Bus Analyzers Operate Through Ethernet Or USB Interfaces

Designed for PCI, PMC and CompactPCI architectures with full PCI-X support, the Vanguard Networked Bus Analyzers can be used to debug, test and validate next-generation platforms. Packing a state analyzer, exerciser, statistics, protocol checker and compliance checker, the new analyzers are operated through Ethernet or USB interfaces from a PC with Windows running BusView. With an Ethernet interface added to a dedicated bus analyzer, engineers can now access any or multiple bus analyzers on the network. The instruments are based on a reconfigurable architecture that allows a common module to be used on multiple platforms and provides for field upgrades. The state analyzer includes a trace memory of 2 Msamples, with each sample consisting of 256 bits of information. Vanguard analyzers also offer hardware assisted demultiplexing of 64-bit PCI-X/PCI bus traffic and support 0 to 133 MHz PCI and PCI-X protocols in 3.3V and 5V signaling environments. The exerciser supports Master/Target and Requester/Completer functions. A compliance checker is also available to verify compliance with the PCI and PCI-X standards. The statistics engine generates pre-programmed, real-time statistics for bus utilization, transfer rate, command distribution, burst length distribution, and arbiter latency. Pricing starts at $9,900. VMETRO Inc., Houston, TX. (281) 584-0728.