
KD, Keysight partner on optical automotive Ethernet testing
Fabless semiconductor company KD has announced an agreement with Keysight Technologies to partner on optical parameters measurement including TDFOM based on the IEEE Std 802.3cz physical layer test standard.
Keysight and KD have been in close collaboration during the development of the IEEE 802.3cz optical communications standard to create the final version of the TDFOM. KD has developed a software-based reference receiver and signal metric analysis, aligned with the IEEE Std 802.3cz specifications.
The collaboration is intended to support the automotive industry with advanced testing tools for optical communication systems. Combining KD’s expertise in new technology development with Keysight’s test equipment, this partnership aims to assist OEMs and Tier-1 companies validate and optimize next-generation technologies. This alliance drives innovation, enhances interoperability, and encourages the adoption of advanced optical communication standards across the automotive sector.
The Transmitter Distortion Figure of Merit (TDFOM) is a key metric for assessing the quality of multigigabit optical signals transmitted over glass optical fiber. As defined in the IEEE Std 802.3cz, TDFOM is measured after a reference receiver, which emulates a representative integrated circuit implementation and ensures the interoperability of transmitters in terms of signal integrity, valid to be received by a compliant receiver. Furthermore, TDFOM is critical for calibrating reference transmitters, enabling precise compliance assessment of optical receivers.
The TDFOM measures the transmitted optical signal ability to meet the required system Bit Error Rate (BER) after passing through a worst-case channel and a reference receiver, evaluated using an optical-to-electrical converter (O/E) and an oscilloscope.
“With this agreement, we make a big step in providing to OEMs and Tier-1 companies with the necessary means to test the quality of developments that incorporate optical communications according to the IEEE Std 802.3cz. Keysight and KD have collaborated in IEEE 802.3 to define the tests and metrics that ensure the new Ethernet communications standard meets the quality requirements demanded by the automotive industry,” stated Rubén Pérez-Aranda, KD’s CTO and co-founder.
“Automotive Ethernet technologies have evolved and now derive significant benefits from optical fiber technologies for enabling multigigabit in-vehicle networking, said Thomas Goetzl, Vice President and General Manager of Keysight’s Automotive and Energy Solution. “Keysight’s market-leading test and measurement equipment, combined with KD’s expertise in optical measurements, aims to assist customers in exploring reliable high-speed links in in-vehicle networking.”
Image: Comparison of TDECQ equalizer performance versus TDFOM receiver performance, both doing processing of VCSEL signal operating at TBS of 125 ºC, 26.88 GBd, PAM4. Copyright: KD/Keysight.
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