Used Pattern Generators and BERTs for Sale

PCIe Gen 3 runs at 8 GT/s (8 Gb/s) per lane, Gen 4 at 16 GT/s, Gen 5 at 32 GT/s. USB 3.2 Gen 2 is 10 Gb/s; USB4 reaches 40 Gb/s. SATA III runs at 6 Gb/s. For Gen 3 and earlier serial bus testing, the Keysight 81130A at 400 Mb/s to 3.2 Gb/s or the Anritsu MP1800A series at 0.1 to 12.5 Gb/s cover the most common applications. Gen 4 and above requires a higher-rate unit — contact us with the specific standard.

The 81130A frequently arrives with output timing accuracy degraded from the factory specification after years of use at high repetition rates. This shows up as jitter measurements that appear out of tolerance on compliance tests. We measure jitter on both output channels and verify against the published spec before listing. Units requiring adjustment are calibrated before sale or listed at an adjusted price with the condition noted.

A pattern generator transmits a defined bit pattern — PRBS, user-defined, or standard compliance sequences — at a set data rate. A bit error rate tester (BERT) combines a pattern generator with a receiver that compares the received pattern against the transmitted one and measures the error count. Some instruments like the Anritsu MP1800A and Keysight N4906A are BERT systems with both capabilities. Others are transmit-only pattern generators that pair with a separate receiver.

Yes. SONET OC-48 runs at 2.488 Gb/s; OC-192 at 9.953 Gb/s. The Keysight 81134A covers up to 3.35 Gb/s, making it suitable for OC-48 and STM-16. For OC-192 and STM-64 testing, units that reach 10–12 Gb/s are required — the Anritsu MP1800A series and Keysight J-BERT N4903B cover these rates. If your work spans both SONET and newer standards like 100GbE or OIF-CEI, discuss the rate requirements with us before purchasing.

Pattern generator hardware does not require proprietary software to generate standard patterns — PRBS7, PRBS15, PRBS23, PRBS31, and user patterns are configured directly on the front panel or via GPIB. Compliance test suites from Keysight (N5990A) or Anritsu run on a connected PC and control the generator. Those software packages are licensed separately and are not typically included with used hardware. The hardware itself is what we sell and verify.

Jitter injection is an option on higher-end units. The Keysight 81134A and N4906A support sinusoidal jitter (SJ) and random jitter (RJ) injection for stressed receiver testing. The Anritsu MP1800A with jitter option supports spread-spectrum clocking simulation. Most basic pattern generators transmit only — jitter injection requires verifying which options are installed. We list installed options for every unit.