PCIe 3.0 Protocol Analyzer supports 8 GT/sec data rates.
Press Release Summary:
Supporting PCIe® 3.0 specification, Summit(TM) T3-16 captures, decodes, and analyzes PCIe bus traffic at data rates to 8 GT/sec per lane on bus widths up to 16 lanes. Each data view displays PCIe 3.0 transactions in unique ways to discover hard-to-find protocol errors. This enables flaws in power state transitions in LTSSM and improper credit flow exchanges to be found, tracked to their source, and resolved. Additionally, unit offers real-time statistics monitoring and documentation tools.
Original Press Release:
LeCroy Introduces First PCI Express® 3.0 Protocol Analyzer
The First PCI Express Protocol Analyzer to Support 8 GT/s Data Rates
Intel Developers Forum, San Francisco, CA - LeCroy Corporation, a leading supplier of serial data test solutions, today introduced the first PCI Express protocol analyzer to support the PCIe® 3.0 specification, which is currently under development within the PCI-SIG® at a preliminary revision 0.5. The specification will support data rates up to 8 GT/s. The new Summit(TM) T3-16 is LeCroy's fifth generation of protocol analyzers targeted at high speed PCI Express I/O-based applications. The LeCroy Summit T3-16 captures, decodes and analyzes PCI Express bus traffic at data rates up to 8 GT/s per lane on bus widths up to 16 lanes.
"Development tools that promote proper protocol adherence and interoperability help to ensure the continued success of the PCI Express standard," said PCI-SIG Chairman and President Al Yanes. "Such tools are important components in enabling the broad adoption of interoperable products based on PCI Express technology."
The LeCroy Summit T3-16 features the most comprehensive protocol analysis views in the test and measurement industry. Based on the widely accepted CATC Trace(TM) architecture, each data view displays PCIe 3.0 transactions in unique ways to discover hard-to-find protocol errors. Major issues facing PCIe 3.0 developers, such as flaws in power state transitions in the LTSSM and improper credit flow exchanges, can be quickly discovered, tracked to their source, and resolved, resulting in faster time-to-market for new product development.
"Testing and debugging prototype server and workstation platforms with Intel® Xeon® processors for PCI Express protocol integrity is critical to the success of our customers and industry partners," said Jim Pappas, Director of Initiative Marketing, Intel Corporation. "LeCroy's commitment to providing the industry with PCI Express protocol analyzers in step with the advancements of PCI Express technology has been critical in advancing the industry with robust, interoperable solutions."
PCIe 3.0 technology achieves twice the effective data throughput rate of the current PCIe 2.0 standard through a combination of increased data bit rate (5 GT/s moving to 8 GT/s) and the elimination of 8b/10b data encoding, which previously added an overhead of 20 percent to all data transfers. In eliminating 8b10b encoding, PCIe 3.0 technology now relies on the existing data scrambling techniques similar to those used for PCIe 2.0 technology to ensure that receivers maintain lock on the incoming data stream.
In addition to its powerful data views, the Summit T3-16 supports important monitoring features such as real-time statistics, which allow users to analyze response and latency of transactions, data throughput, and link utilization. Engineers looking to quickly put together reports will find powerful documentation tools such as protocol traffic summaries, detailed error reports, powerful scripting, and the ability to create user-defined test reports. The Summit T3-16 is easy to install and has both Ethernet and USB ports that provide flexibility in connecting and configuration.
Hardware developers will appreciate the raw bit recording capability that BitTracer(TM) mode offers for in-band PCI Express signals, especially in the PHY layer. SERDES issues can quickly be identified and compensated by manipulating lane skewing, polarity, and scrambling on a lane-by-lane basis in the trace. Updating the trace in software allows further debugging and analysis to be continued at the higher layers of the protocol without having to wait for new hardware each time.
"The user experience is very important to us," said Joe Mendolia, Managing Director of LeCroy's Interconnect Communication Group. "Delivering and sustaining a high quality tool that helps engineers throughout all phases of development is our goal."
LeCroy PCI Express protocol analyzers have the largest selection of interposers and probes of any protocol analyzer vendor. This is an important factor when trying to connect an analyzer to new PCB form factors, with hard-to-probe chassis or chip-to-chip implementations that lack sockets or slots. Both an advanced PCIe 3.0 x16 midbus probe (with lane swizzling), and a Gen3 x16 interposer, will be available for PCI Express 3.0 developers to use with the new Summit T3-16. Previous LeCroy PCI Express probes will also be compatible with the Summit T3-16.
"We are very pleased to announce our next generation PCI Express analyzer. Our customer feedback has been tremendous and we have worked hard to deliver a tool that meets all market expectations," said John Wiedemeier, Product Marketing Manager of LeCroy's Interconnect Communications Group. "Whether you are a server, workstation, desktop graphics card or add-in board developer, the Summit T3-16 Protocol analyzer is an essential tool to ensure design performance."
In addition to the Summit T3-16, LeCroy's PCI Express protocol test family includes the Edge(TM) T1-4 for PCIe 1.0 support with lane widths up to x4, the PETracer(TM) ML Analyzer and Exerciser for PCIe 1.0 support with lane widths up to x8, and the Summit T2-16 Analyzer and Summit Z2-16 Exerciser for PCIe 2.0 support with lane widths up to x16.
Availability The Summit T3-16 can be ordered immediately. For additional information, contact LeCroy at 1-800-5LeCroy (1-800-553-2769) or visit LeCroy's web site at www.lecroy.com
About LeCroy
LeCroy Corporation is a worldwide leader in serial data test solutions, creating advanced instruments that drive product innovation by quickly measuring, analyzing, and verifying complex electronic signals. The Company offers high-performance oscilloscopes, serial data analyzers, and global communications protocol test solutions used by design engineers in the computer and semiconductor, data storage device, automotive and industrial, and military and aerospace markets. LeCroy's 40-year heritage of technical innovation is the foundation for its recognized leadership in "WaveShape Analysis"-capturing, viewing, and measuring the high-speed signals that drive today's information and communications technologies. LeCroy is headquartered in Chestnut Ridge, New York. Company information is available at www.lecroy.com.
© 2009 by LeCroy Corporation. All rights reserved. Specifications subject to change without notice.
