Bit Error Rate Testing Serial Communication Equipment using Pseudo-Random Bit Sequences.
Marius Strobl, Thomas Waas, Marcel Moolenaar, Angelika Schingale, Norbert Balbierer · 2012
Although serial communication as in RS-232 is venerable by today’s standards, it is still found in new designs. Moreover, unlike as in the old days when used to communicate over lossy phone lines, for instance in an automotive environment it is crucial to ensure its reliability and safety. In this paper, an approach for the necessary Bit Error Rate (BER) testing using Pseudo-Random Bit Sequences (PRBS) and borrowing from the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard is presented. The result of this research is a Bit Error Rate Tester (BERT), suitable to be included within the embedded devices composing the communication equipment. Index Terms: RS-232 serial communication, bit error rate testing, PRBS31, Yamar SIG60, automotive electronics