The PHY1060 EDC (Electronic Dispersion Compensation) device enables serial 10Gb/s transmission by multimode legacy fibre in Local Area Networks (LANs).

In conjunction with Phyworks’ 10Gb/s PHY1090 linear transimpedance amplifier (TIA), the PHY1060 enables the first complete EDC receive path solution for the IEEE’s 10GBASE-LRM standard. Both devices are currently on trial at select customers.

Tim Esparon, Phyworks’ VP of Manufacturing Operations, comments:

“By facilitating data rate upgrades from 1Gb/s to 10Gb/s on existing fibre infrastructure, the PHY1060 enables a significantly lower cost alternative to fibre replacement or other opto-electronic means to enterprise LAN implementers”.

The combination of the PHY1060’s high-speed and its complexity presents a major challenge at die and package level production test. Phyworks has outsourced the test and implementation to DELTA Microelectronics, having collaborated on a number of projects in the past.

DELTA Microelectronics’ Managing Director Mohamed Wahab says:

“There are many challenges associated with testing complex and high-speed analogue and mixed-signal devices, including the need to strike a balance between high test coverage and low test time and cost.”

DELTA has extensive expertise in developing test solutions for high-speed digital devices, RFICs and mixed-signal chips, and has extensive libraries of test IP blocks, developed over many years of activity in this field, used to shorten test development cycles for its customers. The company will use its Agilent 93000 SoC test platform to test the PHY1060.

Understanding the effective test cost parameters is important. Wahab concludes:

 “The key to IC test costs is the ‘unit cost’ - and not just achieving a low test time. We aim to provide our customers with robust testing of their ICs at a low unit cost. We have worked closely with Phyworks on a number of projects to achieve low unit testing cost through concurrent and parallel testing as well as test programme optimisation at various stages of the development and production cycles.”

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About DELTA Microelectronics

DELTA Microelectronics is a division of Danish Electronics, Light and Acoustics (DELTA) with headquarters in Hørsholm, Denmark. DELTA Microelectronics Ltd is the UK subsidiary of DELTA and is based in Hengoed, South Wales.

DELTA has extensive expertise in microelectronics with the development and production of custom ICs as one of its main business areas. Its areas of expertise include chip design, test solution development and provision of solutions for wafer production, component packaging and logistics. DELTA has developed solutions for testing complex SoC and wireless devices including Bluetooth and Wireless LAN. DELTA has enabled a wide range of fabless companies to bring their products to market with complete and robust test and production solutions covering telecommunications, consumer, medical, military and industrial applications.

DELTA’s services in microelectronics are modular and enable customers to engage at different phases of the component development and production cycles. It offers services in chip design, test development, wafer procurement, volume production testing of wafers and packaged components, failure analysis, yield optimisation and logistics up to delivery to the end customer.

DELTA’s other areas of activity include MEMs, sensors, product testing, acoustics, light and optics. For more information please visit www.delta.dk

About Phyworks

Based in Bristol, UK, Phyworks is a leader in designing and manufacturing innovative semiconductor mixed signal integrated circuits for data and telecom networking systems and modules. Its advanced EDC technology enables enterprises to realize 10Gbps performance over legacy multi-mode fibre networks. In addition, Phyworks offers a range of physical layer products covering data rates from 1Gbps to 10Gbps, including: re-timers, TIAs, and other integrated laser drivers and receivers. Phyworks’ products are designed to address the market needs for smaller form factor, lower cost and higher performance modules and systems. The markets Phyworks products address include WAN, SAN, LAN, and FTTx.