Montreal, Canada, September 22, 2020 – Introspect Technology, leading manufacturer of test and measurement tools for high-speed digital applications, announced today the introduction of the SV5C-DPTXCPTX Combo MIPI D-PHY/C-PHY Generator. This ultra-compact instrument enables electrical characterization and protocol validation of components based on the latest MIPI Alliance® C-PHY and D-PHY specifications, especially those targeting C-PHY version 2.0 and the upcoming D-PHY version 3.0. Because of the advanced equalization technologies and very low voltage levels that are mandated in these standards, any high-speed device that targets these specifications must undergo critical receiver sensitivity testing before successful deployment in the field. The SV5C-DPTXCPTX facilitates this process with remarkable ease, and it offers a future-proof test solution that covers a range of current and future MIPI specifications. Specifically, in addition to the C-PHY and D-PHY physical layer test features, this highly programmable test solution also includes an abundance of features for current and upcoming CSI-2 camera serial interface specification releases, as well as current and upcoming DSI-2 display serial interface specification releases.
“With its compactness, ease of setup, extreme analog performance, and fully integrated noise, jitter, and skew injection sources, the SV5C-DPTXCPTX has increased the availability of world‐class test equipment for high‐speed digital product development teams across the world,” said Dr. Mohamed Hafed, Introspect Technology CEO. “To quantify this, a single SV5C-DPTXCPTX instrument contains 12 independent skew and jitter injection channels that can operate in parallel and that are completely programmable through software, 12 independent pre-emphasis generators, and 12 independent noise injection sources, among others. All of these capabilities come in a handheld form factor, which means that engineers can deploy an entire validation bench setup within a compact box that travels inside any briefcase,” he continued.
Integrated Solution
The most important hallmark of the SV5C-DPTXCPTX receiver test solution is that it is completely integrated. It contains low-power (LP) pattern generators and their corresponding voltage drivers; it contains high-speed (HS) pattern generators and their analog front-ends; and it contains all impairment signal sources such as delay generators, jitter injection circuits, and voltage noise sources.
On the Fly Programmability
Control for the parameters of the SV5C-DPTXCPTX happens through the award winning Introspect ESP Software. The software strikes a perfect balance between ease of usability and infinite programmability. On the one hand, all parameters of the generator are available in tables that enable one-click generation of signals or protocol data packets based on the CSI-2 or DSI-2 specification. And, on the other, the software offers a comprehensive Python-based integrated development environment, thus allowing the creation of automated tests in a matter of minutes.
Advanced Waveform Shaping
Offering highly stable signal generation capability, the SV5C-DPTXCPTX gives confidence in the receiver measurements being performed, and it ensures strong repeatability and reproducibility. More importantly, fine-grained impairments can be added to the outputs of the SV5C-DPTXCPTX through software commands, thus giving users a platform for accurate and precise stressed eye generation. Indeed, automated sweeps in which a user gradually degrades a receiver eye opening can be performed, and these can be used to characterize a receiver’s ability to equalize faded signals and recover data reliably.
Conformance Test Suites (CTS) and Automated Calibration Scripts
The SV5C-DPTXCPTX supports C-PHY 2.0 and D-PHY 3.0 receiver CTS testing. As is well known, an important part of CTS testing is the calibrated stressed eye test. For this test, it is important to calibrate the receiver signal through a closed-loop connection to an oscilloscope. Through using the Introspect ESP Software, the SV5C-DPTXCPTX comes with optional automated calibration routines for the calibrated stressed eye test.
The unveiling of Introspect Technology’s SV5C-DPTXCPTX Combo MIPI D-PHY/C-PHY Generator represents a key step towards the widespread adoption of the C-PHY Version 2.0 and D-PHY Version 3.0 specifications by the mobile and mobile-influenced industries. With its small form factor and extensive feature set, this solution is suitable for a myriad of test and measurement domains; it is not only valuable for verification engineers that perform traditional characterization tasks, but it is also ideal for FPGA developers and software developers who need rapid turnaround signal verification tools or hardware-software interoperability confirmation tools.
About Introspect Technology
Founded in 2012 through self-funding, Introspect Technology designs and manufactures innovative test and measurement equipment for high-speed digital applications. Whether it is the next smartphone or the level-4 autonomy engine in a mobility solution, our award-winning tools are used to develop, test, and manufacture next-generation products. In short, we help the leading global technology companies make tomorrow’s technology today’s possibility.
