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USB Design and Test - A Better Way

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Testing for Interoperability

The Universal Serial Bus (USB) was first introduced in 1995. USB delivered a new way to connect personal computers and devices and allows users to easily connect many different types of devices and peripherals. As a result USB has essentially replaced aging serial and parallel ports as the connection of choice for device manufacturers and end users.

One of the biggest factors in the incredible success of USB has been the successful interoperability of USB devices and hosts. Interoperable products are an indirect result of the compliance testing program developed and maintained by the USB-Implementers Forum (USB-IF).

The USB-IF publishes compliance test specifications and has developed a comprehensive set of compliance tests that are used to verify quality and conformance of USB designs.

If you can demonstrate that your products meet these specifications then your customers can be confident that your products will work with theirs.

Proving that your products comply with the USB-IF specification requires a test methodology that meets the definitions contained within the CTS (Compliance Test Specification) published by the USB-IF.

Successful compliance testing provides many benefits. Firstly, logo certification - a product will only gain accreditation to use the official USB logos when proof is given that it meets the Compliance Test Specification.

Secondly, interoperability - as a product designer you cannot predict nor control the user’s environment. Products must be submitted to a robust testing methodology in order to minimize the potential for interoperability problems when connected to a real device in the real world.

Finally, customer confidence - your customers need to be assured that the products you deliver will work in their OEM environments. By testing to a proven method with approved test solutions you give your customers the confidence that your products conform to the CTS and will work effectively in their designs.

Keysight Technologies, Inc. is the world’s leading Test and Measurement Company. Keysight’s USB test solutions are fully approved by the USB-IF and are used in compliance workshops and by test labs worldwide.

When you test your USB designs with Keysight’s test solutions you have the confidence that when your products pass they meet the requirements of the USB-IF Compliance Test Specification.

The USB Platform

Since the introduction of USB, the USB-IF has continued to launch new variants of the interface standard.

In 2000, the USB-IF announced USB 2.0 to provide increased data throughput for higher-bandwidth devices such as video-conferencing cameras and high-resolution printers.

USB 2.0 provided the choice of three data rates, Low speed at 1.5 Mb/s, Full speed at 12 Mb/s and High speed at 480 Mb/s.

A further development has seen the introduction of Wireless USB, allowing users to wirelessly interconnect up to 127 devices. Wireless USB delivers a bandwidth of up to 480 Mb/s at 3 meters and 110 MB/s at 10 meter.

Now a further enhancement to the USB platform has been announced with the release of SuperSpeed USB 3.0. USB 3.0 is backward compatible with earlier versions and has been designed to address the high bandwidth transport requirements of rich media and large digital files. USB 3.0 provides a 10-fold increase in the data transfer rates compared with USB 2.0 with a data rate specified up to 5 Gb/s and data throughput greater than 200 MB/s.

The architecture of USB is such is that all of these data rates can co-exist at the same time within a configuration, all controlled by a common PC host.

This gives the flexibility to mix and match peripherals with different needs in terms of speed and throughput.

The family of USB specifications, USB 2.0, wireless USB and now USB 3.0, meet the needs of different applications and it is anticipated that all will co-exist in the market. Designers will choose the specification to meet the particular needs of their product. Whatever choice is made a robust test methodology is required to ensure that the end product is compliant to the relevant standards.

For designers of USB devices and systems the successful completion of the compliance test regime is essential to ensure conformance to the standards and interoperability.

Each variant of USB has its own compliance test specification. A number of the tests are common between variants, however, as the data rates increase then the requirement for a more thorough testing of high-speed effects increase. RF effects need to be considered when validating the high-speed modes of USB 2.0 and for USB 3.0.

Keysight Technologies offers a portfolio of solutions for testing USB, addressing all of the current variants. The company participates actively in the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) allowing it to influence and respond rapidly to changes in the test specifications.

Keysight’s USB-IF approved test solutions are used in compliance workshops and by test labs all over the world.

Keysight Technologies’ comprehensive portfolio of test solutions addresses the compliance testing needs of all variants of USB. With Keysight’s oscilloscopes, BERTs, network and logic analyzers together with a range of USB specific test applications and fixtures you can quickly and accurately test your USB design to ensure compliance.

When you select Keysight as your test partner you can be assured that your products will be tested to the latest standards and on the same equipment as used by your test lab. The result: you can speed your compliance, reduce your design iterations and shorten your time to market

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