Error Rate Measuring Apparatus for PAM4 Signal MSB LSB Error Counting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing error rate measuring apparatuses are inefficient in counting errors based on user-designated regions and communication standards, and cannot detect most significant bit (MSB) and least significant bit (LSB) errors for forward error correction (FEC) operations in devices under test.
Innovation Solution
An error rate measuring apparatus that inputs a PAM4 signal as a test signal, divides symbol string data into MSB and LSB data, compares these with error data to detect errors, and counts FEC Symbol Errors, allowing for user-defined error counting based on communication standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If error counting is performed for each physical Eye from captured symbol string data, then measurement coverage is achieved, but debugging efficiency deteriorates due to lack of user-defined region counting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the symbol string data into multiple regions based on user-defined delimiters (such as Codeword boundaries or FEC Symbol boundaries). This allows error counting to be performed on specific segments rather than the entire data stream, enabling focused debugging on critical regions while maintaining comprehensive measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary segmentation of the symbol string data into defined regions before error counting. By pre-establishing delimiters and regions based on communication standards (e.g., Codeword boundaries, FEC Symbol intervals), the system prepares the data structure in advance, allowing efficient error counting only in relevant regions without processing unnecessary data.
2Productivity
If FEC Symbol Errors are to be counted with user-defined delimiters, then debugging efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic region definition where delimiters and counting regions can be flexibly configured based on different communication standards and user needs. The system can adaptively set delimiters (Codeword boundaries, FEC Symbol intervals) and counting regions without requiring hardware reconfiguration, achieving versatility through software-controlled dynamic parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal error counting framework that can handle multiple communication standards and delimiter types through a single system. By supporting user-defined delimiters and multiple region types (Codeword-based, FEC Symbol-based), the system serves multiple debugging needs without requiring separate specialized devices for each standard.
3Measurement precision
If MSB and LSB errors are separately detected for each Codeword, then FEC operation assessment improves, but measurement complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the error detection process into separate MSB and LSB analysis streams. By dividing the symbol data into MSB and LSB components and independently tracking errors in each component within Codeword boundaries, the system provides detailed FEC operation assessment without requiring complex integrated analysis of all bits together.
Data Source
AI summary
An error rate measuring apparatus includes an operation unit that sets one Codeword length and one FEC Symbol length of FEC according to a communication standard of a device under test W, a storage unit that stores symbol string data obtained by receiving and converting a signal from the device under test W, data division means for dividing the stored symbol string data into MSB data and LSB data, a data comparison unit that compares each of the divided MSB data and LSB data with error data to detect each of MSB errors and LSB errors of each one Codeword length, and detects FEC Symbol Errors of each of the MSB data and the LSB data at one FEC Symbol interval, and error counting means for counting the detected MSB errors, LSB errors, and FEC Symbol Errors.