Embedded Software Package for InfiniiVision X-Series Oscilloscopes

and decode for a broad range of the most common serial buses used today for embedded and mixed-signal designs. This package also enables other advanced analysis capabilities including mask testing and frequency response analysis to help test today’s electronic designs.

Introduction

The primary reason engineers use oscilloscopes to debug and characterize embedded serial buses, such as I2C, SPI, and UART (RS-232 or RS-485), is because of an oscilloscope’s inherent ability to characterize the analog quality of these signals and to also time-correlate serial activity with other analog and digital I/O signals in their designs.

Many of the most popular embedded protocol decode and triggering capabilities and advanced analysis features such as mask testing and frequency response analysis (Bode plots) are enabled on InfiniiVision X-Series oscilloscope if licensed with the Embedded Software Package. Table 1 lists the specific measurement capabilities that are enabled on each series with the Embedded Package.

Today’s embedded designs based on microcontrollers (MCUs) and digital signal processors (DSPs) often include a combination of real-world analog signals, digital I/O buses, and serial buses. Although microcontrollers and DSPs are often thought of as simply digital control and processing devices, most MCUs and DSPs today are mixed-signal devices. Signals that need to be monitored and verified in systems such as these using an oscilloscope include analog I/O, digital I/O ports, and serial communication buses. I2C, SPI, and UART/RS-232 are often used for chip-to-chip communication between MCUs and memory chips, as well as other peripherals. Keysight’s InfiniiVision X-Series oscilloscopes have some unique advantages over other oscilloscope when it comes to triggering on and decoding serial buses including the following.

• Hardware-based decoding for responsiveness
• Dual-bus time-interleaved protocol lister display
• Decoding of all frames captured using segmented memory
• Real-time frame/error counter for some protocols

Advanced Analysis

Mask Test

If you need to validate the quality and stability of your electronic components and systems, the InfiniiVision oscilloscope’s mask/waveform limit testing capability, which is enabled with the Embedded Software Package, can save you time and provide pass/fail statistics almost instantly. Mask testing offers a fast and easy way to test your signals to specified standards, as well as the ability to uncover unexpected signal anomalies, such as glitches. Mask testing on other oscilloscopes is usually based on software-intensive processing technology, which tends to be slow.

The InfiniiVision scope’s mask testing is based on hardware technology, meaning that they can perform up to 270,000 real-time waveform pass/fail tests per second. This makes your testing throughput orders of magnitude faster than you can achieve on other oscilloscope mask test solutions.

Features

• Test up to 270,000 waveforms per second with the industry’s fastest hardware-accelerated mask testing technology
• Automatic mask creation using input standard
• Easily download multi-region masks and setups based on industry standards
• Detailed pass/fail statistics
• Test to high-quality standards based on sigma
• Multiple user-selectable test criteria