Keysight (Agilent) N4906B Serial BERT, 12.5 Gb/s

The Keysight (Agilent) N4906B Serial BERT is a bit error ratio tester for validation of high-speed serial interfaces from 150 Mb/s to 12.5 Gb/s. This general-purpose instrument delivers cost-effective testing across telecommunications, data center, and semiconductor manufacturing environments with integrated pattern generation, error detection, and optional Clock Data Recovery (CDR) for clockless interface testing.

Technical Specifications

• Option 003: 150 Mb/s to 3.6 Gb/s


• Option 012: 9.5 Gb/s to 12.5 Gb/s


• Option 102: 150 Mb/s to 12.5 Gb/s with CDR functionality Pattern Generation and Detection


• Integrated pattern generator and error detector


• Pattern depth: 32 Mbit


• Pattern editor supporting user-defined, test, and PRBS sequences Clock Output Specifications


• Option 003: 150 MHz to 3.6 GHz


• Option 012: 9.5 GHz to 12.5 GHz


• Option 102: 150 MHz to 12.5 GHz


• Square wave output with +0.5 V High / -0.5 V Low (typical)


• Transition times: < 20 ps (Option 003), < 25 ps (Option 012), < 50 ps (Option 102)


• Differential or single-ended interface Error Output


• RZ format, active high


• DC coupled, 50 Ω

Key Features Option 101 (Enhanced Measurement Suite) includes differential input testing for LVDS and similar interfaces, BERT scan with total jitter and random/deterministic jitter separation, fast total jitter measurement, spectral decomposition, eye contour analysis, error location capture, output-level measurements, and fast eye mask testing for manufacturing pass/fail validation.

Typical Applications High-speed serial interface validation, component and system characterization, telecommunications device testing, data center link qualification, and semiconductor manufacturing quality assurance.

Compatibility & Integration Remote control via LAN, GPIB, and USB. Compatible with Agilent TestExec, Vee, Microsoft Excel, Visual Basic, and National Instruments LabVIEW. Windows-based color touch screen interface with backward compatibility for legacy remote commands.