The High‑Speed Cable Test Solution is used for electrical performance testing of high‑speed cables (PCIe, SAS, SATA, OIF, CEI, IEEE802.3, etc.). It is suitable for production line quality assurance testing – performing comprehensive electrical performance tests on each cable before shipment to ensure that every cable meets the required specifications – as well as for full evaluation testing of cable electrical performance in the laboratory: rapid detection of high‑frequency parameters, assisting engineers in locating cable issues.
The solution integrates a vector network analyzer (VNA), a multi‑port extension device, electronic calibration units, coaxial cables, fixtures, and test software. It covers a frequency range of 10 MHz to 67 GHz, supports up to 144 ports, offers a high degree of test automation, and delivers excellent test efficiency.
Fast test speed – Tests all insertion loss parameters of a 16‑pair PCIe cable in 36 seconds (VNA IF bandwidth 10 kHz, stop frequency 40 GHz, 4000 sweep points).
Unique four‑port electronic calibration unit – Simplifies calibration of each differential pair to a single step.
Unique simplified multi‑port calibration technique – Requires only calibration of the thru topology to calibrate near‑end and far‑end crosstalk without reducing calibration accuracy. For example, calibration time for a 16‑pair cable is reduced from 4 hours to 30 minutes.
Supports multiple CeYear vector network analyzers (3674/3671) – The system automatically recognizes the VNA, offering strong adaptability.
Wide application – Supports electrical performance testing of various cable types.
Built‑in TDR/TDT function module – Simplifies the test system configuration.
Comprehensive cable parameter measurement – Can measure insertion loss, return loss, crosstalk, TDR impedance, skew, and other parameters in a single run.
Fixture de‑embedding support – Eliminates the influence of test fixtures on measurement data.
Multiple report formats – Reports record test information and each high‑frequency performance metric, facilitating problem diagnosis.
The multi‑port extension device features an innovative independent drawer‑style design. Each switch module can be removed and replaced individually, improving maintainability. The control protocol of the multi‑port extension device can be adjusted as needed, allowing direct integration into existing test systems.
The multi‑port extension device integrates a CPU module and can run the test software independently. It supports HDMI, DP, LAN, USB 3.0, and other peripheral interfaces. The whole unit has been optimized for airflow and vibration damping, and its color and appearance match the companion VNA.
The test software interface has clearly defined functional areas, supporting one‑key scan‑based testing. The result overview area allows quick viewing of test results for different topologies. The result curve area supports curve selection and individual viewing of test result curves.