Tektronix TMT4 Margin Tester

The Tektronix TMT4 Margin Tester complements existing Bit Error Rate Tester (BERT) and oscilloscope solutions for margin testing. Unlike BERT and oscilloscope systems, the TMT4 Margin Tester’s simple setup, configuration, and user interface minimizes the need for senior engineers to ensure systems are set up properly for testing, and enables a broader team of users to quickly assess the health of the link formed between Margin Tester and their DUT. Its targeted Tx/Rx capability allows you to capture issues with PCIe Gen 3 and Gen 4 communications on both ends of the link and enables teams to evaluate the link health of up to x16 Gen 4 links, across all PCIe presets 0-9, in minutes.

Simple Setup, Fast Results

Control the Tektronix TMT4 Margin Tester using the front panel, a web browser, or the Rest API. Two scan options are available: Quick Scan and Custom Scan. Both include DUT Tx and DUT Rx tests. In Quick Scan, the Margin Tester and the DUT undergo a natural link negotiation to determine which presets to communicate over. Custom Scan is intended to provide users with more parameters to adjust for specific tests by forcing the DUT into specific presets for test.

Fast Results for Both Ends of the PCIe Link

With the Tektronix TMT4 Margin Tester link health evaluation takes as little as two minutes.

• The DUT Tx test provides 2 key pieces of data: eye diagrams for each lane-preset combination measured at the receiver of the Margin Tester and the associated receiver training values the Margin Tester used to open the eye that is displayed.
• The DUT Rx test is a functional evaluation of the DUT’s receiver path. The test aims to determine how far the transmitted signal amplitude from the Margin Tester can be decreased, within an expected range of operation, before errors are returned.

A Full Suite of PCIe Adapters and Cables

The Tektronix TMT4 Margin Tester supports most common PCIe form factors by means of 11 adapters available for CEM, M.2, U.2, and U.3. A single 16-lane ribbon cable with high density PCIe connectors connects the Margin Tester to any of the adapters, except for the M.2 edge adapter, which has its own integrated cable to accommodate different insertion loss specifications.

Device Under Test Transmit (Tx) Test

The DUT Tx tests provide 2 key pieces of data:

• Eye diagrams for each lane-preset combination measured at the receiver of the Margin Tester.
• Receiver training parameters the Margin Tester used to open the eye to what is displayed.

The resulting eye diagrams represent the error-free region of the link formed between the DUT and the margin tester.

Device Under Test Receive (Rx) Test

The DUT Rx test evaluates the DUT’s receiver path, determining how far the transmitted signal from the Margin Tester can be decreased before errors are returned, within an expected range of operation.

To perform this test, the Margin Tester undergoes a natural link train with the DUT, where the negotiated presets are determined by the DUT receivers. Once presets have been established, the Margin Tester steps down the Tx EQ main cursor value for each lane-preset combination, until an error is seen by the Margin Tester. If an error is seen within the expected range, then the main cursor value at which the error occurred is displayed. If no errors occur in the range, a “no error” message is displayed.

Quick Scan for Fast Link Health Evaluation

Choose Quick Scan, the fastest option, to evaluate health of your PCIe link following a natural link negotiation. For the Tx tests, the presets are determined by the Margin Tester, and for the Rx test, the presets are determined by the device under test. Quick Scan promptly provides DUT Tx eye diagrams for each lane-preset combination, with associated link training parameters, and the Rx test results table.

Custom Scan for In-Depth Evaluation

Custom Scan allows you to conduct a more in-depth analysis for specific lanes or presets by allowing the user to the select the:

• Generation (PCIe Gen 3 or Gen 4)
• Lanes to Test
• Presets to Test