New automotive serializer/deserializer (SerDes) transmit and channel test applications, as well as an automotive adapter portfolio to verify mobile industry processor interface (MIPI) A-PHY and Automotive SerDes Alliance (ASA) standards were developed by Keysight Technologies in collaboration with Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp. and Rosenberger.

High-speed automotive SerDes interfaces enable transport data streams to make in-vehicle video, audio and communication possible. High bandwidth, reliability and performance of SerDes serial links are key requirements in automotive applications, which enable advanced infotainment and driver-assistance systems (ADAS) in modern vehicles.

As automotive in-vehicle technologies increase in speed and bandwidth, test equipment vendors must adapt to changing standards. Tests performed by Keysight’s AE2010T automotive SerDes transmitter test application enable customers to automatically configure each result utilizing a Keysight Infiniium UXR-series oscilloscope. Tests performed by Keysight’s AE2010L automotive SerDes channel test application enable customers to automate network analyzer tests. Together, these applications provide critical information to maintain data integrity and low loss networks, while meeting current automotive SerDes specifications.

Keysight and Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation are collaborating to bring the industry’s vision of standardized automotive SerDes to market, benefiting chipset vendors and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with unified test results and requirements.

“Automotive SerDes standards are important to our strategy of embedding a serializer on our image sensors. We are pleased to work with Keysight to validate our design against emerging SerDes specifications,” said Kenji Onishi, General Manager, Automotive Business Department, Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation. “Keysight’s automotive SerDes compliance test solution will allow us to confidently deliver new capabilities to our customers.”

Keysight has also partnered with Rosenberger to offer customers industry accepted adapters for automotive SerDes and high-speed data links. “Our customers will benefit from testing solutions for all automotive connector interfaces, which are either standardized or accepted to become global standards for automotive high-speed data transmission soon. This includes the most innovative and cutting-edge connector solutions for coaxial and differential transmission channels, such as FAKRA, HFM, HSD or H-MTD,” said Hauke Schütt, executive vice president of Test & Measurement at Rosenberger. “Rosenberger is pleased to deliver automotive test adaptors to Keysight, which assist device makers in the support of new automotive in-vehicle networks.”

Keysight’s SerDes transmitter and channel test applications offer the following key benefits:

Automatic configuration and calibration cues of all required test equipment to reduce overall test time.
Extensive range of tests for standards conformance of MIPI A-PHY and ASA, to reduce cost and save multiple installations and license purchases.
Test framework to report multi-trial results, with a full array of statistics for each measurement.
Quick, accurate, and repeatable test results for validation and debugging.
Channel test software runs on a E5080B ENA Vector Network Analyzer, PXI Vector Network Analyzers, or Streamline Series USB Vector Network Analyzers and provides the framework for connectors, cables, and harnesses to quickly test automotive SerDes links.

“In-vehicle networking is an important technology for our customers, and we have observed a great deal of market dynamics as data rate requirements keep increasing. At Keysight, we aim to support a wide range of in-vehicle network interfaces ranging from Automotive Ethernet through MIPI A-PHY to ASA,” said Thomas Goetzl, vice president and general manager for Keysight’s Automotive & Energy Solutions business unit. “We are excited to partner with industry leaders to enable accurate design verification of current and future high-speed automotive SerDes interfaces.”

Keysight Technologies, 1400 Fountain Grove Parkway, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, 707-577-5030, www.keysight.com