Keysight Technologies and KD, Inc. have announced a partnership aimed at advancing automotive networking capabilities through the development of a new measurement metric known as the Transmitter Distortion Figure of Merit (TDFOM). This initiative supports industry-wide standardization and interoperability for multigigabit optical automotive Ethernet.

As vehicles increasingly rely on software and digital technology, the integration of Ethernet standards, such as IEEE 802.3cz, becomes essential. This particular standard allows communication speeds of up to 50 Gb/s utilizing glass optical fiber, designed to optimize in-vehicle networking.

The TDFOM measurement provides critical insights into signal integrity for automotive communications, enabling manufacturers to validate optical signal quality and ensure compliance with the latest standards. The collaboration combines KD's software-based analysis tools with Keysight's analysis technology, creating a robust testing environment for automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier-1 suppliers.

Rubén Pérez-Aranda, CTO and co-founder of KD, emphasized the significance of this partnership in facilitating quality testing across optical communications in automotive applications. Meanwhile, Thomas Goetzel, Vice President at Keysight, reiterated the potential of optical fiber technologies in enhancing automotive Ethernet systems.

This partnership is expected to drive innovation while promoting the adoption of advanced optical communication standards in the automotive sector.