Summit T2-16 Protocol Analyzer Demonstrates New Power Management Features During Intel Developer Forum Power Management Lab

These new features aid users in measuring and optimizing power management in PCI Express applications.

August 19th, 2008

Intel Developer Forum, San Francisco, CA , August 19, 2008—LeCroy Corporation, a leading supplier of oscilloscopes and serial data test solutions, today demonstrated (during the Intel Developer Forum PCI Express® power management lab session) the low power management analysis capabilities of the Summit T2-16 Protocol Analyzer. These new features aid users in measuring and optimizing power management in PCI Express applications.

“Developers are faced with tough power conservation requirements in consumer applications such as laptops and other low power devices,” said Ajay V. Bhat, Intel Fellow and Chief I/O Architect for Intel Corporation. “Protocol analysis tools that also address the needs of power management for PCI Express technology will help developers more easily achieve power optimization goals.”

The PCI Express I/O bus is a high-speed serial link of up to sixteen bidirectional lanes. Previous I/O buses such as PCI and PCI-X do not consume power when the bus is inactive. In the PCI Express bus, due to the need to keep the multiple serial links synchronized, the links continuously exchange data, which normally results in some power consumption even if the link is idle.

The new Active State Power Management (ASPM) protocol controls how individual links in a PCI Express bus can incrementally reduce power when links become inactive. ASPM is the means by which PCI Express manages system power. Utilizing ASPM properly in the PCI Express bus can help minimize power consumption while maximizing the performance advantages of PCI Express technology.

The Summit T2-16 Protocol Analyzer has multiple ways to help users optimize power management in PCI Express designs.

The Summit T2-16:

 Provides automatic detection of L0s and L1 low power states.

 Provides a graphical LTSSM flow state view which tracks the ASPM protocol communications in a simple, intuitive display.

 Monitors when any PCI Express lane is coming in to and out of electrical idle.

“We are proud to participate in the Intel Power lab session with our LeCroy Summit T2-16 Protocol Analyzer, working alongside Intels PCI Express power management tools,” said John Wiedemeier, Product Marketing Manager for PCI Express, LeCroy Corporation. “The Summits ability to decode the ASPM protocol, to view low power state progression, and to measure link state latencies makes it a critical tool for power management debugging and performance enhancement.”

LeCroy protocol analyzers have been at the forefront of PCI Express development. All LeCroy protocol analyzers feature a hierarchical display, real-time statistics, protocol traffic summaries, detailed error reports, powerful scripting, and the ability to create user-defined test reports that allow developers to troubleshoot intricate problems and finish their projects on time.

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. LeCroys 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 www.lecroy.com.

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