_______________________________________________________________ Maxim Integrated Products 1
For pricing, delivery, and ordering information, please contact Maxim Direct at 1-888-629-4642,
or visit Maxim’s website at www.maxim-ic.com.
MAX3946 Evaluation Kit
Evaluates: MAX3946
General Description
The MAX3946 evaluation kit (EV kit) is an assembled
demonstration board that provides optical evaluation
of the MAX3946 1.0625Gbps to 11.3Gbps laser driver.
The controlling software communicates with the EV kit
through the USB port and provides simplified control
of all the device functions. The EV kit can be fully
powered by the USB port, or the user can choose to
power the device by a single external 3.3V supply
while the USB port supplies the on-board microcon-
troller. The flex-cable connection on the EV board
allows attachment of lasers incorporating flex cables.
EV Kit Contents
S MAX3946 EV Kit Board
Features
S Drives Differential-Connected Lasers
S Software Control of the MAX3946
S Power Supplied Through USB or External
Connection
Component List
19-5755; Rev 0; 2/11
Ordering Information
*EP = Exposed pad.
PART TYPE
MAX3946EVKIT EV Kit
DESIGNATION QTY DESCRIPTION
C1–C6, C8, C9,
C16, C41 10 0.01FF Q10% ceramic
capacitors (0402)
C7, C10, C12,
C14 40.1FF Q20% ceramic capacitors
(0204)
C11, C13, C15 3 10FF Q10% ceramic capacitors
(0805)
C17–C20 0 Not installed
C21, C22 2 33pF Q10% ceramic capacitors
(0402)
C25, C26, C27,
C49, C52 50.1FF Q10% ceramic capacitors
(0402)
C34, C55 2 1FF Q10% ceramic capacitors
(0603)
C35, C37, C38 3 4.7FF Q10% ceramic capacitors
(0805)
D6 1 Green LED
J1, J2 2 SMA edge-mount connectors
J3, J4, TP3, TP7,
TP10–TP13 8 Test points
J8 1 USB connector
JU2 1 2 x 6 header, 0.1in centers
L1 1 22FH Q20% inductor
Taiyo Yuden CBC3225T220M
L2, L3 2 18nH Q2% inductors (0402)
L4, L11, L12 3 Ferrite beads (0402)
Murata BLM15GG471
DESIGNATION QTY DESCRIPTION
L10, L14,
L15, L16 410FH Q10% inductors (0603)
R1, R2 2 1.00kI Q1% resistors (0402)
R3 1 680I Q5% resistor (0402)
R5, R6 2 20I Q5% resistors (0603)
R7, R8 2 100I Q5% resistors (0603)
R15, R50 2 4.7kI Q5% resistors (0402)
R16, R17 2 1kI Q5% resistors (0402)
R18, R52, R55,
R66, R73 551I Q5% resistors (0402)
R24 1 1.5kI Q5% resistor (0402)
R31, R51, R53 3 10kI Q5% resistors (0402)
SW1 1 SPDT switch
U1 1
1.0625Gbps to 11.3Gbps, SFP+
laser driver (24 TQFN-EP*)
Maxim MAX3946ETG+
U2 1
Low-noise LDO regulator
(8 TDFN-EP*)
Maxim MAX8902AATA+
U6 0 User-supplied TOSA
U10 1 Microcontroller (28 SO)
Microchip PIC16C745-I/SO
Y2 1 6MHz crystal
ECS Inc. ECS-60-32-5PXDN
— 1 PCB: MAX3946 EVALUATION
BOARD, REV A
MAX3946 Evaluation Kit
Evaluates: MAX3946
2 ______________________________________________________________________________________
Quick Start
Note: In the following sections, software-related items
are identified by bolding. Text in bold refers to items
directly from the EV kit software. Text in bold and
underlined refers to items from the WindowsM operating
system.
1) Solder a laser to connection U6. See Figure 1 for
more information about the laser connection.
2) Set SW1 to the desired power-supply option (USB
or external supply).
3) If an external power supply is used, set the voltage
to 3.3V, the current limit to 300mA, and connect the
supply to the board.
4) To download the latest version of the EV kit software
(MAX3946Rev1.ZIP), visit the Maxim website at
www.maxim-ic.com/evkitsoftware. Unzip the file
to a local folder and run the installation file (setup.
EXE). Installation requires administrative rights and
can also require Internet access to download nec-
essary drivers.
5) After installation is complete, follow this path
to start the program: Start→All Programs→
MAX3946EVGUI→MAX3946EVGUI.
6) Connect the computer to the EV kit with a USB cable
(A-male to Mini-B-male). LED D6 should illuminate,
indicating that USB power is detected. Click the USB
Connect button in the software to initiate communica-
tion to the EV kit. The Status indicator turns green
when communication is established.
7) Connect a 50I source to TIN- and TIN+ (J1 and J2).
Set the source differential amplitude to 500mVP-P.
8) Connect the output from the TOSA to an optical
receiver (optical-to-electrical converter or optical
input head on an oscilloscope).
9) All device controls are available in the software.
Fault and warning indicators are displayed on the
right side of the graphical user interface (GUI)
window. When a hard fault has occurred the device
goes into latched shutdown. The source of the fault
should be removed and the DISABLE checkbox
should be toggled to reset the part.
10) The registers contain a default setting and can be
read using the Tx Read All button. For detailed reg-
ister functions, refer to the MAX3946 IC data sheet.
11) To enable the part, the DISABLE checkbox should
be toggled (checked and then unchecked) and the
Tx Enable checkbox should be checked. After doing
this, click the Tx Read All button twice and verify
whether any faults are indicated. All fault indicators
should be green if everything is set up properly.
12) The Tx De-emphasis Control edit box can be used
to adjust the eye diagram. After choosing a new
setting, click the Tx De-emphasis Control edit box
Load button followed by the IMod edit box Load
button. Doing so loads the new preemphasis setting
to the modulation current driver. Further improve-
ments to the eye diagram can be accomplished by
adjusting the component values of L2, L3, L11, L12,
and R5–R8.
Figure 1. TOSA Connection
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp.
N.C.
LD CATHODE
GND
LD ANODE
GND
N.C.
U6
1
MAX3946 Evaluation Kit
Evaluates: MAX3946
_______________________________________________________________________________________ 3
Detailed Description of Software
Graphical User Interface (GUI)
The GUI consists of three main blocks: bias and modulation
control, data path adjustments, and fault indicators.
Bias and Modulation Control
For bias and modulation current there are three controls:
set current, set maximum, and increment. The left-side
data-entry boxes allow the user to write to the SET_IBIAS
or SET_IMOD register directly, as long as that value is
below the value loaded in the IBIASMAX and IMODMAX
registers. The middle data-entry boxes allow the user
to write to the IBIASMAX and IMODMAX registers. The
right-side data-entry boxes allow the user to increment
or decrement the bias and modulation current registers
over a Q15 LSB range by writing to the BIASINC and
MODINC registers. The appropriate Load button must
be clicked to initiate a register write. The Read but-
tons read and display the values held in the SET_IBIAS/
SET_IMOD, IBIASMAX/IMODMAX, and BIASINC/MODINC
registers. Calculated bias and modulation current values
are displayed below the data-entry boxes. The modula-
tion current is calculated based on the laser’s effective
series resistance provided by the user in the Laser
Resistance (Rld) edit box.
Data Path Adjustments
This block allows control of preemphasis, the input
equalization, data polarity, and pulse-width adjustment.
The Tx De-emphasis Control edit box has a pull-down
box with four options for setting the TXDE_MD bits in the
TXCTRL register. When manual control is selected, the
De-emphasis edit box becomes available to write values
to the SET_TXDE register. When the Tx Polarity check-
box is checked the TOUT+ pin sinks current when TIN+
is high (typical setup). The output polarity is inverted if
the box is unchecked. Check the Tx Equalizer Enable
checkbox to enable the input equalizer. Once checked,
the Tx EQ Control edit box becomes available to write
to the SET_TXEQ register.
Fault Indicators
Along the right-hand side of the GUI are fault indica-
tors that show the status of the TXSTAT1 and TXSTAT2
registers. Hard faults disable the device and require a
toggling of the DISABLE checkbox to restart the device
(once the source of the fault has been removed). Soft
faults operate as warnings, but do not disable the part.
Automatic updating of the fault monitors can be enabled
by checking the Auto Read Monitors checkbox.
Figure 2. MAX3946 EV Kit Software
MAX3946 Evaluation Kit
Evaluates: MAX3946
4 ______________________________________________________________________________________
Figure 3. MAX3946 EV Kit Schematic
MAX3946 Evaluation Kit
Evaluates: MAX3946
_______________________________________________________________________________________ 5
Figure 4. MAX3946 EV Kit Component Placement Guide—Component Side
MAX3946 Evaluation Kit
Evaluates: MAX3946
6 ______________________________________________________________________________________
Figure 5. MAX3946 EV Kit PCB Layout—Top Side
MAX3946 Evaluation Kit
Evaluates: MAX3946
_______________________________________________________________________________________ 7
Figure 6. MAX3946 EV Kit PCB Layout—Ground Plane
MAX3946 Evaluation Kit
Evaluates: MAX3946
8 ______________________________________________________________________________________
Figure 7. MAX3946 EV Kit PCB Layout—Power Plane
MAX3946 Evaluation Kit
Evaluates: MAX3946
_______________________________________________________________________________________ 9
Figure 8. MAX3946 EV Kit PCB Layout—Solder Side
MAX3946 Evaluation Kit
Evaluates: MAX3946
10 _____________________________________________________________________________________
Figure 9. MAX3946 EV Kit Component Placement Guide—Solder Side
Maxim cannot assume responsibility for use of any circuitry other than circuitry entirely embodied in a Maxim product. No circuit patent licenses are implied.
Maxim reserves the right to change the circuitry and specifications without notice at any time.
Maxim Integrated Products, 120 San Gabriel Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 408-737-7600 11
© 2011 Maxim Integrated Products Maxim is a registered trademark of Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
MAX3946 Evaluation Kit
Evaluates: MAX3946
Revision History
REVISION
NUMBER
REVISION
DATE DESCRIPTION PAGES
CHANGED
0 2/11 Initial release —
