Press Release

Femto 3200 Demonstrates TIA Method of Random and Data Dependent Jitter Separation on 3.2Gbps SerDes

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 16, 2002 - Guide Technology, Inc. (GuideTech), championing the scientific art of precision timing measurement technology, today announced it will demonstrate the only instrument to use a "true" TIA time interval analyzer technique to accurately separate random from data dependent jitter for better BER bit error rate correlation on datacom devices up to 3.2Gbps. This powerful TIA test method has many throughput and accuracy advantages over sampling scopes and over curve-fitting estimation techniques of competing time counter instruments.

Leveraging the wealth of reference-correlated timetag information unique to true TIA time interval analyzer instruments, the GuideTech Femto 3200 maintains knowledge of each measured edge location relative to a reference time T0 to precisely determine random and data dependant jitter and other critical timing of clock and data signals. Emerging source synchronous memory, graphic and datacom devices are causing major headaches for test engineers who struggle to synchronize their tester comparator strobes to the unpredictable signal output phase of these types of devices. Thus, another unique and valuable use of the Femto 3200 TIA time-correlation feature is testing of these non-deterministic devices at full device speed, even on lower frequency ATE systems, and without the need for cumbersome and time-consuming pattern match-mode and bit align markers.

As the power of GuideTech's advanced TIA technology becomes better understood by customers, the Femto 3200 is being selected by prominent datacom device manufacturers and major ATE vendors as the timing solution of choice for measuring jitter, modulation, skew, PLL frequency, settling time and bandwidth. Demonstrations of the new Femto 3200 performing SerDes jitter test will be given at the SEMICON West Exposition in San Jose July 17-19. GuideTech Booth # 12152. The Femto 3200 Targeted for higher frequency applications such as SerDes, Gigabit Ethernet, SONET, XAUI, Fiber Channel and high-speed PLL clocks, the Femto 3200 provides 16 or 32 channels of precision timing measurements up to 3.2Gbps of differential and single-ended measurements program selectable at run-time. Powerful TIA technology enables direct measurement of non-deterministic, source synchronous devices without Pattern Markers, Bit Alignment or Match Mode eliminating the problems of external arming at very high frequencies. The Femto 3200 also provides high accuracy random and data dependent jitter separation with the throughput required for production test.
 

About GuideTech

GuideTech is the only independent company focused on the advancement of precision time interval analyzer (TIA) instruments for semiconductor test applications. Based on true TIA technology, GuideTech provides datacom and consumer semiconductor device manufacturers with a better alternative to scopes and time counters to characterize device jitter and critical signal timing and to render precision timing tests economical in production. The time-correlated nature of true TIA technology enables GuideTech Femto products to provide picosecond skew, modulation and jitter measurement accuracy not typically found in ATE and competing lab instruments. Fast TIA measurement rates and high parallelism offer the highest throughput for production test. Founded in 1988, and with over a thousand instruments installed worldwide, GuideTech is the first to deliver a characterization-quality timing measurement solution to the cost-sensitive production ATE market. For more information on GuideTech, please visit the company's Website at http://www.guidetech.com, or call (408) 733-6555 x240.