Friday, September 13, 2013: Protocol analysers (also called telecom network protocol analysers, network packet analysers, bus analysers and IP load testers) are tools that optimise product development by passively monitoring data transmissions on the bus, thus allowing engineers to see any possible error in the communication between a host device and the product being developed. With the advancement of technology used in mobile devices, and multiple standards for 2G, 3G and LTE, the need for protocol analysis has increased. As a result, protocol analysers are being designed with the latest features like real-time feedback, better graphical user interfaces, etc.
In this section, we feature the new protocol analysers launched over the past one year. However, companies like Fluke, Tektronix, Absolute Analysis, Accanto Systems and Nexus Telecom have not launched any new devices in this domain in the last one year.
Model: U4431A MIPI M-PHY, Brand: Agilent Technologies, Manufacturer: Agilent 0Technologies Inc., USA
Launched in June 2013, U4431A MIPI M-PHY protocol analyser gives engineers in R&D and manufacturing a deep insight into MIPI M-PHY-based designs.
Key features
- The raw mode feature lets designers see the time-correlated 8b/10b data underlying each protocol
- The device offers powerful tools to isolate and unravel specific events on the bus. Real-time triggers allow the detection of errors at each layer of the protocol; filters focus analytic tools on specific types of traffic, and traffic overviews and measurement markers help designers understand traffic from entire bursts to nanosecond-resolution detail
Contact details: Agilent India customer contact centre; sales, marketing & application, Ph: 1800-11-2929 (toll free), [email protected], www.agilent.com
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Model: Blackhawk Scribe, Brand: Blackhawk, Manufacturer: Blackhawk, USA
Launched in April 2013, Blackhawk ScribeI2C bus analyser is well suited for both entry-level and complex I2C applications.
Key features
- Support for I2C and SMBus
- High-speed USB 2.0 interface
- Support for standard-mode, fast-mode, and fast-mode plus using bit rates of up to 5 Mbit/s
- Support for high-speed mode with monitoring up to 5 Mbit/s
- Non-intrusive traffic monitoring with unlimited time-stamped state and waveform recording, message filtering, and symbolic translation
- Programmable triggers to highlight bus transactions of interest
Contact details: Ph: (856) 234-2629, [email protected], www.blackhawk-dsp.com
India distributor: Optotech Systems Pvt Ltd
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Model: Kibra 480 DDR, Brand: Teledyne LeCroy, Manufacturer: Teledyne LeCroy Inc., USA
Upgraded in May 2013, Kibra 480 DDR protocol analyser platform now includes probing options to support DDR3 SO-DIMMs with error correction code (ECC).
Key features
- The DDR3 interposers, in combination with Kibra 480 protocol analyser, provide a convenient way to test ECC SO-DIMMs that are increasingly found in micro-servers and real-time embedded applications
- The new interposers sit in-line between the DDR3 ECC SO-DIMM modules and SO-DIMM memory sockets
- Rigid Flex connectors make it easy to attach the interposers to the SO-DIMM target memory slot
Contact details: Ph: 800-553-2769, [email protected], www.teledynelecroy.com
India branch: LeCroy India
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Model: SART 7.4, Brand: JDSU, Manufacturer: JDSU, USA
Launched in February 2013, Signalling Analyser Real Time (SART) version 7.4 is a network protocol test solution which provides true, distributed multi-site testing in real-time for reliable end-to-end performance measurements and network-wide investigations. SART further enhances LTE and UMTS support and ease-of-use. It quickly incorporates new technology via software upgrades.
Key features
Speeds up LTE throughput by 25 per cent and UMTS throughput by 15 per cent with a simple software upgrade
Enhances visibility with flexible, real-time key performance indicator (KPI) dashboards and trend analysis
Keeps you updated with 3G/4G technology using the most current mobile-standards support available, including circuit switched fallback (CSFB) and LTE/UMTS enhancements—all available with a simple software upgrade
Contact details: Jason Byrne, senior product marketing manager, Ph: +1-(760) 846-3385, [email protected], www.jdsu.com
India office: JDSU India Pvt Ltd
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Model: CMW500, Brand: R&S, Manufacturer: Rohde & Schwarz, Germany
Upgraded in February 2013, CMW500 protocol analyser has been equipped with new software options for LTE-advanced downlink carrier aggregation, which allows network operators to create flexible combinations of frequency bands of different bandwidths and make even better use of the spectrum.
Key features
- The device makes it possible for the developers of chipsets, used in wireless devices, to carry out the tests on the physical layer and the protocol stack, as well as perform throughput tests
- All combinations of defined bands and bandwidths for LTE-advanced can be tested with two downlink carriers, including MIMO 2×2 and 4×2. The R&S CMW500 emulates the two cells used in an LTE-advanced network
- Developers can easily upgrade their instrument to include LTE-advanced carrier aggregation. The instrument also supports previously used digital wireless communications standards such as GSM and WCDMA, making it ideal for InterRAT handover simulations
Contact details: Ph: 49-89-4129-0, [email protected], www.rohde-schwarz.com
India branch: Rohde & Schwarz India Pvt Ltd
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Model: Beagle USB 5000 v2 SuperSpeed Ultimate Protocol Analyser, Brand: Total Phase, Manufacturer: Total Phase Inc., USA
Launched in September 2012, the Beagle USB 5000 v2 SuperSpeed Ultimate Protocol Analyser is a USB bus monitor that provides real-time interactive display, search and analysis of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 data.
Key features
- Non-intrusively monitors USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 simultaneously
- 4GB on-board buffer with live data streaming to the analysis computer
- Real-time USB class-level decoding with the data centre software
- Precise timing down to 2ns resolution
- Enables advanced synchronisation to monitor applications requiring multiple analysers
- Automatic support for data scrambling, spread spectrum clocking, polarity inversion, and receiver detection
- Multiple digital inputs and outputs for synchronising with external devices
- Fully Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X compatible with support for 32 and 64-bit systems
Contact details: Frank Hane, international sales representative, Ph: +1 (408) 850-6521, [email protected], www.totalphase.com
(No India distributor. Orders will be accepted online)
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Electronics Bazaar, South Asia’s No.1 Electronics B2B magazine
