Modules, misc.

Modular test setups require a robust hosting platform or mainframe to distribute power, cooling, and communications. For automated production environments, chassis like the Keysight Technologies (Agilent HP) M9505A offer 5 slots in a 4U rackmount form factor, compliant with the AXIe 1.0 standard. These systems feature a PCIe Gen 2 backplane delivering up to 4 GB/s of bandwidth to the host, with up to 200 W of power per slot and 12 dedicated trigger lines.

In field environments, modularity shifts toward portable mainframes such as the JDSU MTS-8000 and JDSU T-BERD 6000A. The JDSU MTS-8000 features a 10.4-inch SVGA color display and accepts field-interchangeable modules for advanced fiber testing. The more compact JDSU T-BERD 6000A utilizes an 8.4-inch resistive touchscreen and a single physical slot capable of holding single- or double-depth modules.

High-speed digital communication and fiber optic analysis rely heavily on plug-in sampling modules. These modules integrate directly into digital communication analyzers (DCA) to capture high-bandwidth eye diagrams. For multi-port testing, the Keysight Technologies (Agilent HP) 86115D receiver module offers optical and electrical channels designed for wide-bandwidth Infiniium oscilloscopes.

For electrical measurements, the Tektronix 80E01 provides a single-channel 50 GHz input with a 2.4 mm female connector and a rise time of 7.0 ps or less. Similarly, the Keysight Technologies (Agilent HP) 83484A is a dual-channel module with selectable bandwidths of 26.5 GHz or 50 GHz. For general-purpose electrical receiver requirements, the Keysight Technologies (Agilent HP) 86112A offers dual channels with selectable 12.4 GHz or 20 GHz bandwidth.

Optical analysis requires specialized optoelectronic converters. The Keysight Technologies (Agilent HP) 86105A combines a selectable 12.4/20 GHz amplified optical channel and a 20 GHz electrical channel. The Keysight Technologies (Agilent HP) 86103A is optimized for transceiver compliance, providing a 2.85 GHz unfiltered optical channel alongside switchable hardware filters for standard rates such as Gigabit Ethernet (1.250 Gb/s) and OC-3/STM-1 (155 Mb/s).

Auxiliary modules extend these capabilities. The Keysight Technologies (Agilent HP) 83496A provides continuous clock recovery from 50 Mb/s to 13.5 Gb/s, while the Tektronix 80A06 PatternSync module synchronizes trigger signals across clock frequencies from 150 MHz to 12.5 GHz.

Logic analyzer modules convert mainframes into digital diagnostic systems, allowing hardware designers to capture and analyze high-speed parallel buses.

Tektronix TLA7000-compatible modules utilize MagniVu timing technology to capture high-speed events. The Tektronix TLA7AA3 provides 102 channels, a timing sample rate of 8 GHz (125 ps resolution), and state acquisition speeds up to 800 MHz. For systems requiring fewer channels, the Tektronix TLA7AA2 provides 68 channels, and the Tektronix TLA7AA1 offers 34 channels, both retaining the 8 GHz MagniVu resolution.

Keysight 16900 series modules focus on high state rates and deep memory depth. The Keysight Technologies (Agilent HP) 16950B offers 136 state/timing channels with a maximum state clock rate of 667 MHz, data rates up to 1066 Mb/s, and a 4 GHz timing zoom. The Keysight Technologies (Agilent HP) 16911A offers a 68-channel alternative supporting conventional timing up to 500 MHz (full channel) or 1 GHz (half channel), alongside a 250 ps timing zoom.

Beyond high-speed sampling and digital logic, modular portfolios include targeted tools for data acquisition, optical network testing, and instrument calibration.

For data acquisition, the Keysight Technologies (Agilent HP) 34907A multifunction module occupies one slot in a 34970A or 34972A mainframe, providing 16 digital I/O bits, two analog DAC outputs, and a 100 kHz gated totalizer. For field Ethernet testing, the JDSU FST-2802 is a dual-port test set designed for the JDSU FST-2000 TestPad platform, supporting copper and optical SFP ports at line rates up to 1 Gbps.

In optical power testing, the Keysight Technologies (Agilent HP) 81619A interfaces up to two independent 8162x series optical heads with Lightwave mainframes, while the Keysight Technologies (Agilent HP) 81613A ORL module features Fabry-Perot laser sources at 1310 nm and 1550 nm for optical return loss measurements. For automated RF measurements, the Keysight Technologies (Agilent HP) N4694D ECal module simplifies vector network analyzer calibration. This 2-port, 1.85 mm module covers standard frequencies from 10 MHz to 67 GHz, or down to DC with Option 0DC.