Advanced Adapters for PCIe Technology by SerialTek

SerialTek LLC improves upon the capabilities of its test solutions for PCIe technology by unveiling an advanced set of cost-effective and versatile adapters.

SerialTek BusXpert PRO

PCIe architecture continues to be an important specification that the company supports. SerialTek offers two analysis solutions for PCIe 3.0 technology that interoperable with company’s adapters. The BusXpert PRO, which supports data rates up to eight lanes at a maximum of 8.0 GT/s, and the smaller form-factor Micro, which supports four lanes at a maximum of 8.0 GT/s. At 4.5 lbs, the Micro is the smallest and lightest analyzer in its class. Company’s analyzers, interposers and adapters for PCIe technology are designed and optimized for storage design and test validation. In addition to supporting the PCIe architecture, the newer NVMe specification for flash storage is also supported.

SerialTek Micro

All company’s solutions for PCIe technology utilize low cost, reliable and high performance cabling. SFF-8644 cables have been slightly modified for use with the analyzers to be able to pass-through PCIe sideband sigals. Each SFF-8644 cable combines four 12Gb/s connections, making it ideal for connecting an interposer or adapter to a BusXpert Analyzer even at the 8GT/s data rates supported by the PCIe 3.0 architecture; yet, unlike some other high speed cables, SFF-8644 cabling is easier to handle and use. They are more reliable and cost substantially less.

In many test scenarios, interposers are used to probe data communication traffic for PCIe technology and company’s offers a variety of passive interposers for use with its analyzers.

However, there are test configurations where it is useful to validate with different form-factors on the host and device side. As an example, with company’s adapters, an engineer could utilize a host side slot adapter and a device side M.2 adapter. This permits an M.2 device to be plugged into a slot host while the communication data is being probed by a BusXpert analyzer. Adapters are smaller than their interposer counterparts, permitting them to be used in more confined spaces. Lastly, these adapters are more cost-effective than tradiional interposers, allowing them to be deployed as test harnesses for use only when issues arise at which point a BusXpert analyzer can be deployed without re-cabling or disruption to the system under test. Host and deviceside adapters are available for slot, M.2 and SFF-8639 form-factors.

“As a PCI-SIG member, SerialTek holds a valued role in the advancement of PCIe technology,” said Al Yanes, chairman and president, PCI-SIG. “Products such as these analysis solutions support the growing adoption of the PCIe architecture by giving developers and businesses improved tools to validate their PCIe implementations.”

“These new adapters from SerialTek’s are an exciting development for engineers that perform test and validation on PCIe systems where flexible and cost-effective methods of probing data traffic on a PCIe architecture are important,” says Mike Engbretson, chief technology engineer, Granite River Labs, Inc. (engineering services and test solutions firm for high speed connectivity). “From our experience helping to enable the adoption of new connectivity technologies, we expect these SerialTek adapter technologies will help storage developers and manufacturers contain costs while enhancing their ability to troubleshoot PCIe technology in systems and devices.“

“SerialTek has established a reputation for innovation in the storage tools market space. Small form-factors, ease of connectivity and low cost make these adapters ideal for situations where multiple setups are required such as in development and qualification labs,” says Steve Wong, director, marketing, SerialTek. “In addition, SerialTek adapters offer flexibility in use by allowing users to mix interfaces of both the host system and target devices while performing analysis of the PCIe architecture.“

The company’s advanced adapters for PCIe technology are shipping.

SerialTek offers no cost, no obligation evaluation systems, including PCIe adapters and interposers to qualified customers. F

Information on advanced adapters for BusXpert Analyzers