R&S ZNrun vector network analyser automation suite

The R&S ZNrun vector network analyser automation suite controls a vector network analyser and a switching solution from Rohde & Schwarz to provide automated testing of high-speed Ethernet cable assemblies, which should reduce the testing time and potential errors compared to manual Ethernet cable assembly test methods.

As the volume of data transferred via internet and the number of data centres across the world increase, proper testing of Ethernet cable assemblies becomes crucial. As direct attach copper (DAC) cables are the most economical solution for short data connections, they are widely used in high-speed networks and data centres. Installations include a huge number of these DAC cables, and their performance is vital for the whole system. IEEE 802.3bj and IEEE 802.3by cover data rates of 25 Gbps per lane; IEEE 802.3cd goes up to 50 Gbps per lane. The latest IEEE 802.3ck standard further doubles the data rate to 100 Gbps per lane, enabling cable assembly configurations of 100GBASE-CR1, 200GBASE-CR2, 400GBASE-CR4 and 800GBASE-CR8.

Rohde & Schwarz tackles these challenges with two options for the R&S ZNrun vector network analyser automation suite. The R&S ZNrun-K410 is designed for automatic testing of cable assemblies according to IEEE 802.3bj, by and cd, and brings time savings to users. The solution includes the automation of the measurement, post-processing of channel operating margin (COM) and effective return loss (ERL) results, pass/fail and margin analysis, and the generation of the test report, thus reducing the overall test time. The R&S ZNrun-K411 is already prepared for testing cable assemblies according to the IEEE 802.3ck Ethernet standard, which will reach data rates of 800 Gbps for 800GBASE-CR8 configurations.

The test set-ups are based on the corresponding vector network analyser such as the R&S ZNA or R&S ZNB. To reduce the handling effort for the user, the R&S OSP open switch and control platform is supported to provide an economic multiport solution. The whole set-up is controlled by the automation suite with the compliance options R&S ZNrun-K410 or -K411, automating the complete test sequence, data collection, post-processing and test report generation.