Digital data signal testing using arbitrary test signal
AssigneeAgilent Technologies, Inc.
InventorJoachim Moll
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
For testing a digital data signal, a value derived from the digital data signal at a sampling point is compared against a corresponding value of an arbitrary test signal. The comparison is interpreted as an error in case the derived value does not substantially match with the corresponding value of the arbitrary test signal.
Claims22
A method for testing a digital data signal, comprising the step of:
- a) determining, for each of a plurality of different sampling points, a value of bit error rate for the digital data signal by comparing each value sampled at the sampling point against a corresponding value of an arbitrary test signal being independent of and/or non-correlated to the digital data signal,
- b) interpreting the comparison of the previous step as an error in case the derived value does not substantially match with the corresponding value of the arbitrary test signal and determining for each of the different sampling points a value of a bit error rate representing the ratio of errors, and
- c) analyzing the determined values of bit error rate in order to derive an indication of occurrences of the digital data signal between the plurality of respective sampling points.
-3. (canceled)
(canceled)
The method of the above claim, wherein deriving the indication comprises the step of:
- differentiating a course of the determined values of bit error rate over one property of the respective sampling points, preferably over the threshold value.
(canceled)
The method of claim 3, wherein the digital data signal is a signal of alternating logic values, and the step c) is executed individually for each value of the alternating logic values.
A system for testing a digital data signal, comprising:
- a bit error rate unit adapted for:
- determining, for each of a plurality of different sampling points, a value of bit error rate for the digital data signal by comparing each value sampled at the sampling point against a corresponding value of an arbitrary test signal being independent of and/or non-correlated to the digital data signal,
- interpreting a comparison as an error in case the derived value does not substantially match with the corresponding value of the arbitrary test signal and determining for each of the different sampling points a value of a bit error rate representing the ratio of errors, and
- analyzing the determined values of bit error rate in order to derive an indication of occurrences of the digital data signal (20) between the plurality of respective sampling points.
-29. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.