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Gennum Adopts Tektronix Waveform Monitor for 3Gb/s Chip Characterization

Tektronix WFM7120 Helps Gennum Deliver Industry's First Transmit and Receive Solution to Support 3Gb/s SDI Applications for Broadcast and Professional Video Equipment Manufacturers

Tektronix, Inc., a leading worldwide provider of test, measurement and monitoring instrumentation, announced that Gennum, a pioneer in the advancement of technologies for the broadcast industry, has successfully utilized Tektronix WFM7120 waveform monitors for design validation and characterization in the development of the industry's first 3Gb/s serial digital interface (SDI) solution. Through the use of the Tektronix WFM7120 Waveform Monitor with 3Gb/s support, Gennum is able to assure broadcast and professional video equipment manufacturers that its integrated semiconductor solutions will meet industry-standard SDI requirements, dramatically reducing their development time.

Gennum customers are under increasing pressure to design and deliver the next generation of digital video equipment supporting 3Gb/s SDI. 3Gb/s SDI provides a means of transporting high-bandwidth 1080p (also known as Full HD) signals conforming to SMPTE 424M and 425M standards. Both WFM7020 and WFM7120 waveform monitors support 1080P 50/59.94/60 Level A and Level B formats.

As Gennum set out to develop their newest chipset, they needed a test and measurement solution to validate and characterize 3Gb/s technology including comprehensive analysis capabilities. The WFM7120 with its 3Gb/s support and deep measurement and analysis offerings -- jitter measurement, digital data analysis and simultaneous input display -- met Gennum's equipment needs.

The resulting Gennum chips -- the GS2972 and GS2970 with both video support and audio embedding capabilities and the GS2962 and GS2960 with video support only -- are transmit and receive solutions that support 3 gigabits per second (Gb/s), as well as high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD), for SDI applications. With the delivery of the industry's first integrated 3Gb/s SDI chips, Gennum customers can dramatically reduce development cycles and bring new products to market faster.

"We have a long-standing relationship with Tektronix, one of the industry's leading providers of video test equipment," said Vijay Sharma, Director of Marketing, Analog & Mixed-Signal Products, at Gennum. "The WFM7120 played a critical role during each phase of design, troubleshooting, functional verification and manufacturing test for our latest chips by allowing our design team to efficiently validate our 3Gb/s chipset and confirm full compliance to the standard. As a result, our customers can feel confident about the performance of our new 3Gb/s SDI solution."

The WFM7120 also provides a solution for evaluating the physical layer performance on a single-link 3Gb/s interface with the new jitter measurement option. This option also provides a basic test pattern generation capability in the waveform monitor for quick verification of 3Gb/s signal presence and continuity.

About Tektronix

Tektronix is a leading supplier of test, measurement, and monitoring products, solutions and services for the communications, computer, and semiconductor industries -- as well as military/aerospace, consumer electronics, education and a broad range of other industries worldwide. With 60 years of experience, Tektronix enables its customers to design, build, deploy, and manage next-generation global communications networks, computing and advanced technologies. Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, Tektronix has operations in 19 countries worldwide. Tektronix' Web address is www.tektronix.com.

Tektronix is a registered trademark of Tektronix, Inc. All other trade names referenced are the service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.