Circuitry on an integrated circuit for performing or facilitating oscilloscope, jitter, and/or bit-error-rate tester operations

Abstract

An integrated circuit ('IC') may include circuitry for use in testing a serial data signal. The IC may include circuitry for transmitting the serial data signal with optional jitter, optional noise, and / or controllably variable drive strength. The IC may also include circuitry for receiving the serial data signal and performing a bit error rate ('BER') analysis in such a signal. The IC may provide output signals indicative of results of its operations. The IC can operate in various modes to perform or at least emulate functions of an oscilloscope, a bit error rate tester, etc., for testing signals and circuitry with respect to jitter-tolerance, noise-tolerance, etc.

Description

technical field [0001] The present disclosure relates to electronic circuitry, such as integrated circuits ("ICs") and, more particularly, to including other circuitry on the IC for enabling the IC to execute (or at least facilitate execution) on and / or connected to the IC The tested circuit system. Background technique [0002] The increasing complexity of ICs increases the difficulty and expense of testing the performance of ICs with test equipment external to the ICs. For example, not all points in an IC that one may wish to test can be adequately connected to the IC's input / output pads or other similarly convenient externally accessible electrical connection attachment points. This can result in the need for expensive, delicate and difficult-to-use probes for accessing the desired locations in the IC. In this regard, an area of ​​particular concern is that provided on many ICs for transmitting and / or receiving high-speed serial data signals (e.g., serial A circuit sys...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

This can result in the need for expensive, delicate and difficult-to-use probes for accessing the desired parts of the IC

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