Developed by the Fast and Gigabit Consortiums of the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory
The Auto-Negotiation test tools will be used by UNH-IOL personnel while performing tests for members of the Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet consortiums in good standing with the UNH-IOL. These tools are used for testing Auto-Negotiating devices over IEEE Std 802.3TM-2002 Ethernet.
Please contact the Fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet Consortiums if you would like any further information or have questions about the consortiums or test tools.
Features:
Custom hardware interface
Custom Labview scripts and post processing
DIO instrumentation control
Supports Oscilloscope
Supports Arbitrary Waveform Generator
Overview:
The UNH-IOL PYTHON Board was created in order to test Clause 28 Auto-Negotiation. This board translates received signaling into logic values and transmits the information to Digital Input Output (DIO) cards installed in the testing stations which record timestamps to send to our software. The PYTHON Board allows for both transmission and reception of Auto-Negotiation signaling, and detection of 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX and 1000BASE-T link signaling. It is used to test all Clause 22, Clause 28, and Clause 40 Auto-Negotiation test suites.
In conjunction with the PYTHON board the UNH-IOL has developed several software tools, under constant refinement for over 5 years, to make testing copper Auto-Negotiation possible. The newest solution uses one interface created in Labview, which controls both the transmission and reception of Auto-Negotiation signals, including 10GBASE-T extended FLPs. On the left is an example of the reception of some Auto-Negotiation signaling transmitted before a link is established. It can also infer when transmitted link signaling is occurring for 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX and 1000BASE-T, although it is not possible to decode these signals. With this tool, we are able to measure timing and zoom in and out in time to view what a device is sending and how it is reacting to received signaling. This capture tool is used in almost all of the copper Auto-Negotiation testing conducted at the IOL.
To send signaling to a device the same interface is used, an example of the transmission set-up screen can be seen to the left. There are two different methods to indicate what needs to be transmitted. The first uses a graphical representation of Fast Link Pulse Bursts (FLPs). Each bit of any FLP can be selected or deselected, or entered via an explicit hexadecimal value. After definition of the FLPs a simple drop down box interface is used to define which order they are to be transmitted. The second method for defining the transmission sequence uses a simple script-like language to define the sequence. This method provides more flexibility, but requires more knowledge of FLP signaling than the first method. Both methods can be used as the software will automatically translate between the two. Additionally, databases can be stored so that the user can create a set of standard test sequences.
When running the Management Register Test Suite, we often interact with a Spirent Communications SmartBits card in order to access the Management Registers. The MII user interface test tool gives us the ability to a register or registers at discrete intervals. With this tool, we are able to continually poll any register or set of registers, while leaving the rest unread. This tool also allows for the writing of a single bit or register.
While running the Clause 28 Auto-Negotiation State Machine Test Suite certain tests require that 10BASE-T frames are sent. The PYTHON board does not have the capability to transmit frames, so an Arbitrary Waveform Generator(AWG) is used. This device can be fully customized to transmit both 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX signaling. Currently the AWG is used only in test 28.4.4 of the State Machine Test Suite, however if specific waveshapes are needed all Auto-Negotiation tests can be performed using the AWG.
The Auto-Negotiation State Machine Test suite requires the measurement of the exact waveform of a transmitted Link Test Pulse, also known as a Normal Link Pulse (NLP). An Oscilloscope combined with custom software is used to capture series of NLPs and fit them to the standard template. Four different test cases are examined for test 28.1.4 of the State Machine Test Suite, inserting the standard defined test loads with and without the standard defined line model.
