Protocol Analyzer

LeCroy TA700-PDC-B PMC form factor PCI/PCI-X Analyzer/Exerciser

LeCroy’s TA Series of PCI and PCI-X Analyzers and Exercisers allow engineers to quickly and easily analyze, test, debug, and characterize PCI and PCI-X systems, boards, and software. The TA700-PDC is a PMC form factor PCI/PCI-X Bus Analyzer / Exerciser compliant with PMC environments up to 66 MHz/64-bit & PCI-X up to 66 MHz with full support for 3.3V and 5V signaling.



The TA700-PDC-B series is a PMC form factor PCI/PCI-X Bus Analyzer that supports PCI devices operating at up to 66 MHz/64-bit & PCI-X up to 66 MHz with full support for 3.3V and 5V signaling. Like LeCroy’s other PCI / PCI-X solutions, the TA700-PDC Series is loaded with features designed to quickly isolate issues and confirm proper device and system operation. In the analyzer mode, the TA Series passively monitors all bus activity and provides a deep array of features for precise control of filter/trigger functions as well as configurable display options. Many common PCI triggers are pre-defined for the user providing a one-touch selection for detection of protocol errors, specific address and data patterns, individual bus signals, hang conditions, burst activity, and other events. Pre-capture filtering allows the user to exclude idles, wait states, retries or specific address ranges from the buffer.
Exerciser Mode
With the exerciser option, the TA Series adds the ability to generate all PCI or PCI-X bus cycles as either master or target. Working interactively with the analyzer, the exerciser can be conditionally executed based on bus events detected by the analyzer. A range of error injection features are available, allowing the user to control transactions on the bus at the bit level, clock-by-clock. Other advanced exerciser features include arbitration override, whereby the exerciser assumes control of the bus regardless of arbiter authority, master abort override, whereby the exerciser will wait beyond specification requirements for a target response, control of wait states and idle states, loop and iterate functionality, compliance testing, and a wealth of convenient read/write utilities.
All TA Series products provide an automated PCI Compliance Test Suite, which is designed to help confirm a device's conformance to the PCI Specification. These tests are operated by the user through the GUI, and provide a pass/fail report to the user upon completion. Each test executed is saved in Catalyst's trace view, so the user can easily investigate failed tests in a familiar format. Well over 100 tests are available, for testing across several areas, including component configuration, device control, device status, base addresses, VGA devices, and general component protocol testing.
Timing Models
Most TA Series products provide two timing modes, including a detection utility to isolate setup & hold violations on the bus as well as an asynchronous high-speed capture feature. For detection of setup & hold violations, the TA Series provides an effective 100ps resolution to precisely characterize individual signal violations. A second setup & hold utility provides a one-click characterization of worst-case setup & hold characteristics across the entire bus. The asynchronous timing mode over-samples the bus at 1.5ns (664MHz), providing the user with the ability to debug general timing issues, such as race conditions.
The TA Series performance feature is a graphical analysis tool designed to characterize dozens of bus operational metrics instantly, and in real-time. Many pre-defined measurements are provided, or the user can easily create custom measurements, including various selections for chart displays (bar, line, pie, stacked, etc.). Selections are available to characterize the entire bus, or to select specific devices for characterization. Performance bottlenecks are quickly isolated. Bus utilization, target and master
Performance Characterization
The real-time performance analysis can also be operated in conjunction with the exerciser, allowing the user to characterize a design under precisely controlled conditions. For example, the exerciser may be used to loop through a script of read commands, while the performance analysis utility reports on average completion latency. Metrics include bus utilization, throughput, idle time, and other important characteristics.
Protocol Error Detection
The TA Series provides automatic protocol error detection capabilities for both PCI and PCI-X protocols. A total of over 100 protocol error trigger points are provided. As errors are detected, they are displayed in the capture, identified by error type, described in detail, and referenced to the specification. The exerciser can optionally be operated in conjunction with the protocol error detection, allowing the user to force conditions that may result in non-compliant bus activity.
Dual-Mode GUI
All TA Series products provide a dual-mode GUI approach, offering the user a convenient choice of an easy-to-use interface, suitable for most common analysis and debug tasks, or an advanced mode, offering sophisticated and powerful features for tackling more complex issues. In the easy mode, ideal for most tasks, the analyzer, exerciser, performance, and timing mode functions are executed quickly and easily through very straightforward, easily understood menu selections. In the advanced mode, control of these same functions is expanded with powerful low-level control of all processes, including a user-programmable 32-level state sequencer for capture/trigger logic.
Product Model TA700PDC
     
Basic Functions:  
  Protocol(s) Supported PMC
  Protocol Analyzer Yes
  Protocol Exerciser Option
  Other N/A
     
Host HW Requirements Pentium II or greater,
USB 2.0 port
OS Requirements Windows NT/2000  
Memory Size 128KB per CH
Bit Width 32bit/64bit
Data Rates Supported Up to 533MB/s
Max Clock Rate Up to 66 Mhz  
Data Bus Interface Parallel  
Form Factor Slot Interposer
Front Panel Connectors None
Front Panel Indicators None  
Front Panel Controls None
Rear Panel Connectors Host connection (USB, type “B”, 10/100 eNet) External Power Connector  
Dimensions 8 x 4 inches    
Weight 8 oz. (238 g)  
Power Requirements 100V-240V AC, 50-60Hz  
   
Options Exerciser
     
Features  
  CATC Trace No
  Single state triggering Yes  
  Sequential state triggering External trigger In / Out Yes Yes
  Pre-capture filtering Yes
  Automation API Yes
  Spool to Disk recording No
  Real Time Performance View Yes
  Raw Packet view Yes
  Compliance Test Suite No
Environmental  
  Operating Temperature 0 to 55°C (32 to 131°F)
  Non-operating Storage Range: -20 to 80°C (-4 to 176°F)
  Operating Humidity Humidity: 10 to 90%, non-condensing
  Voltage Requirement +3.3 V @ 3 Amps +5V @ 10 mA
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