The Keysight N1090A DCA-M is a high-accuracy optical waveform analyzer designed for manufacturing and R&D applications requiring precise characterization of high-speed digital communication and optical signals. This compact integrated instrument leverages the 86100 oscilloscope mainframe acquisition system and delivers measurements across data rates from 1 to 10 Gb/s, with capability extending to 1.244–11.3 Gb/s. Control via USB 2.0/3.0 connection to a PC running N1010A FlexDCA software, or integration with DCA-X mainframes (N1000A or 86100D), provides flexible deployment options. The instrument features a high-sensitivity optical channel with noise as low as 1 µW and a nominal wavelength range of 750 nm to 1650 nm, with factory calibration at 850/1310/1550 nm (± 20 nm). Optical reference receivers—calibrated for both multimode and single-mode fiber—meet industry standard tolerances and create a measurement system with very high dynamic range.
Technical Specifications
• Data Rate Support: 1 to 10 Gb/s nominal; 1.244 to 11.3 Gb/s extended range
• Optical Sensitivity: Noise < 1 µW
• Wavelength Range: 750 nm to 1650 nm nominal; factory calibrated at 850/1310/1550 nm (± 20 nm)
• Clock Input Frequency: 455 MHz to 12 GHz
• Clock Sensitivity: 200 mVp-p
• Clock Maximum Input Signal: ± 2 V
• Clock Input Impedance: 50 Ω (AC coupled)
• Clock Minimum Slew Rate: 0.5 V/ns
• Clock Connector: 2.92 mm (female) or SMA (female)
• Electrical Channel Bandwidth: 20 GHz (with option N1090A-EEC)
– Key Features
• High-sensitivity optical receiver with < 1 µW noise floor
• Calibrated reference receivers for multimode and single-mode fiber
• System Impulse Response Correction (SIRC) for channel response optimization
• SIRC enables up to 50% bandwidth increase and cross-module eye diagram consistency
• Non-standard reference receiver rates and bandwidths supported via SIRC data
• Optional 20 GHz electrical channel capability
– Typical Applications
• Optical transceiver characterization and validation
• High-speed digital communication signal analysis
• Optical eye diagram measurement and jitter analysis
• Manufacturing quality and R&D measurements
– Compatibility & Integration
• Control: USB 2.0/3.0 to PC with N1010A FlexDCA software
• Mainframe Integration: DCA-X (N1000A or 86100D) via USB
• Firmware Requirements: FlexDCA ≥A.06.00 (N1000A) or A.05.00–A.07.60 (86100D)
• User interface identical to 86100D and N1000A FlexDCA implementations
