Tektronix PCI Express 6.0 accelerates next gen of high-speed devices

With this release, Tektronix provides a cohesive PCIe 6.0 transmitter and receiver test platform that delivers fast test times, high-quality measurements, and an intuitive user interface.

In today’s world, there is a constant demand for faster devices and technologies for high-speed networks. Engineers innovating the latest technology need the ability to test more and more data as it is transferred at increasing speeds.

Data-intensive markets like artificial intelligence (AI), cloud, and data centres use PCIe as a de-facto standard. While the recently released Gen 6.0 standard provides fast speeds to handle such workloads, testing brings a unique set of challenges to companies charged with integrating PCIe 6.0 on their devices.

PCIe receiver validation is notoriously difficult due to the sensitivity of calibrating the stressed eye signal across a high loss channel. Tektronix’s PCIe receiver test platforms ensure that designs are thoroughly tested at the required bit error rate (BER) target. The step-by-step tools provide link training routines for the Anritsu MP1900A BERT to ensure the receiver is tested accurately.

Fast calibration

The Tektronix PCIe 6.0 Base Rx Solution includes 64 GT/s (PAM4) Rx calibration. Novel algorithms efficiently address the challenge of calibrating the Transmitter's additional pre-cursor added to the 6.0 Base specification.

High quality measurements

The Tektronix PAMJET DSP tool provides 64 GT/s jitter and noise measurements with advanced instrument noise compensation. This fully automated solution leverages the first-to-market 6.0 Base Tx solution techniques and enhances the capabilities to address Receiver challenges at the latest data rate introduced by the PCI Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG).

Intuitive user experience

The TekRxTest automation software provides a single control panel with the power to manage a Tektronix oscilloscope and Anritsu BERT during receiver calibration. This intuitive software wizard guides users through short- and long-channel calibration steps with ease, resulting in an accurate and repeatable calibration at 64 GT/s.

Swapnil Mane, Director of Wired Solutions for Tektronix explained: “As a founding member of the PCI-SIG working group, we are committed to our solutions evolving in step with the technology, helping our customers stay at the forefront of development.”

Building on the success of previous receiver test solutions, Tektronix and Anritsu started collaborating early for PCIe 6.0. “A combined solution integrating the Anritsu MP1900A and Tektronix DPO70000SX Real-Time Oscilloscopes delivers an innovative improvement to the market and a complete physical layer PCIe test system that can be expanded to PCIe 6.0 as the market continues to develop technologies for high-speed networks,” said Kazuhiro Fujinuma, Director of Solution Marketing Department Service Infrastructure Division for Anritsu Corporation.

Leading electronics design and automation company Synopsys collaborated with Tektronix on early validation of their PCIe 6.0 DesignWare IP, providing early-stage prototypes for Tektronix partnership with Anritsu.

“The PCIe 6.0 interface is instrumental to enabling real-time data connectivity with low latency and high throughput in HPC, storage, and AI applications,” said John Koeter, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Strategy for IP at Synopsys. “Conducting early, accurate and efficient validation of the Synopsys silicon-proven PCIe 6.0 IP with Tektronix solutions demonstrates that the IP adheres to the latest PCI-SIG specifications, enabling designers to deliver interoperable products that include Synopsys PCIe 6.0 controller, PHY, verification, and Integrity and Data Encryption (IDE) IP faster and with less risk.”

Advanced performance for faster speed of test, accuracy & ease

• PCIe 6.0 (64 GT/s) automated test solution runs on the Tektronix DPO70000SX series real-time oscilloscope and the Anritsu MP1900A BERT
• Fully automated PCIe 6.0 Rx stressed eye calibration with the Anritsu MP1900A BERT
• High accuracy calibration of jitter and noise by compensating the instrumentation intrinsic noise floor
• Full short- and long-channel 64 GT/s Rx calibration completed in four hours or less
• High-fidelity measurements using the Tektronix PAMJET DSP engine
• Intuitive wizard-based GUI provides guidance at decision points to ensure efficiency

Availability

Tektronix’s PCIe 6.0 Receiver Test Solution is available worldwide for use with DPO70000SX Real-Time Oscilloscopes.