No-Cost DDR3 Compliance Test Available For M1-OT Customers
ASA today announced the publication of a no-cost test script for their M1 Oscilloscope Tools
software family that enables DDR3 compliance testing on Tektronix, Agilent, LeCroy or Yokogawa
oscilloscopes.
Amherst, MA USA…. January 10, 2008
Amherst Systems Associates Inc (ASA Corp.) today announced the release of a test script for the DDR3 compliance spec
for their M1-OT product family. The TestScript is available to any M1-OT customers for immediate download from the
ASA-maintained web site www.ScopeApplications.com. DDR3 has been available from ASA since December 6, 2007,
joining Agilent Technologies’ offering, which was released in August 2007.
The most important aspect of M1's DDR3 TestScript is that now customers that use non-Agilent oscilloscopes like
Tektronix, LeCroy and Yokogawa scopes, as well as customers that use Agilent scopes that Agilent's new DDR3 test
doesn't support, can all begin DDR3 testing today, and that Agilent-scope users now have a more cost-effective option as
well. A second critical benefit delivered by the M1 product is correlation because engineers can now use an analysis
engine that is identical no matter whose scope they are using. Manufacturer-to-manufacturer variation that you see
among the products from the scope companies is eliminated by the use of M1's common "analysis engine". Further
organizational efficiencies are contributed by still other commonalities such as a common data format, a common
interface, and a common automation standard.
While comparing M1's solution with Agilent's, ASA President Mike Williams noted "We gave them a little good-natured
ribbing about forgetting who was first last year on DDR2 (you can read about that at www.amherstsystems.
com/newsletter/asa-news-12-18-06.htm if you’re interested), but full credit and sincere congratulations to the
Agilent guys for getting there first on DDR3. One point to note.. if you add the costs of everything you need to run their
DDR3 up, it comes out to about $16k in round numbers. If you add up the costs of everything you need to get into M1, it
varies from $1k to $8k in round numbers depending on your scope. Interestingly, since this applies to the version of M1
we make for Agilent (E2690B, Agilent M1 Oscilloscope Tools), it means that Agilent now has two DDR3 compliance test
solutions they can offer their customers at two very different price points. I think it would be a valuable exercise for the
customer to look carefully at all of the other things they get with M1 for a lot less money."
Actually, if a customer is purchasing a new oscilloscope, they may be eligible to receive a no-cost M1-OT license through
ASA’s Cirrus Program, which means that for some customers, the total cost to begin DDR3 testing would be zero. For
more information about M1 Cirrus, go to www.amherst-systems.com/m1-cirrus-program.htm.
With regard to M1OT's automation capabilities, Williams noted, "On December 5, one of our engineers discovered that
Agilent had published a DDR3 compliance test in late August. After a couple of emails went around asking if we already
had it or not.. and we didn't.. my Chief Engineer Tom Zych clicked it together in M1's ScriptBuilder the next morning in
about an hour before he began his actual work day."
He went on to state, "While clicking a DDR3 script together isn't really the level of inventive contribution we brag about
after work.. the rapid automation capability we've built into M1 is. Our automation approach.. ScriptBuilder... allows any
customer to do this kind of thing quickly themselves inside of M1. They can have the test or the automation the same hour
they decide they want it. It eliminates the bottleneck created by relying on the scope companies to do this. I'm guessing
there are already M1 customers out there that have created their own DDR3 script in M1, since it's pretty much read-andclick
from the spec. The automation abilities in M1 provide an open solutions architecture for compliance test users and
authors that puts the power to rapidly prototype and share any series of measurements they might need to make. And if
M1 doesn't have one of the measurements already onboard... very, very unlikely by the way... you just create that in M1's
MeasurementBuilder and you're off to the races." For additional information on M1’s open solutions architecture, please
visit www.amherst-systems.com/organization-level-benefits.htm.
For a further comparison of DDR3 compliance tools, please visit www.amherst-systems.com/ddr3.htm
U.S. Availability and Pricing
The DDR3 TestScript is available for immediate no-cost download to any M1 Oscilloscope Tools user from
www.ScopeApplications.com.
M1-OT is available now. M1-OT employs "scalable pricing", where the actual price level is determined by the scope with
which you will use it. Pricing ranges from $995US to $7995US in five steps. For more information, please see the product
web site.
For further information about M1-OT, please email ASA at info@amherst-systems.com or visit us on the web at
www.M1OT.com.
A photo of M1™ can be found at www.amherst-systems.com/press-photos.htm.
You may also request a quote at either sales@amherst-systems.com
or on the web at www.amherst-systems.com/onlinestore.htm.
About ASA Corp.
ASA Corp. is an engineering/technology company focused squarely on clock & timing engineering, and related
measurement science. As an innovator and a leader in this field for over 25 years, ASA has helped forge how clock &
timing is done today, as well as contributing significantly to what future clock and measurement technologies will look like.
ASA’s patented approach to analyzing jitter and timing in both clock and data-streams is instantiated in the M1™ product
family, which has become the de facto standard for how high-precision timing is measured. The M1™ family of timing and
jitter analysis tools is both the functionality and precision leader in every market segment in which it competes, and is the
only tool which runs on the instruments of all of the major manufacturers. By combining unique know-how and experience
with industry leading measurement products, ASA is in a unique position to deliver significant, genuine value to it’s
hundreds of clients and partners worldwide.
Press Contact:
Bob Russell
+1-413-596-5354 voice
+1-413-596-9686 fax
bob_russell@amherst-systems.com
|
