Teledyne LeCroy PETracer ML Analyzer and Exerciser User Manual - Manual (Page 15)

PETracer ML User Manual Chapter 1: Overview
Teledyne LeCroy
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1.4 PETracer ML Analyzer
The Teledyne LeCroy PETracer ML hardware taps transparently into the fabric to capture,
decode, and display x1, x2, x4 and x8 bidirectional transfers of PCI Express traffic.
Developers use the CATC Trace™ expert software system to define recording, triggering
and filtering conditions and to view, analyze and print the CATC Trace.
PETracer ML uses a high impedance, non-intrusive probing technology, allowing full,
unaltered data pass-through. The Analyzer offers a dual approach in tapping into the
PCI Express fabric. Whether the design utilizes a card-edged solution, or implements the
PCI Express link between circuit board components, PETracer ML provides support for
both a Slot Interposer card and a mid-bus probe (for more information about mid-bus
probes, refer to the PETracer Mid-Bus Probe™ Installation Guide).
A single PETracer ML Analyzer supports bidirectional x1, x2 and x4 links, as well as
unidirectional x8 PCI Express link data capture and analysis. Combining two
PETracer ML Analyzer systems allows for full bidirectional decode and capture of a x8
PCI Express link.
PETracer ML has many innovative features that dramatically reduce time-to-market for
PCI Express solutions, including a comprehensive set of triggering and filtering options
that allow the user to capture traffic that is of most interest and relevance.
Users are provided with a list of protocol events from link conditions to error violations,
which enables them to set commands to the Analyzer to search, isolate and capture the
essential data.
PETracer ML provides accurate, reliable and complete decodes of Transaction Layer
Packets (TLPs), Data Link Layer Packets (DLLPs) and all PCI Express primitives. For
deeper analysis, you can display packet contents as raw 10-bit codes.
The PETracer ML Multi-Lane PCI Express Protocol Analyzer is a hardware module that
installs into the Teledyne LeCroy Universal Protocol Analyzer System™ (UPAS™)
10000. The UPAS 10000 is a base system designed to accommodate different protocol
modules.
Together, PETracer ML and the UPAS connect to a host machine that runs the PETracer
user interface. This interface administers the Analyzer, displays CATC Traces, and
analyzes the performance of the devices under test.