Can I use the EVAL-ADN29xx as a BERT?

rbrennan Are you able to assist with this question or can you assign to someone else? please.

Hello FormerMember

Is this a question that you could answer please?

Thank you

Dear Rashwin81,

You can configure the ADN2915 or ADN29xx works in either PRBS generator or PRBS error detector mode, one at a time. You can't force the ADN2915 to work as both PRBS generator and Error detector simultaneously.

In your target application, you need two ADN2915s, one works as PRBS generator, and the other works as PRBS error detector. Please note, with only one 8bit depth error counter, ADN2915 can only count upto 256 errors at a time, extra errors would overflow the counter.

So we only define ADN2915 as a PRBS generator and PRBS error detector, not a fully BERT functional device.

Best Regards,

Dongfeng

Hi FormerMember

Thank you. Do you sell any boards/parts that can be used as a fully functional BERT?

Ashwin

Dear Ashwin,

We used to provide a product called ADI_BERT which uses two ADN2915s and an internal clock generator

to simulate a basic PRBS pattern generator and PRBS error detector functions, especially for SONET rates applications. Now, this product is obsolete.

You may buy two EVALZ-ADN2915 evaluation kits, set one of them to PRBS generator, and the other to PRBS pattern error detector to simulate a basic "BERT" function. You could contact ADI public website or our local sales team for help to purchase the EVALZ-ADN2915 evaluation kits. Before you buy anything, please review the kit documents first to be sure the kit is what you need.

Please note again, since the ADN2915 has only one 8bit error counter supported, it could not provide a fully featured Bit Error Rate Test function as those of high-end BERTs. Actually, money talks here.

Hope this answer is what you need.

Best Regards,

Dongfeng