HP / Agilent 3784A Digital Transmission Analyzer

The HP/Agilent 3784A Digital Transmission Analyzer is a dedicated instrument for testing and characterizing digital communication systems across CEPT telecom interface rates and general-purpose applications. It performs bit error rate (BER) testing, jitter analysis, and error performance monitoring in manufacturing, commissioning, and maintenance environments. The analyzer supports standard telecom rates from 704 kb/s to 34 Mb/s, with optional extensions to 140 Mb/s and Japanese data rates. It provides both error analysis conforming to G.821 standards and comprehensive jitter characterization with automated tolerance and transfer function measurements.

– Technical Specifications

• Standard Interface Rates: 704 kb/s, 2 Mb/s, 8 Mb/s, 34 Mb/s (CEPT telecom interfaces)
• General-Purpose Clock Synthesizer: 1 kb/s to 50 Mb/s with TTL/ECL interfaces
• Optional Interfaces: 64 kb/s codirectional, V.11 for X.21 leased circuits, Japanese data rates (Opt H06)
• Extended Rates: 140 Mb/s error and jitter (requires HP 3764A pairing)
• Error Analysis: G.821 compliant measurements including error count, error ratio, error-free intervals, unavailability percentage, errored seconds, severely-errored seconds, and degraded minutes
• Jitter Capability: Generation and measurement at 2 Mb/s, 8 Mb/s, and 34 Mb/s (Option 002); peak-to-peak amplitude, jitter-hit count, hit-free intervals
• Jitter Testing: Fully automated tolerance and transfer function measurements; through-data modulation for demultiplexer testing; jitter-to-error correlation analysis
• Test Patterns: Full range for telecommunications equipment validation
• Remote Control: HP-IB or RS-232-C automation for production environments

– Key Features

• In-service error monitoring using line code error detection
• Synthesized internal clock for independent BER testing
• Automated jitter tolerance characterization
• TTL/ECL binary interfaces for flexible test configurations

– Typical Applications

• Manufacturing test of network equipment
• System commissioning and performance verification
• Maintenance and troubleshooting of digital transmission paths
• Jitter tolerance validation of multiplexing equipment

– Compatibility & Integration

Remote operation via HP-IB or RS-232-C enables integration into automated production test systems. Extended capabilities available through optional modules and pairing with HP 3764A for higher data rates.