Agilent Technologies Introduces Industry's First Scope-Based JTAG Protocol Application

Until now, when development teams needed to get JTAG visibility at the protocol layer, they had to take physical-level measurements and manually decode the JTAG signals, a time-consuming and error-prone process. The N8817A JTAG decode application performs the decode in real time, enabling teams to develop higher-quality products more quickly.

JTAG, an industry standard also known as IEEE 1149.1, is used on virtually all of today's printed circuit boards and integrated circuits. JTAG scan chains are used extensively for manufacturing tests and for communication with IC subsystems. Often, JTAG is the only interface to these subsystems, and correct JTAG operation is critical to device development.

Electronic design and test teams in almost all electronics industries, including the computer, communications, semiconductor, aerospace/defense, automotive and wireless industries, continue to produce increasingly sophisticated hardware designs. Oscilloscopes are the primary tool engineers use to test and debug their designs, and increasingly broad measurement capability is critical for engineers to deliver robust products on time.

To provide easily understood JTAG protocol on chains with multiple devices, the application imports critical information contained in industry-standard BSDL (boundary scan description language) files. The application provides real-time, at-speed, protocol decode and flags error conditions.

The N8817A JTAG decode application is supported on Agilent's Infiniium 9000, 90000, and 90000 X-Series oscilloscopes. The Infiniium 90000 X-Series oscilloscope family includes the fastest real-time oscilloscopes with industry-leading, real-time bandwidth of 32 GHz. These new scopes deliver the lowest noise and have the lowest jitter measurement floor in the industry, ensuring superior measurement accuracy.