Nohau Introduces World’s First USB 3.0 Protocol Analyzer Exerciser System to the UK and Ireland
The new Voyager verification system from Lecroy, which is claimed to be the world's first protocol analyzer for USB 3.0 (also known as SuperSpeed USB) has been launched in the UK and Ireland by Lecroy's sole agent Nohau. The new development joins a wide range of USB related hardware and software products now available from Nohau, including protocol and bus analyzers supporting USB 1.1, USB 2.0 and USB-OTG from Lecroy, USB host and device software from HCC, integrated USB host and device stacks from Quadros Systems as well as compilers assemblers, debuggers and other USB device software from IAR and Keil.
Voyager uses custom front-end circuitry developed in conjunction with LeCroy's 5 Gbps PCI-Express platform, to provide simultaneous protocol capture of both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 signalling. Available with an integrated exerciser option, this sixth generation verification platform is LeCroy's complete solution for testing USB devices, systems and software.
The USB 3.0 specification development was announced in September 2007 offering ten times the speed of USB 2.0 and backward compatibility with legacy devices. It features physical layer characteristics similar to PCI Express 2.0, including 5 GHz signalling, that relies on link training to synchronize communication between devices. Aggressive power management represents an additional challenge for 3.0 validation teams as they contend with devices that frequently enter and exit low-power states.
To provide accurate data capture at 5 GHz, the analyzer must follow each link state transition and achieve bit lock in less than 1 µs (when moving from idle to the active state). Any delay in signal lock can cause the analyzer to miss data.
"This key development from Lecroy benefits from the expertise which the company has developed with its industry leading high-speed serial data test platforms", says Kevin Pope, Nohau's Managing Director. " Test tools like the new Voyager system will help developers bring USB 3.0 products to market quickly, while ensuring backward compatibility with USB 2.0."
Voyager uses the de facto standard CATC Trace display to illustrate USB 3.0 protocol and includes many enhancements to accelerate testing of USB 3.0 links. Advanced triggering, hardware filtering, and Spec View are all designed to help developers quickly understand and verify early USB 3.0 protocol behaviour. A new view called Link Tracker shows raw 10-bit or hex symbols from upstream and downstream links time aligned in a column format. Invaluable in debugging SuperSpeed traffic, it provides precise timing context for analyzing link power management transitions.
An integrated traffic generation option capable of transmitting both USB 2.0 and 3.0 packets allows test teams to emulate host or device behaviours with low-level control of headers, payloads, link training and timing. In addition to error injection and compliance verification, the exerciser provides early adopters with a USB 3.0 link to start bring-up testing well before commercial hosts are available.
Voyager also features native 3.0 connectors that bifurcate USB 2.0 and 3.0 electrical signals to provide loss-less capture of traffic from both links simultaneously. With 4 GB of recording memory, both USB and Gbe links to the host PC, and support for external clock input, Voyager is positioned as the all-encompassing test platform for USB development.
The Voyager platform is available with dual USB 2.0 and 3.0 capabilities, or as a USB 2.0 only solution that is field upgradeable to support USB 3.0. "Voyager is the obvious choice for USB developers targeting 3.0 or even considering SuperSpeed testing in the future", said Mike Micheletti, Product Marketing Manager, LeCroy Protocol Solutions Group. "It includes best-in-class 2.0 analysis features and it's the only future-proof platform that's easily upgradeable to support the emerging SuperSpeed USB standard."
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