Abstract: A differential signal probe-differential signal launch structure wherein the conductive outer housing of the differential signal probe is disposed on and electrically connected to a conductive ground pad disposed on a printed circuit board. A vertically extending ground via is provided with the conductive pad being electrically connected to the horizontally ground plane conductors through the vertically extending ground via.

Abstract: A test system and method for testing a serializer/de-serializer system. The system includes a pair of serializer/de-serializers each having a serial data receive port and a serial data transmit port. The serializer/de-serializers are adapted to be placed in a loop-back mode in response to a loop-back signal to pass data fed to the serial data receive port to the serial data transmit port. A backplane connects the serial data transmit port of one serializer/de-serializer to the serial data receive port of a second one of the serializer/de-serializers. A tester passes data to the first serial data receive port and receives data from the data transmit port of the second one of the serializer/de-serializers with both serializer/de-serializes placed in the loop-back mode.

Abstract: A method and circuit for regenerating clock signals. The method and circuit convert clock signals having either single- ended clock pulses or differential clock pulses into clock signals having substantially the same voltage swing. In one embodiment, the single-ended clock pulses are provided by a TTL logic circuit and the differential clock pulses are produced by a PECL logic circuit.