Xgig EDSFF Exerciser Host Test Stand Xgig6P-PCIe6-X16-TSED for PCI Express 6.0

The VIAVI Xgig EDSFF Exerciser Host Test Stand (Xgig6P-PCIe6-X16-TSED) is used with the Xgig PCIe 6.0 Exerciser operating in host emulation mode. It provides a PCIe EDSFF slot that supplies connectivity and power to the adapter card endpoint Device Under Test (DUT), and supports testing of SSDs, NIC cards, memory cards and many other device types. It provides consistent, repeatable capture of link training, equalization negotiation and other information.

The Test Stand complements the Xgig Exerciser and is intended for developing, debugging and performance tuning PCIe adapter cards and their controllers and firmware. Working together with the Xgig6P-PCIe6-X16-PF Analyzer/Exerciser chassis, it enables debug and verification of new controller ICs, firmware tuning, and validation of application software. Bi-directional PCIe 6.0 protocol data across 16 lanes can be transferred through the Test Stand between the DUT and the Exerciser platform.

Signal path

The Test Stand uses high-speed linear signal redrivers to buffer the data signals, so that clean signals are delivered to both the analysis platform chassis and the DUT. The Exerciser function of the 6P16 system chassis transmits a PCIe protocol stream to the Test Stand, which electrically buffers the signals and forwards them to the DUT. Responses from the DUT are electrically terminated at the Test Stand and retransmitted to the 6P16 platform, where the analysis function checks whether the response is as expected. The Exerciser executes real-time branching to maintain an active PCIe link. The Test Stand also supports side-band signaling and triggering connections, and connects to the analysis platform through custom high-performance cabling.

Setup and software

To set up, the cables are connected between the Test Stand and the 6P16 system chassis, the adapter card DUT is installed in the Test Stand and secured to the support bracket, and AC power is applied to both units. The Xgig analysis tools running on a Windows PC control the test bench, covering setup, execution and analysis of results.