PAM4 signal simulation system subject of Anritsu ECOC demo

Test and measurement systems vendor Anritsu says it plans to show off a high-quality PAM4 signal simulation system at ECOC 2013 in London this September 22-26. The demonstration is timely in that pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) has attracted attention as a way to develop low-cost 100-Gbps optical transceivers for Ethernet applications as well as for high-speed backplanes.

The demonstration will see PAM4 modulation in a signal simulation on the Anritsu MP1800A signal quality analyzer (SQA) via Anritsu’s new MZ1834A PAM4 converter. The signal analysis will be implemented through Teledyne LeCroy’s 65-GHz LabMaster oscilloscope.

Anritsu believes R&D engineers can use such a setup to verify the transmission capabilities of multi-level signal generation over various media – including copper cable for very short links. To support such tests, the system must generate original signals of high quality, with quick rise/fall times and low jitter, Anritsu points out. In addition, elements such as the SQA must be able to manage channel synchronization on generation and offer interchannel skew control. As well as these factors, the demonstration also should show R&D engineers that they will have the ability to tune the multiple eye openings in the resulting signal via the SQA.

“The quality of the simulated signal is a key factor in the successful verification of new transmission techniques such as PAM4 and PAM8 modulation,” explains Alessandro Messina, business development director for optical test instruments at Anritsu. “Anritsu’s PAM4 demonstration at ECOC shows how a high-quality signal generation system can help R&D engineers to reduce the effort and time required to implement a test set-up for backplanes running at up to 100 Gbps.”

Anritsu believes multi-level signal generation for PAM testing is best achieved through dedicated modules that offer a complete array of pre-set coupled connections. In addition to the MZ1834A PAM4 converter at ECOC, Anritsu also plans to offer the MZ1838A, a PAM8 converter supporting a three-channel modulation compared with the MZ1834A’s two channels.

Anritsu says it also will demonstrate DP-QPSK modulation for high-speed backhaul applications, a 100 Gigabit Ethernet optical test laboratory, and the MT908x Access Master OTDR at ECOC.

For more information on test equipment and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.