Low-cost BER tester measures errors in low-data-rate applications

摘要

You don't need an expensive I pattern generator to produce a PRBS (pseudorandom-bit-sequence) signal for making elementary BER (biterro-rate) measurements in low-data-rate continuous-transmission systems (Reference 1). You also need not spend time programming on a computer to compare sent and received data patterns. Moreover, most professional BER-measurement equipment doesn't cover lower bit rates. This Design Idea offers a simple, low-cost alternative that can accommodate data rates as high as 20 kbps. The system tests a 10-kbps transceiver in low-power sensor networks. The pattern generator, a Hewlett-Packard (www.hp.com) E1401B, can produce PRBS streams of only 150 kbps and higher.