SerDes high-speed automotive interfaces enable the transport of data streams that facilitate the internal transmission of video, audio, and communications. The high bandwidth, reliability, and performance of SerDes serial links are key requirements in automotive applications, enabling advanced in-vehicle entertainment and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in modern vehicles.

As in-vehicle automotive technologies increase in speed and bandwidth, test equipment manufacturers must adapt to changing standards. Testing performed by Keysight's AE2010T Automotive SerDes Transmitter Testing Application makes it easy for customers to automatically configure each result using a Keysight Infiniium UXR Series oscilloscope. Testing performed by Keysight's AE2010L Automotive SerDes Channel Testing Application makes it easy for customers to automate network analyzer testing. Together, these applications provide critical information for maintaining data integrity and low-loss networks while meeting current Automotive SerDes specifications.

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

“The SerDes Automotive standards are important to our strategy of embedding a serializer in 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 Unit, Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation. “Keysight’s SerDes Automotive compliance testing solution will allow us to confidently deliver new capabilities to our customers.”

Keysight has also collaborated with Rosenberger to offer its customers industry-accepted adapters for automotive SerDes and high-speed data links. “Our customers will benefit from test solutions for all automotive connection interfaces, whether they are standard or soon to become global standards for high-speed automotive data transmission. 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 Measurement and Testing at Rosenberger. “Rosenberger is pleased to supply automotive test adapters to Keysight, which helps device manufacturers support the new automotive networks in vehicles.”

Keysight testing applications for SerDes channel and transmitter offer the following key benefits:

• Automatic configuration and calibration for all required test equipment to reduce total testing time.
• Extensive range of testing for standards in compliance with MIPI A-PHY and ASA, to reduce cost and avoid multiple purchases of facilities and licenses.
• Test environment for creating reports of results from multiple tests, with a complete set of statistics for each measure.
• Fast, accurate, and repeatable test results for validation and debugging.
• The channel testing software runs on ENA E5080B Vector Network Analyzers, PXI Vector Network Analyzers, or Streamline Series USB Vector Network Analyzers and provides the environment for connectors, cables, and harnesses that enable rapid testing of automotive SerDes links.

“The vehicle’s internal network is a critical technology for our customers, and we’ve seen a lot of dynamics in the market as data rate requirements increase. At Keysight, we aim to support a broad range of vehicle internal network interfaces, from Automotive Ethernet to MIPI A-PHY and ASA,” said Thomas Goetzl, vice president and general manager of Keysight’s Automotive and Energy Solutions business unit. “We’re excited to collaborate with industry leaders to facilitate accurate design verification for current and future high-speed automotive SerDes interfaces.”