical Specifications
5988-9675EN
JS-1000
Performance Jitter Solution
The JS-1000 is a high-performance,
characterization/verification solution
for testing electrical components or
modules in optical transport commu-
nication systems with the utmost
accuracy and repeatability. The solu-
tion is a tailored phase noise system
that measures clock and data jitter
characteristics in the 2.5G and 10G
frequency ranges.
JS-1000 was created for designers
who want to differentiate their prod-
ucts on performance, time to market,
or price, since the performance jitter
solution impacts all three.
Key features/benefits
Compliance to SONET/SDH stan-
dards for clock and data jitter
generation, tolerance, and transfer
Measures clock jitter character-
istics in the 2.5G and 10G ranges
Maximum design insight beyond
compliance through the lowest
intrinsic jitter of any solution in
the industry
Maximum ROA through flexibility
to test more than SONET/SDH
frequencies: 2.4 to 3.125 Gb/s and
9.5 to 13 Gb/s
For more information order the
following literature:
Product Overview 5988-5291EN
Product Datasheet 5988-9875EN
JS-500 Clock Jitter
Measurement System
The JS-500 Clock Jitter Measurement
System is utilized for measuring the
jitter characteristics of electrical
oscillator and clock circuits. The
heart of the JS-500 is the E5501B
Phase Noise System, which enables
full evaluation of the noise character-
istics of electronic devices or com-
ponents. The system is capable of
making clock jitter measurements on
clock signals at frequencies between
10 MHz and 20 GHz, including
ITU/Bellcore compliant (OC-48 and
OC-192) measurements.
Key features/benefits
Measures clock jitter characteris-
tics in the 10 MHz and 20 GHz range Figure 23: Agilent jitter solutions
for SONET/SDH/OTN data rates.
Maximum jitter measurement
capability is 0.25 UI p-p
Both frequency-domain RMS jitter
and time domain peak-to-peak
jitter measurements can be made
Measurement bandwidths for
peak-to-peak jitter allow wideband,
OC-48, and OC-192 ITU/Bellcore
filter settings
For more information, consult
JS-1000 literature.
15
Jitter Measurement Solutions

OmniBER OTN Jitter Analyzer OmniBER 718 Communications

Performance Analyzer

The OmniBER OTN jitter analyzer is The OmniBER 718 Communications

a powerful SONET/SDH/OTN tester. performance analyzer provides the
The analyzer covers all SONET/SDH benchmark in PDH and SONET/SDH
jitter rates from 52 Mb/s up to BER and jitter testing from 1.5 Mb/s
10 Gb/s, plus the optical channel to 2.5 Gb/s. Designed for develop-
rate at 10.71 Gb/s (OTU-2) to ment, verification and manufacturing
ITU-T G.709. Designed for develop- applications, the analyzer exhibits
ment, verification and manufacturing ultra-low and stable intrinsic jitter
applications, the analyzer provides characteristics exceeding the
the industry's most accurate, one- ITU-T O.172 recommendation. The
box, jitter test solution. Exhibiting analyzer is also able to detect and
ultra-low and stable intrinsic jitter measure very short jitter transients,
characteristics, the OmniBER OTN ensuring that no potential problem
exceeds the ITU-T O.172 recommen- goes unnoticed.
dation, giving extra margin when
designing to meet the relevant Key features/benefits
Telcordia and ITU-T jitter recom-
Exceeds ITU-T O.172 specification
mendations. The analyzer is also
for jitter and wander test equipment
able to detect and measure very
short jitter transients, ensuring that Fully automatic jitter tolerance
no potential problem goes unnoticed. and jitter transfer measurements
External jitter modulation input
Key features/benefits
and demodulated jitter output
Exceeds ITU-T O.172 specification
E4547A software for making
for jitter and wander test equipment
real-time wander measurements
Fully programmable user masks for
For more information order the
jitter tolerance and jitter transfer
following literature:
measurements
Product Brochure 5988-5949EN
External jitter modulation input
Product Datasheet 5988-5115EN
and demodulated jitter output
E4547A software for making
real-time wander measurements
For more information order the
following literature:
Product Brochure 5988-6646EN
Product Datasheet 5988-6708EN

16 w w w. a g i l e n t . c o m / f i n d / j i t t e r
Figure 24: Agilent jitter solutions for enterprise and high-speed I/O applications

COMPONENTS SUB-SYSTEMS SYSTEMS

Data R&D * MANUFACTURING R&D * MANUFACTURING R&D * MANUFACTURING

Rates

54850 ** 54850 ** 54850 **

Oscilloscope 86100B DCA Oscilloscope 86100B DCA Oscilloscope 86100B DCA

<3.2 Gb/s N4906A Serial BERT N4906A Serial BERT 81250 ParBERT

81133/4A Pulse Generator 81133/4A Pulse Generator

86100B DCA 86100B DCA 86100B DCA

>3.2 Gb/s N4901/2A Serial BERT N4901/2A Serial BERT

81250 ParBERT 81250 ParBERT 81250 ParBERT

* Includes Compliance Test ** With Jitter Software

Figure 25: Agilent jitter solutions for SONET/SDH/OTN applications

COMPONENTS SUB-SYSTEMS SYSTEMS

Data R&D * MANUFACTURING R&D * MANUFACTURING R&D * MANUFACTURING

Rates

JS-500
JS-1000

10 G 86100B DCA 86100B DCA 86100B DCA

N4901/2A Serial BERT N4901/2A Serial BERT 81250 ParBERT

OmniBER OmniBER OmniBER

86100B DCA 86100B DCA 86100B DCA

40 G
81250 ParBERT 81250 ParBERT

* Includes Compliance Test

Related literature
Jitter Measurement Solutions CD 5988-9350EN
Measuring Jitter in Digital Systems App. Note 1448-1 5988-9109EN
Finding Sources of Jitter with Real-Time Jitter Analysis App. Note 1448-2 5988-9740EN
Jitter Analysis Techniques for High Data Rates App. Note 1432 5988-8425EN
Loop Bandwidth and Clock Data Recovery in Oscilloscope Measurements App. Note 1304-6 5988-6682EN
Generating/Measuring Jitter with the Agilent 81134A Product Note 5988-9411EN
Pulse/Pattern Generator and 54855A Infiniium Scope
Understanding Jitter and Wander Measurements and Standards Technical Note 5988-6254EN

Further information on Agilents jitter measurement solutions can be found online at

www.agilent.com/find/jitter

17
Agilent Technologies Test and Measurement Support,
Services, and Assistance
www.agilent.com/find/emailupdates
Agilent Technologies aims to maximize the value you receive, while
minimizing your risk and problems. We strive to ensure that you get Get the latest information on the products
the test and measurement capabilities you paid for and obtain the and applications you select.
support you need. Our extensive support resources and services can
help you choose the right Agilent products for your applications and Agilent T&M software and connectivity
apply them successfully. Every instrument and system we sell has a
global warranty. Support is available for at least five years beyond Agilent's Test and Measurement software and connectivity products,
the production life of the product. Two concepts underlie Agilent's solutions and developer network allows you to take time out of
overall support policy: "Our Promise" and "Your Advantage." connecting your instruments to your computer with tools based on PC
standards, so you can focus on your tasks, not on your connections.
Our Promise
Our Promise means your Agilent test and measurement equipment Visit www.agilent.com/find/connectivity
will meet its advertised performance and functionality. When you are for more information.
choosing new equipment, we will help you with product information,
including realistic performance specifications and practical recom-
mendations from experienced test engineers. When you use Agilent For more assistance with your test & measurement needs or to find
equipment, we can verify that it works properly, help with product your local Agilent office go to www.agilent.com/find/assist
operation, and provide basic measurement assistance for the use of
specified capabilities, at no extra cost upon request. Many self-help Product specifications and descriptions in this document
tools are available.
subject to change without notice.
Your Advantage
Your Advantage means that Agilent offers a wide range of additional
expert test and measurement services, which you can purchase
according to your unique technical and business needs. Solve problems
efficiently and gain a competitive edge by contracting with us for
calibration, extra-cost upgrades, out-of-warranty repairs, and on-site
education and training, as well as design, system integration, project
management, and other professional engineering services.
Experienced Agilent engineers and technicians worldwide can help Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2003
you maximize your productivity, optimize the return on investment Printed in USA, September 9, 2003
of your Agilent instruments and systems, and obtain dependable
measurement accuracy for the life of those products. 5988-9592EN

Data Rates <3.2 Gb/s Data Rates >3.2 Gb/s

Analysis Stimulus/Analysis Stimulus Analysis Stimulus/Analysis Stimulus
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Best Fit
Eye Diagram/Mask
Enterprise & High-Speed I/O

Good Fit
Bathtub Curve
Fair Fit
Extrapolated Bathtub
TIE Histogram
Parameter Histogram
Measurement vs. Time
FFT Spectrum
RJ/DJ Separation
DJ Views
Jitter Generation
SDH/OTN
SONET/

Jitter Transfer
Jitter Tolerance
Wander

Further information on Agilents jitter measurement solutions

can be found online at www.agilent.com/find/jitter