Testing Serial Data Signals

Within the last few years a variety of high speed serial data protocols have been proposed to replace older, lower speed parallel busses.
Testing Serial Data Signals
Dr. Michael Lauterbach, Director Product Management
Michael Schnecker, Product Manager
LeCroy Corporation



Introduction
Within the last few years a variety of high speed serial data protocols have been proposed to replace older,
lower speed parallel busses. New standards include RapidIO, Serial ATA, XAUI, PCI-Express, high speed
fibrechannel and more. Many of these borrow test methods and specifications from older serial data standards
used by long haul carriers for telecom applications--standards such as OC-12 and OC-48. But now the data
transmission may be from chip to chip, or between a one device and another nearby device rather than
between two cities. These shorter data paths make it easier to send high bit rates, but such high rates also
make it mandato