Industry's fastest arbitrary waveform generator

Keysight Technologies has added a 92GSa/s, 32GHz modular instrument to its portfolio of arbitrary waveform generators (AWGs). The M8196A supports leading-edge research for 100Gb/s, 400Gb/s and 1Tb/s communication applications The new high-speed, wide-bandwidth M8196A AWG allows engineers to generate digital, multi-level (e.g., PAM-4, PAM-8, DMT) signal scenarios at 8 bits vertical resolution and test their electrical and optical links with complex modulated signals up to 64 GBaud. This makes the M8196A the fastest and most versatile signal generator in the industry, says the company.

"The M8196A AWG provides synchronized dual polarization I/Q signal at unrivalled speed, bandwidth and channel density," said Juergen Beck, general manager and vice president of Keysight's Digital and Photonic Test Division. "This provides communication test engineers with new tools to solve challenges in 100Gb/s and 400Gb/s Ethernet and coherent applications."

The M8196A arbitrary waveform generator supports:

1. High-speed and coherent optical transceiver and component testing with its four synchronized channels in one instrument, allowing deterministic emulation and predistortion of two independent I/Q signals
2. R&D tests in the development of new physical layer standards exceeding 100Gb/s with the instrument's unmatched flexibility which also allows de-embedding of a channel's S-parameters, in-situ calibration and signal stress conditioning
3. Generation of any mathematically defined arbitrary waveforms, ultra-short yet precise pulses and multiple GHz chirps

The M8196A offers:

1. A maximum sample rate of 92GSa/s with 32GHz of analog bandwidth on up to four precisely aligned channels per 1-slot AXIe module simultaneously
2. Up to 2Vpp differential output voltage and adjustable DC offset in a -1V to 2.5V window
3. 8 bits vertical resolution and rise and fall times below 9ps The M8196A runs on a 1-slot AXIe modular system designed for high-performance instrumentation.