LeCroy Enhances Industry-leading SAS and SATA Protocol Analyzers
LeCroy Corporation, a leading supplier of serial data test solutions, announced today added features available for its SASTracer and SATracer 3G protocol test and analysis systems.SASTracer™ v2.5 andSATracer™ v4.5 software upgrades are designed to assist in more efficiently testing large subsystems that require high-port count recording. By cascading multiple LeCroy analyzers together, users can now view time-correlated traffic from up to 16 SAS or SATA links in a single view within the LinkTracker™ view. Also available from LeCroy is a new probing option that features a four-lane external connector and includes both a non-intrusive as well as a repeater style front-end. The new option allows users to selectively switch between these two probing techniques for the more reliable capture of storage systems that incorporate long cables or extended backplanes in its design.
“By cascading two 4 Port SASTracer systems together, we can view a synchronized display of 4 wide traffic moving both upstream and downstream through any of our NexSAS™ expanders devices,” said principal engineer and beta tester Charlie Curtin, Vitesse.
"Using the new unified LinkTracker display, we can easily measure timing deltas between individual DWORDs across 8 or even 16 links”. Tim Hornback, Director of Storage Marketing, Vitesse, added, “This robust measurement and reporting technology will insure OEMs using LeCroy protocol analyzers are offered the most accurate and complete picture of happenings in their NexSASä enabled-systems available.”
In addition to merging traces from up to four cascaded analyzers, the new software release adds support for triggering on SCSI sense key and additional sense code patterns. It also provides for full support of triggering on ATAPI 6/7 commands. A search feature can find any hex, decimal, or binary pattern within a frame. There are improvements in timing measurements within the LinkTracker and when operating in the repeater mode, a new Probe Control option allows users to customize the analyzer front end to use either SAS or SATA transmit levels.
“OEMs designing storage solutions that use expander devices will benefit from analyzers that can capture and display protocol traffic from multiple points in the SAS fabric,” according to James Wright, Director of Marketing at LeCroy. “From a zero-click method of calculating time deltas of events across links to automatic reporting of throughput and latency over multiple operations, the LeCroy Tracer software makes it easy for designers to conduct extensive analysis.”
Unique in the storage test equipment market, the new probe module provides both a non-intrusive and a repeater style front-end for SAS and SATA signals. Also known as a passive tap, the non-intrusive probe samples the signal without re-driving the differential lines to better preserve the real-world electrical characteristics of the system under test. Users can optionally switch to the repeater style probe method, which boosts the signal strength and achieves better signal integrity when probing long backplane or cabled environments.
Availability
LeCroy’s SASTracer v2.5 andSATracer v4.5 software is available now. The Probe Module with External SAS connector configuration option will begin shipping in late June 2005. LeCroy will offer an upgrade path for existing users of the CATC 10K protocol analyzer systems that would like to add the new probe module option. For additional information, please contact LeCroy or its worldwide network of distribution partners.
About LeCroy
LeCroy Corporation is a worldwide leader in serial data test solutions, creating advanced instruments that drive product innovation by quickly measuring, analyzing, and verifying complex electronic signals. The Company offers high-performance oscilloscopes, serial data analyzers, and global communications protocol test solutions used by design engineers in the computer and semiconductor, data storage device, automotive and industrial, and military and aerospace markets. LeCroy’s 40-year heritage of technical innovation is the foundation for its recognized leadership in “WaveShape Analysis”—capturing, viewing, and measuring the high-speed signals that drive today's information and communications technologies. LeCroy is headquartered in Chestnut Ridge, New York. Company information is available at http://www.lecroy.com.
© 2005 by LeCroy Corporation. All rights reserved. Specifications subject to change without notice.