Signal quality analyser supports real-time measurement of FEC symbol errors

Anritsu has released an expanded FEC analysis capability in its 116Gbit/s PAM4 Error Detector MU196040B module for the Signal Quality Analyser-R MP1900A series BERTs. With the new ED module, the device is claimed to be the first BERT to support real-time measurement of FEC symbol errors, giving design engineers a single-instrument solution to more efficiently evaluate next-generation 400GbE and 800GbE high-speed devices and transceivers.

The new device offers best-in-class input-sensitivity performance and the real-time ability to detect FEC symbol errors based on the 400GbE FEC standard. Besides conventional BER measurement, the device also supports jitter tolerance measurements for assessing error correction capability using FEC, as needed by transmissions utilising high-speed PAM4 signals.

The company satisfies an emerging market demand with the new FEC analysis function of the device. Evaluation of devices and transceivers supporting PAM4 not only needs jitter tolerance and sensitivity evaluations based on conventional bit error and error-free measurements, but also measurement of error correction utilising FEC. The device, with the new PAM4 ED module, meets these testing parameters.