special report product launch
It is not often that a product is released that
encapsulates so distinctly the essence of British
ingenuity. However, the new SxE hand held
test and measurement instrument with eye
and jitter functionality from Phabrix may just
have set itself in that mould. Phillip Adams,
Phabrix’s owner and managing director, reports.
Portable eye & jitter measurement
H
aving successfully a third harmonic and preferably a fifth. and alignment jitter filters, decade
launched the Phabrix SxA, Imagine the cost of an oscilloscope filters are provided allowing an
a three in one portable with this kind of input bandwidth and engineer to analyse the frequency
testing device, at IBC2008 you can begin to understand the content of any jitter present. The
- offering a combined challenge. number of eyes displayed is adjustable
generator, analyser and Another major challenge was to from one eye up to one frame of eyes
monitor supporting three generations create a sampling clock with extremely - a very useful feature for detecting
of SDI signals (3G-SDI, HD-SDI and SD- low jitter, the creation of which is also source related power supply problems.
SDI) - this UK based company pushing technological boundaries. At Multiple eye selection also enables
demonstrated its 3G eye and jitter 3Gbps we have just 337 picoseconds analysis when serialiser jitter is
The Phabrix
advancement on its stand at BVE2009 across the eye which must be sampled present: Products process video in
SxE is
in London in February and now plans with a clock with significantly better either a 10 or 20 bit parallel data
to launch it at NAB2009 in April.
available in
than 33 picoseconds peak to peak domain which is subsequently
Eye and jitter measurement at
a standard
jitter. transmitted as a single bit serial data
3Gbps is seen by many as the ‘Holy
form with
The Phabrix SxE is available in a stream. By triggering every 10 or 20
Grail’ of SDI interface testing, and the standard form with tools focussed ontools eyes you can reveal repetitive parallel
challenges of designing such confirming compliance to SMPTE clock domain jitter in equipment being
focussed on
functionality into a product, let alone a specifications. A single screen displays analysed.
confirming
hand held one, are considerable. From an eye diagram and jitter The separate jitter analysis screen
the outset we set ourselves the task
compliance
thermometers providing the engineer incorporated into the advanced option
of creating a product which would not
to SMPTE
with a quick go/no-go indication and enables the engineer to analyse the
only address the needs of the industry specific- is intended as a fast, portable device nature of jitter present using a graph of
to be compliant with SMPTE for engineers. Applications include OB jitter versus time. Again, the decade
ations. A
specifications but which would also trucks, transmission stations through to filters are present and the time base
single screen
offer the analysis tools required to large broadcast installations. can be adjusted from 1 line through to
determine the possible sources of
displays an
The analysis option for the Phabrix 1 frame. By analysing jitter in this
non-compliance.
eye diagram
SxE adds an additional jitter screen plus detailed way an engineer can
One of the most significant
and jitter
enhancements to the eye display and determine if a signal is in or out of
challenges was the need to ensure is focussed toward broadcastthermo- specification and also get a feel for
low power consumption and to manufacturers who have a need for where any problems lie. A spiky
meters
achieve this we had to go back to high end analysis tools at an affordable waveform could indicate power supply
providing
fundamental design principles. Space price. Here the Phabrix SxE uses noise and these visual clues aid the
too was a factor and of course
the engineer
hardware and software algorithms diagnosis. Vertical gain and horizontal
keeping the cost down was also
with a quick
usually associated with very expensive magnify controls are provided to help
essential. In the whole design we go/no-go bench-bound equipment. further identify problems.
have tried to leverage mobile Histograms give statistical With all the generation, analysis and
indication
technologies - the processor, battery information which can be used to monitoring tools of the highly
and is
and power management circuits. Like accurately measure rise time, fall time successful SxA, the Phabrix SxE with
all good innovators we have
intended as
and amplitude. These automatic eye and jitter is set to create quite an
incorporated leading edge technology
a fast,
accurate measurements can then be entrance at NAB2009. Held within a
from other industries.
portable
logged for extended periods of time. newly designed extruded aluminium
In pure engineering terms the Measurements like rise time and falldevice for case with its distinctive Phabrix brand
challenge required an eye sampling time are notoriously difficult to make end caps, the Phabrix SxE will be on
engineers.
system with an analogue input with SDI signals and here the Phabrix every broadcast engineer’s wish list -
bandwidth in excess of 7.5 GHz. The SxE excels, providing user friendly and the price is comparable to a single
fundamental frequency of a 3Gbps automatic measurements even in the option on many of its high end
signal is 1.5 GHz and to accurately presence of excessive jitter. competitors’ products.
represent that signal you need at least In addition to the standard timing See it on stand N3117 at NAB2009.
46 l ibe l march/april 2009 l www.ibeweb.com
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