LeCroy Announces PCI Express Compliance Testing With Its PCIe Protocol Analyzers And Exercisers

Chestnut Ridge, NY -- LeCroy Corporation released version 4.4 of its PETracer software, which includes fully integrated and automated PCI Express compliance testing containing 100% coverage of the PCI-SIG defined validation tests for the Link and Transaction layers of the protocol for devices. The software's compliance testing capabilities leverage LeCroy's PETracer/PETrainer Analyzers and Exercisers. This solution provides PCI Express design engineers with a way to verify and validate PCI Express devices.

The PCI Express Compliance Test Software allows users to display a log window that shows the events leading up to the pass or fail of an individual compliance test. It identifies errors, including type, shows where the errors occurs in the trace, and provides hyperlinks back to the location of the error within the trace. PETracer 4.4 incorporates LeCroy's proprietary Verification Script Engine (VSE), which allows users to run initiator scripts independently from the turnkey system and create their own custom evaluation and validation tests.

"Compliance testing is a critical factor for ensuring interoperability among PCI Express devices - and one that typically takes our customers extensive resources to conduct," said James Wright, Director of Marketing, Protocol Solutions Group, LeCroy Corporation. "One click in the test automation dialog gives users pass/fail results for the Link Layer and Transaction Layer tests, with detailed information on any failure only two additional clicks away."

The compliance test scripts are hosted on both the PETrainer ML and EML platforms. The new features of PETracer 4.4 enhance the overall analysis capability of the PETracer/PETrainer Analyzers and Exercisers, which feature the de facto industry standard Tracer software, as well as powerful triggering and filtering, intelligent reporting, and comprehensive search/find functions. Built on the CATC 100K platform, the PETracer EML analyzer provides full bi-directional support of x1, x4, x8, and x16 PCI Express links. Supporting up to x8 lane widths, the PETracer ML analyzer uses the CATC 10K platform and has 2 GB of trace memory. The PETrainer EML is the first exerciser to support x16 lane widths, has 8 GB of trace memory, and provides users with extensive root complex or end point emulation capabilities. Also available is the PETrainer ML exerciser for up to x4 lane widths.

As a complete solution, the PETracer/PETrainer systems give semiconductor designers, firmware developers, validation teams, system developers, software developers, and QA labs the unique ability to capture and modify live traffic, then playback the exact data stream. This ability saves time and provides an easy way to recreate problems reported in the field.

Availability – PETracer Version 4.4 Software Update will be available free of charge beginning July 1.

SOURCE: LeCroy Corporation