PCI Express analysers add power management

Catalyst Enterprises has announced a major feature enhancement to its SPX Series of PCI Express protocol analysers and exercisers available from Logic Technology.

Catalyst Enterprises has announced a major feature enhancement to its SPX Series of PCI Express protocol analysers and exercisers available from Logic Technology.

This new capability provides users with an ability to emulate, capture and control the power management characteristics of PCI Express systems and devices.

"All PCI Express designs are expected to implement various measures of hardware and software support for power management, as defined by the specifications", said Nader Saleh, President, Catalyst Enterprises.

"The addition of power management features to the SPX Series is a key component of testing requirements throughout the PCI Express developer community".

"This new feature will be very helpful in characterising PCI Express systems and devices in terms of their adherence to major portions of the specifications".

These new features are supported on SPX analyser and SPX exerciser models.

The unique ability of the SPX exerciser includes user control of low power state entrance and exit characteristics, while operating as either an endpoint or root complex.

The exerciser is capable of forcing its transmitter into an electrical idle state, based on latencies prescribed by the user, and can automatically exit this state to transmit required data packets, again with similar latency controls.

On the SPX analyser, these new capabilities provide developers the ability to fully detect, trigger, capture, and characterise databus operating state transitions to and from low power modes, including the detection and display of an electrical idle event.

Catalyst's SPX Series for PCI Express is a comprehensive hardware/software development solution designed for engineering professionals involved in PCI Express architecture design and verification.

The SPX Series is designed to provide protocol analysis and characterisation on up to 16 lanes of PCI Express traffic, including endpoint/root complex emulation.

Catalyst also provides the popular SpekChek compliance test suite and various connectivity products and accessories.

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