New IBM Chip Process To Boost Tektronix Oscilloscopes Performance

Operating at speeds up to 350GHz, 9HP is the first SiGe technology in the industry featuring the density of 90nm BiCMOS and delivers higher performance, lower power and higher levels of integration than current 180nm or 130nm SiGe offerings. Tektronix has been a long-time adopter of SiGe.

The next generation of performance oscilloscopes from Tektronix is due for availability in 2014. With real-time bandwidth of 70GHz, and the potential for more in future iterations, the new oscilloscope platform will deliver the performance and signal fidelity needed for applications such as 400Gbps and Tbps optical communications and fourth generation serial data communications, a result says Tektronix of its commitment to a high R&D spend.

“By extending our long-standing relationship with technology leader IBM, Tektronix is continuing to push the envelope on what can be achieved in high-fidelity, high-speed data acquisition systems. Early adoption of 9HP has allowed our engineers to explore innovative architectures and performance thresholds once thought unattainable,” said Kevin Ilcisin, chief technology officer, Tektronix. “The advanced 9HP SiGe BiCMOS technology provides the faster switching speeds, high integration levels, and low noise our next generation of performance instrumentation requires to meet customer requirements.”

In addition to leveraging the advances made possible by 9HP, Tektronix’ next generation oscilloscopes will benefit from the use of Asynchronous Time Interleaving technology to improve signal-to-noise ratio beyond the frequency interleaving approach in use today. In traditional frequency interleaving, each analogue-to-digital converter (ADC) in the signal acquisition system only sees part of the input spectrum. With Asynchronous Time Interleaving, all ADCs see the full spectrum with full signal path symmetry. This offers the performance gains available from interleaved architectures but without the same impact to signal fidelity.