BER estimation for serial links based on jitter spectrum and clock recovery characteristics

High performance serial communication systems often require the bit error rate (BER) to be at the level of 10^-12 or below. The excessive test time for measuring such a low BER is a major hindrance in testing communication systems cost-effectively. We propose a new technique for accurate and efficient estimation of the BER. The proposed technique estimates the BER based on the spectral information of jitter and the characteristics of the clock and data recovery circuit. The method can significantly reduce the production test time for BER testing. Simulation results demonstrate the potential usefulness of the method.