Trigger and decode solution for 1000BASE-T1 automotive Ethernet

Rohde & Schwarz has released what is claimed to be the world’s first triggering and decoding solution for 1000BASE-T1, extending its position in test solutions for automotive.

The flexibility of automotive Ethernet makes the simple twisted-pair network technology perfect for an ever-increasing range of in-vehicle networks. To verify, commission and troubleshoot designs based on an automotive Ethernet communication link, it is essential to have an instrument that can not only measure and verify compliance to the standards but also decode the messages and reliably trigger on them.

The new K58 option for the R&S RTO and R&S RTP oscilloscopes offers a fast and efficient method to perform this analysis. Users can debug and verify in-vehicle networks and ECU implementations. The decoded data can be presented in a table as well as in the usual honeycomb diagram. Important parameters including Idle, MAC or error frames are readily identifiable through defined colour codes. With the R&S RT-ZF7 probing fixtures, the forward and reverse data streams can be decoded together. Furthermore, the oscilloscopes support simultaneous decoding of up to four serial buses.

Combing the new trigger and decode functionality with the K35 bus measurements option, in-depth measurements such as the error frame rate and number of consecutive frame errors serves to determine quickly the stability of the link. More analysis of bus timing, including the delay between frames or between any trigger event and the consequent bus frame can be determined. The error rates and frame timing are measured simultaneously, both very important for automotive applications such as for autonomous driving.