An alternative approach to bit error rate testing

Steven Robalino discusses a test methodology that may be applied to a wide range of datacommunications systems and devices which transmit data over a serial bus.

The traditional method of design margin testing in serial datacommunications systems is to employ a specially designed bit error rate (BER) tester.

Although BER testers have proven effective, they are typically expensive and they do not always exercise the system under test with the same level of noise or using the same data patterns that will be seen by the system in the field.

This can leave some design flaws undetected.

To ensure that all design flaws are found prior to product release,