FMS: Teledyne LeCroy Unveiled Sierra M244 24G SAS 4.0 Exerciser With Analyzer and Jammer Functionality

Teledyne LeCroy Inc., business unit of Teledyne Technologies Inc., announced the SAS 4.0 exerciser option for its Sierra M244, making the Sierra M244 a first 24Gb SAS 4.0 exerciser with analyzer and jammer functionality.

The M244 exerciser mimics real SAS 4.0 packet mode traffic, enabling early adopters to jump start functional testing for 24Gb SAS controllers, devices, and systems.

The Sierra M244 exerciser, a licensed option for the Sierra M244 protocol analyzer, provides simultaneous traffic generation and capture of packet-level detail for debug and analysis. The exerciser connects to the system-under-test with standard MiniSAS HD cables and operates in real time. It utilizes script-based instructions and leverages a large library of predefined primitives and commands to emulate a compliant SAS 4.0 link partner. It can generate traffic on one, two, or four ports with each link running a different test script. Test scripts developed for previous Sierra platforms can operate on the Sierra M244 exerciser with little or no modification.

“Flexible test tools are a key ingredient for developers building reliable, high performance storage solutions around 24Gb SAS technology,” said Rick Kutcipal, president, SCSI Trade Association, and director, industry marketing, Broadcom Corp. “We are pleased that companies such as Teledyne LeCroy have now delivered a wide range of test capabilities to help reduce time to market for developers building next-generation scalable storage systems using SAS 4.0 technology.“

“The addition of the exerciser option to our multi-function analyzer / jammer platform is welcome news for SAS developer’s that need a cost-effective, end-to-end test solution,” said Joe Mendolia, VP, marketing, protocol solutions group, Teledyne LeCroy. “The Sierra M244, with the integrated SAS 4.0 exerciser, provides a full line-rate traffic generation capability that allows OEMs to begin early testing of 24Gb components before third-party devices are available. Improving reliability while reducing time-to-market is a key advantage of this scalable test platform.“

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The M244 exerciser features built-in state machines that automatically perform link training and connect at the highest supported link rate. The exerciser can also alter normal link layer handshaking to precisely test marginal timing conditions and error recovery. Every stage of the speed negotiation and training sequence can be altered to simulate marginal signal conditions and fallback behaviors. The ability to control timing at the lowest layers of the protocol enables corner-case testing not possible when using software-based packet generators alone. Typical applications for the exerciser include functional test, compliance verification, error recovery, and initial power-on link testing.

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The company has demonstrated the Sierra M244 Exerciser mode at the Flash Memory Summit 2018. The Sierra protocol analyzers have been at the forefront of SAS development since 2004. The Sierra M244 analyzer features both sequential and hierarchical displays, protocol traffic summaries, detailed error reports, and raw views of the 150-bit SPL packet structures, allowing developers to troubleshoot low-level problems and deliver high-quality SAS 4.0 solutions.

The Sierra M244 platform with integrated jammer option began shipping in July 2017. The exerciser option will be available to ship to customers in September 2018.