BroadR-Reach PHY automated compliance test!

Tektronix has announced a "one-box" solution for BroadR-Reach® PHY compliance testing. The new Option BRR  for Tektronix oscilloscopes automates the full range of tests required for BroadR-Reach compliance testing and can save users up to 90 percent on testing time compared to manual testing.

Backed by the OPEN Alliance (One-Pair Ether-Net) Special Interest Group (SIG), BroadR-Reach Ethernet technology enables 100Mbps connections over unshielded single twisted pair cable. It is expected to gain widespread adoption within the automotive industry over the next few years, helping to improve in-vehicle safety, comfort and infotainment, while significantly reducing network complexity and cabling costs. As this market expands, automated compliance testing will be critical to ensuring that BroadR-Reach compatible products interoperate and deliver expected performance.

"Tektronix is the ideal test partner for any company developing or implementing BroadR-Reach products today or in the future," said Brian Reich, general manager, Performance Oscilloscopes, Tektronix. "We are a leader in Ethernet compliance testing and have a long-history of supporting emerging standards with best-in-class compliance test solutions. For BroadR-Reach PHY testing, we offer the industry's only "one-box" test solution and currently have the
only automated solution for the specification."

To help engineers test BroadR-Reach products quickly and efficiently, Option BRR allows the use of a single Tektronix oscilloscope for the full range of tests required by the specification including power spectral density (PSD) and return loss measurements. Until now, engineers have been required to use a spectrum analyzer and a network analyzer respectively for these tests. Tektronix has filed unique IP for performing these tests with an oscilloscope. This "one-box" solution simplifies setup complexity and reduces equipment expense.

The Option BRR solution recommends a test fixture that provides a mechanism to add a "disturbing" signal which is needed to perform the distortion measurement, one of the most important measurements recommended by the specification. Competitive offerings do not currently offer disturber support.

"The transition to BroadR-Reach Ethernet in automotive is moving at full speed," said Dr. Ali Abaye, Senior Director of Automotive at Broadcom. "An important factor in the success of a new networking standard is the support of leading test and measurement providers to ensure that devices are compliant with the specification. We are encouraged that Tektronix has stepped up to deliver an innovative BroadR-Reach compliance and automation test solution and believe it will help drive adoption of Ethernet technology throughout the automotive industry."