Date: 02/02/2010

Simulation design verification tool from LeCroy for PCIe 3.0 protocol analysis

LeCroy has expanded its PCI Express 3.0 protocol-testing portfolio with the introduction of new SimPASS software tool that addresses the pre-silicon simulation and design verification phases of development.

SimPASS is based on LeCroy's graphical user interface for display and analysis of data traffic, and extends the powerful data traffic analysis capabilities commonly used for post silicon testing to the simulation environment.

Synopsys supports the SimPASS tool through its DesignWare Verification IP for PCI Express.

SimPASS allows RTL simulation vector files (that describe PCI Express 3.0 I/O traffic in the pre-silicon phase) to be displayed and analyzed in the same way as hardware-derived trace files in the post-silicon phase. By extracting features that show potential flaws in data and transaction packets from the I/O stream, SimPASS enables complete test and debug the logic design before committing the design to silicon, a major advance in eliminating design flaws that can cause expensive and time-consuming redesign.

SimPASS works by importing raw PCI Express symbol traffic as captured in an RTL simulation. The symbol traffic files are directly analogous to a trace file captured from hardware, and can be analyzed by SimPASS, to determine potential protocol errors. This provides identifying and troubleshooting logic design flaws during the simulation and functional verification process, by using the data displays and "drill down" capabilities of the CATC Trace displays in quickly locating the source of each error.

During any redesign cycle, fixes for bugs (identified in the previous cycle using LeCroy's PETracer trace analysis software) can be verified by testing the fixes during simulation using the SimPASS software.

"LeCroy's SimPASS PE provides designers with a new way to observe and analyze PCI Express-based I/O traffic," said Scott Knowlton, Product Marketing Manager of Synopsys. "The DesignWare Verification IP for PCI Express, used in conjunction with the SimPASS protocol analysis capability boosts design productivity and helps ensure that protocol errors and performance issues are discovered in simulation before going to silicon."

For more details visit www.lecroy.com, www.synopsys.com/pciexpress