Method and apparatus for simultaneous protocol and physical layer testing

An apparatus, comprising:

• a circuit configured to:
• receive, by a circuit, first data that from a component of a protocol analyzer, wherein the first data specifies content of packets encoded in an electrical signal sent over a communication channel between a first device and a second device and analyzed by the protocol analyzer;
• receive, by the circuit, second data from a component of one or more than one oscilloscope, wherein the second data specifies waveform characteristics of the electrical signal sent over the communication channel between the first device and the second device and probed by the one or more than one oscilloscope;
• trigger, by a component of the protocol analyzer, an event, wherein the event causes the oscilloscope to capture additional electrical signals or trigger;
• or
• trigger, by a component of the one or more than one oscilloscope, an event, wherein the event causes the protocol analyzer to capture communication events around time of the event or trigger;
• correlate, by the circuit, the electrical signal measurement with the communication event;
• and
• present, on a display device, a user interface configured to concurrently present the content of the communication events specified by the first data received from the protocol analyzer, and a graphical depiction of the waveform characteristics of the electrical signal specified by the second data received from the component of the one or more than one oscilloscope.

A system for measuring a device comprising:

• a component of a protocol analyzer configured to capture a communication event;
• a component of one or more than one oscilloscope configured to capture an electrical signal, wherein the component of the one or more than one oscilloscope is further configured to trigger the component of the protocol analyzer to capture the communication event and wherein the component of the protocol analyzer is further configured to trigger the component of the one or more than one oscilloscope to capture the electrical signal;
• an interposer, connected to the protocol analyzer, wherein the interposer is configured to probe electrical signals and wherein the interposer comprises one or more than one permanent probe tips or connection for temporary attachment of probe tips, wherein the probe tips are configured to probe analog characteristics of high speed signals and are electrically connected to the one or more than one oscilloscope;
• and
• a circuit configured to:
• receive the communication event and the electrical signal;
• de-embed effects of the interposer from the communication event and the electrical signal;
• correlate the electrical signal to the communication event or correlate the communication event to the electrical signal;
• and
• control and display a user interface comprising waveform traces in time domain from the one or more than one oscilloscope and captured data from the protocol analyzer, wherein the user interface further comprises a summary of the waveform traces and the captured data on a common time scale.

A method for measuring a device comprising:

• capturing a communication event by a component of a protocol analyzer;
• capturing an electrical signal by a component of one or more than one oscilloscope;
• probing, by an interposer connected to the protocol analyzer, electrical signals, wherein the interposer comprises one or many permanent probe tips or a connection for temporary attachment of probe tips, wherein the probe tips are configured to probe analog characteristics of high speed signals and are electrically connected to the one or more than one oscilloscope;
• triggering, from a component of the protocol analyzer, the one or more than one oscilloscope to capture the electrical signal or triggering;
• or
• triggering, by a component of the one or more than one oscilloscope, an event, wherein the event causes the protocol analyzer to capture communication events around time of the event or triggering;
• correlating, by a circuit, the electrical signal with the communication event or correlating, by the circuit, the communication event to the electrical signal;
• de-embedding, by the circuit, effects of the interposer from the communication event and the electrical signal;
• and
• controlling and displaying, by the circuit, a user interface comprising waveform traces in time domain from the one or more than one oscilloscope and captured data from the protocol analyzer, wherein the user interface further comprises a summary of the waveform traces and the captured data on a common time scale.