Patent ID: 8817908

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: circuitry to generate, at least in part, at a sender, a signal that includes at least one waveform, the at least one waveform including at least one sequence of ten voltage levels, each of the ten voltage levels being selected from a group of differing voltage levels consisting of a VA voltage level, a VB voltage level, a VC voltage level, and a VD voltage level, the at least one sequence of the ten voltage levels comprising: a first VA voltage level followed by a first VB voltage level followed by a first VC voltage level followed by a first VD voltage level followed by a second VA voltage level followed by a second VD voltage level followed by a third VA voltage level followed by a third VD voltage level followed by a second VC voltage level followed by a second VB voltage level; wherein: one or more characteristics of the at least one waveform are to be measured, after one or more respective periods have elapsed; the at least one waveform is to be transmitted from the sender to a receiver via a backplane; the receiver is to compare, after one or more respective settling periods have elapsed, the one or more characteristics of the at least one waveform, as received by the receiver, to one or more corresponding characteristics of at least one predetermined waveform; each of the ten levels comprised in the at least one waveform is to be measured by the receiver after a respective settling period; and the receiver is to compare the one or more characteristics of the at least one waveform, as received by the receiver, to the one or more corresponding characteristics of the at least one predetermined waveform for testing in accordance with one or more communication protocols.