NVM Express Device Controller Emulator

29 August 2012 - Teledyne LeCroy Corporation introduced a new NVM Express (NVMe) Device Controller Emulator. NVMe is a storage focused protocol based on the highly adopted and efficient PCI Express protocol. NVMe-based solid state disks (SSDs) require a driver to allow them to be recognized by the operating system as a storage device. The Teledyne LeCroy NVMe Device Controller Emulator is recognized by the operating system and can emulate a storage device.

Combining this emulation capability and test configurability in one test card enables host system boards that integrate PCI Express I/O to be easily tested for NVMe operation and performance.

Two years ago, Teledyne LeCroy was the first company to introduce a PCI Express protocol analyzer with NVM Express decoding functionality. Since that time Teledyne LeCroy has added decoding for SCSI Express (SOP/PQI) and SATA Express (AHCI/PCIe). Integrating all three PCIe SSD technologies into a single protocol analyzer gives developers versatile tools that can show essential details regarding proper data transmission and bus performance. These tools have been at the heart of much of the PCIe SSD interoperability testing that has occurred over the last couple of years.

"The Summit Z3-16 Exerciser when applied to testing SSD devices and systems provides high functionality with regard to the individual PCIe SSD technologies. NVM Express testing will especially benefit with both device and host emulation," said John Wiedemeier, Product Marketing Manager for the Interconnect Communications Group, Teledyne LeCroy Corporation. "The combination of easily viewing SSD decodes with the protocol analyzer and using a PCIe SSD test system for either device or host testing provides developers with effective tools to get the validation job done quickly and accurately."

The Teledyne LeCroy NVMe Device Controller Emulator is based on the Teledyne LeCroy Summit Z3-16 Exerciser. This tool supports all PCIe speeds from 2.5 GT/ s up to 8 GT/s, and can support lane widths of x1, x2, x4, x8 and x16. The windows 7 device driver is also compatible with the Teledyne LeCroy NVMe Device Controller Emulator. Not only can it do NVMe device emulation but this exerciser can also emulate the host side, making it a versatile test tool to do SSD device testing for NVM Express, SCSI Express and SATA Express SSD storage systems. The Teledyne LeCroy Summit Z3-16 exerciser has been chosen as the hardware test platform for the UNH IOLs NVMe Compliance program.

"The availability of NVMe emulation test tools is an illustration of a growing ecosystem around NVM Express" said Jim Pappas, Director of Technology Initiatives, Datacenter & Connected Systems Group, Intel Corporation. "Adopters of NVM Express may now use an emulation tool to help speed their development and improve their competitiveness within the NVM Express environment".

The NVMe Device Controller emulation feature is included, at no additional charge, with the PETracer 6.60 software release on the Summit Z3-16 exerciser.