The Keysight (formerly Agilent) 86108A Precision Waveform Analyzer is a double-wide plug-in module designed for the 86100C Infiniium DCA-J mainframe. It delivers outstanding accuracy for testing high-speed digital communications signals, featuring an integrated clock recovery system, an ultra-low residual jitter timebase, and high-bandwidth electrical channels in a single integrated unit. This setup enables simple, single-connection 'triggerless' measurements on serial data streams up to 14.2 Gb/s.

Specifications

General

ParameterValue
InterfacesMainframe backplane (host mainframe provides GPIB, LAN, and USB)
DisplayNone (utilizes host mainframe display)

Physical

ParameterValue
Power SupplyPowered directly by the host mainframe slot
Operating Temperature10 °C to 40 °C
Dimensions (W×H×D)154 mm × 77 mm × 268 mm
Weight2.3

General Description & Compatibility

ParameterValue
Compatible MainframeKeysight / Agilent 86100C Infiniium DCA-J
Required Mainframe FirmwareRevision A.08.10 or later
Number of Channels2
Module Slot OccupancyDouble-wide (occupies two slots in the mainframe)
Measurement Modes SupportedOscilloscope, Eye/Mask, Jitter, Amplitude

Vertical System

ParameterValue
Electrical Bandwidth> 32 GHz
RMS Noise Floor< 300 µV (typical 250 µV at 32 GHz)
Nominal Input Impedance50 Ω
Input Connector Type2.4 mm (female)
Maximum Operating Input Voltage±400 mV relative to channel offset
Maximum Safe Input Voltage±2 V

Horizontal System & Timebase

ParameterValue
Residual Jitter< 100 fs RMS (60 fs RMS typical)

Clock Recovery & Triggering

ParameterValue
Clock Recovery Operating Range50 Mb/s to 14.2 Gb/s (continuous)
Clock Recovery Connection ModeSingle-connection triggerless operation
Loop Bandwidth ConfigurationAdjustable loop bandwidth and peaking
Spread Spectrum Clocking (SSC) TrackingSupported (exceeds industry standards)

Waveform Measurements & Analysis

ParameterValue
PLL CharacterizationSupported (includes Loop Bandwidth and Jitter Transfer)
Supported Jitter MeasurementsJitter decomposition (TJ, RJ, DJ)
Supported Amplitude MeasurementsOne/Zero levels, Peak-to-Peak, RMS noise, interference
Supported Time MeasurementsRise time, Fall time, Period, Frequency

Electrical Inputs

ParameterValue
Input CouplingDC

Dynamic Performance

ParameterValue
Calculated Rise/Fall Time (10% to 90%)< 11.0 ps (Option HBW) / < 26.9 ps (Option LBW)

Clock Recovery

ParameterValue
Clock Recovery Frequency Range (Option 400)Clock Recovery Frequency Range (Option 200) = 50 Mb/s to 14.2 Gb/s (continuous)
Clock Recovery Frequency Range (Option 100)8.5 Gb/s to 14.2 Gb/s (continuous)
Supported Data Rates50 Mb/s to 14.2 Gb/s (Option 200) / 8.5 Gb/s to 14.2 Gb/s (Option 100)
JTF Bandwidth Range100 kHz to 8 MHz
Minimum Input Eye Opening for Lock50 mV p-p
Consecutive Identical Digits Tolerance1000 consecutive bits (at 10 Gb/s, typical)

Environmental

ParameterValue
Storage Temperature Range-40 °C to +70 °C
Maximum Operating Altitude4600 m
Maximum Storage Altitude15300 m
Operating Humidity RangeUp to 95% RH at 40 °C (non-condensing)

Compliance & Safety

ParameterValue
Safety ComplianceIEC 61010-1, UL 61010-1, CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 61010-1
EMC ComplianceIEC 61326-1, EN 61326-1

Performance

ParameterValue
Calculated Rise/Fall Time (20% to 80%)8.0 ps (standard 32 GHz, typical) / 5.1 ps (Option HBW 50 GHz, typical)

Timebase

ParameterValue
Reference Clock Input Frequency Range2.0 GHz to 13.5 GHz
Reference Clock Input Power Range-10 dBm to +3 dBm

Triggering

ParameterValue
Pattern Lock SupportYes (requires 86100C/D mainframe with Option 001)

Technology

Sampling Oscilloscope and Waveform Analyzer

Applications

High-speed digital communications, serial bus design validation (PCI-Express, SATA), and phase-locked loop (PLL) characterization