CControls Team26.10.2026, 10:56:295 min read

AI Performance Starts with Reliable Hardware

9:12

AI Performance Starts with Reliable Hardware

How Keysight High-Performance BERTs and Pro Oscilloscopes Enable Next-Generation AI Compute Validation

Artificial intelligence is pushing computing infrastructure to new performance limits. As AI models grow and data-intensive workloads increase, the demand for faster, more reliable communication between processors, accelerators, memory, and networking components continues to rise.

But powerful GPUs and AI accelerators alone are not enough.

The performance of AI infrastructure depends on the reliability of the high-speed interfaces connecting every component.

Keysight provides advanced test and measurement solutions to help engineers validate signal integrity, characterize high-speed interfaces, and accelerate the development of next-generation AI hardware.

The Challenge: Faster Data, Smaller Margins

Modern AI infrastructure relies on increasingly complex interconnect technologies to transfer enormous volumes of data at high speeds.

Emerging standards such as PCIe 7.0, GDDR7, and UALink introduce new opportunities for AI compute performance, but also increase the demands on hardware validation.

Engineers must address critical challenges, including:

Signal integrity at extremely high data rates
Jitter, noise, and signal distortion
Bit error rates and receiver sensitivity
Transmitter compliance and performance margins
Interoperability between high-speed components
Repeatable and efficient validation processes

Identifying potential issues early in development is essential to reducing design risks and ensuring reliable system performance.

M8050A_02_BERT_transp_yshad_800G-1.6T_Solution_RED_UXR_1600x900-1

Keysight High-Performance BERTs: Validate Receiver Reliability

Reliable data reception is fundamental to high-performance AI computing.

Keysight High-Performance Bit Error Ratio Testers (BERTs) enable engineers to characterize receiver performance and evaluate the reliability of high-speed digital interfaces.

By generating controlled test patterns and introducing defined signal impairments, BERT systems help engineers determine how reliably a receiver operates under demanding conditions.

Key capabilities include:

Precise bit error ratio measurements
High-speed NRZ and PAM signal testing
Calibrated jitter injection and tolerance testing
Receiver sensitivity and performance margin analysis
Automated receiver characterization and validation

The Keysight M8050A, for example, supports symbol rates up to 120 GBd and multiple modulation formats, including NRZ, PAM3, PAM4, PAM6, and PAM8.

These capabilities help engineers characterize next-generation server, networking, and high-speed interconnect technologies.

Keysight Pro Oscilloscopes: Precision for High-Speed Signal Validation

While BERTs focus on receiver reliability, Keysight Pro Oscilloscopes provide the measurement performance required to analyze high-speed transmitter signals.

As AI infrastructure moves toward higher data rates, signal integrity becomes increasingly critical. Engineers need instruments capable of capturing extremely fast signals while maintaining low noise, high measurement accuracy, and excellent signal fidelity.

Keysight's Pro Oscilloscope portfolio includes two powerful performance classes: XR8 and XR9.

Keysight XR8-Class: Advanced Performance up to 33 GHz

The Keysight Infiniium XR8-Class Oscilloscopes combine high-speed acquisition, excellent signal fidelity, and advanced analysis capabilities in a compact platform designed for demanding digital validation applications.

The Keysight XR804KA delivers flexible bandwidth configurations from 8 GHz to 33 GHz, making it suitable for high-speed digital design, signal integrity analysis, and compliance testing.

Key specifications:

Bandwidth options from 8 GHz to 33 GHz
4 analog channels
Sampling rates up to 128 GSa/s
12-bit ADC resolution
Acquisition memory up to 8 Gpts per channel
Advanced jitter, eye diagram, and signal integrity analysis
Support for automated compliance testing

With its high vertical resolution, low-noise acquisition system, and powerful analysis software, the XR8 helps engineers detect signal impairments and evaluate performance margins in complex digital designs.

For engineers developing high-speed computing interfaces, the XR8 offers a scalable platform for debugging, characterization, and validation.

Featured model: Keysight XR804KA

33 GHz maximum bandwidth | 4 analog channels | 128 GSa/s

Keysight XR9-Class: Ultra-High Bandwidth up to 110 GHz

For the most demanding high-speed applications, Keysight offers the XR9-Class Oscilloscopes, including the Infiniium UXR Series.

These instruments deliver exceptionally wide measurement bandwidth and high sampling performance, enabling engineers to capture and analyze ultra-fast electrical signals used in next-generation digital communication systems.

Key capabilities:

Bandwidth configurations up to 110 GHz
2 or 4 analog channels, depending on model
Sampling rates up to 256 GSa/s
High-fidelity signal acquisition with low noise and jitter
Advanced eye diagram and jitter analysis
High-speed PAM signal characterization
Automated transmitter compliance testing

The XR9 portfolio includes a wide range of configurations to address different bandwidth and measurement requirements.

Selected XR9 models:

Model	Bandwidth	Analog Channels
UXR0104B	10 GHz	4
UXR0204B	20 GHz	4
UXR0254B	25 GHz	4
UXR0334B	33 GHz	4
UXR0404B	40 GHz	4
UXR0504B	50 GHz	4
UXR0594B	59 GHz	4
UXR0704B	70 GHz	4
UXR0804B	80 GHz	4
UXR1004B	100 GHz	4

Additional configurations are available with different channel counts, bandwidths, and input connector options, including 1 mm inputs for selected high-frequency models.

With bandwidth capabilities extending to 110 GHz, the XR9-Class provides the measurement performance needed for advanced research, high-speed semiconductor validation, and next-generation interconnect development.

Choosing the Right Oscilloscope for AI Hardware Validation

The XR8 and XR9 classes address different performance requirements while sharing a common goal: helping engineers achieve reliable measurements of increasingly complex signals.

XR8-Class: Up to 33 GHz

Ideal for advanced digital debugging, signal integrity measurements, and high-speed compliance testing where precision, flexibility, and laboratory efficiency are essential.

XR9-Class: Up to 110 GHz

Designed for ultra-high-speed signal characterization, advanced transmitter analysis, and research applications requiring exceptional bandwidth and signal fidelity.

By selecting the appropriate bandwidth, channel configuration, and measurement software, engineering teams can build a validation environment tailored to their specific application.

Explore Keysight Pro Oscilloscopes

Hardware and Automation: A Powerful Combination

Advanced measurement hardware is only one part of the validation process.

Keysight combines High-Performance BERTs and Pro Oscilloscopes with dedicated compliance automation software to simplify testing across evolving digital standards.

Automated workflows help engineering teams:

Perform repeatable compliance measurements
Reduce manual test configuration
Identify signal integrity issues earlier
Evaluate design margins more consistently
Accelerate validation and troubleshooting

This integrated approach supports efficient testing of emerging technologies such as PCIe 7.0, GDDR7, and UALink, using suitable instrument configurations and application-specific test software.

Building Confidence in the Next Generation of AI Infrastructure

As AI infrastructure continues to evolve, high-speed interface validation becomes increasingly important.

From individual semiconductor components to complete computing systems, engineers need reliable measurement solutions to verify performance, interoperability, and compliance.

Keysight High-Performance BERTs and XR8/XR9 Pro Oscilloscopes provide complementary capabilities for evaluating the transmit and receive paths of advanced digital interfaces.

Because the future of AI computing depends on more than processing power. It depends on the quality of every connection.