Leading the Way in PCI and PCI-X Analysis Tools
Providing a wide range of PCI and PCI-X analysis, exercising, and compliance testing over the last decade, Catalyst has delivered to the industry the most advanced and only "Total Solution" for PCI and PCI-X development requirements.
Analyzer | Exerciser | Compliance Test | Timing Analysis | Performance Analysis | Performance Characterization | Protocol Error Detection | Dual-Mode GUI | Adapters, Extenders, and Accessories |Available Models: TA850, TA700, TA700C, TA700PDC
PCI/PCI-X Products
Catalyst's popular TA Series of PCI and PCI-X Analyzers and Exercisers are designed to enable engineers to quickly and easily analyze, test, debug, and characterize systems, boards, embedded devices, and software in a variety of design environments and across all form factors (PCI, cPCI and PMC), bus widths, bus speeds, and signaling environments (3.3V & 5V).
Absolutely loaded with features, and developed to quickly isolate issues and confirm proper device and system operation, Catalyst's TA Series provides an unmatched lineup of PCI and PCI-X development products to suit the most demanding developers.
Back To TopAnalyzer
In the analyzer mode, the TA Series passively monitors all bus activity and provides a deep array of features for precise control of capture/filter and trigger functions, as well as an intuitive and highly configurable display of captured bus traffic. Dozens of commonly needed triggers are pre-defined for the user, providing a one-touch selection for detection of protocol errors, specific address and data patterns, individual bus signals and events, bus hang conditions, burst activity, and other common trigger requirements. Pre-filters are available, which allow the user to easily exclude idles, wait states, and retries from the capture buffer, or for specifying address ranges or command events for capture.
Back To TopExerciser
In the analyzer/exerciser mode, the TA Series adds the ability to generate all PCI or PCI-X bus cycles as either master or target. Working interactively with the analyzer mode, the exerciser can be conditionally executed based on bus events detected by the analyzer. An excellent suite of error injection features are available, allowing the user to control transactions on the bus at the bit level, clock-by-clock. Other advanced exerciser features include arbitration override, whereby the exerciser assumes control of the bus regardless of arbiter authority, master abort override, whereby the exerciser will wait beyond specification requirements for a target response, control of wait states and idle states, loop and iterate functionality, compliance testing, and a wealth of convenient read/write utilities.
Back To TopCompliance Test
All TA Series products provide an automated PCI Compliance Test Suite, which is designed to help confirm a device's conformance to the PCI Specification. These tests are operated by the user through the GUI, and provide a pass/fail report to the user upon completion. Each test executed is saved in Catalyst's trace view, so the user can easily investigate failed tests in a familiar format. Well over 100 tests are available, for testing across several areas, including component configuration, device control, device status, base addresses, VGA devices, and general component protocol testing.
Back To TopTiming Analysis
Most TA Series products provide two timing modes, including a detection utility to isolate setup & hold violations on the bus as well as an asynchronous high-speed capture feature. For detection of setup & hold violations, the TA Series provides an effective 100ps resolution to precisely characterize individual signal violations. A second setup & hold utility provides a one-click characterization of worst-case setup & hold characteristics across the entire bus. The asynchronous timing mode over-samples the bus at 1.5ns (664MHz), providing the user with the ability to debug general timing issues, such as race conditions.
Back To TopPerformance Analysis
The TA Series performance feature is a graphical analysis tool designed to characterize dozens of bus operational metrics instantly, and in real-time. Many pre-defined measurements are provided, or the user can easily create custom measurements, including various selections for chart displays (bar, line, pie, stacked, etc.). Selections are available to characterize the entire bus, or to select specific devices for characterization. Performance bottlenecks are quickly isolated. Bus utilization, target and master efficiencies, and other bus parameters are instantly accessible for real-time display.
Back To TopPerformance Characterization
The real-time performance analysis can also be operated in conjunction with the exerciser, allowing the user to characterize a design under precisely controlled conditions. For example, the exerciser may be used to loop through a script of read commands, while the performance analysis utility reports on average completion latency. Metrics include bus utilization, throughput, idle time, and other important characteristics.
Back To TopProtocol Error Detection
The TA Series provides automatic protocol error detection capabilities for both PCI and PCI-X protocols. A total of over 100 protocol error trigger points are provided. As errors are detected, they are displayed in the capture, identified by error type, described in detail, and referenced to the specification. The exerciser can optionally be operated in conjunction with the protocol error detection, allowing the user to force conditions that may result in non-compliant bus activity.
Back To TopDual-Mode GUI
All TA Series products provide a dual-mode GUI approach, offering the user a convenient choice of an easy-to-use interface, suitable for most common analysis and debug tasks, or an advanced mode, offering sophisticated and powerful features for tackling more complex issues. In the easy mode, ideal for most tasks, the analyzer, exerciser, performance, and timing mode functions are executed quickly and easily through very straightforward, easily understood menu selections. In the advanced mode, control of these same functions is greatly expanded for the user, with powerful low-level control of all processes, including a user-programmable 32-level state sequencer with plenty of conditional logic for precise control of the capture/trigger process and advanced exerciser features.
Back To TopAdapter, Extenders, and Accessories
Catalyst provides a large selection of adapters, extenders, and accessories for PCI, PMC, cPCI and other form factors and technologies.
Back To TopTA850 Low-Profile PCI/PCI-X Analyzer/Exerciser
Operates from DC to 133 MHz. Supports 3.3V and 5V signaling environments. Solaris Driver. Ethernet, USB 2.0 interface. See picture. Datasheet.
Back To TopTA700 PCI/PCI-X Analyzer/Exerciser
Operates from 20 MHz to 100 MHz. Includes pass-through auxiliary top connector. Supports 3.3V and 5V signaling environments. Timing modes include 100ps setup-hold violation detection and 664 MHz asynchronous timing. 4M Sample capture memory option. Parallel port and USB 1.x interface. See picture. Datasheet.
Back To TopTA700C CompactPCI
PCI/PCI-X Analyzer/Exerciser. Operates from 20 MHz to 100 MHz. Supports 3.3V and 5V signaling environments. Timing modes include 100ps setup-hold violation detection and 664 MHz asynchronous timing. 4M Sample capture memory option. Parallel port and USB 1.x interface. See picture. Datasheet.
Back To TopTA700PDC PMC
PCI/PCI-X Analyzer/Exerciser. Operates from DC to 66 MHz. Auxiliary, stackable top connector. Supports 3.3V and 5V signaling environments. Parallel port and USB 1.x interface. See picture. Datasheet.
