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Overview

Keysight Technologies, headquartered in Santa Rosa, California, is a global leader in technology and semiconductor solutions. The company has achieved a significant milestone in collaboration with Synopsys to validate the PCI Express (PCIe) 6.0 specification. This breakthrough paves the way for faster data transfer rates, enhancing applications such as high-performance computing (HPC), AI inference engines, and cloud-based software. With the PCIe 6.0 specification doubling the data transfer rate to 64 GT/s per pin, the potential for advancements in various fields, including big data analytics and data centers, is substantial.

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Challenges

Keysight faced several challenges in their journey to validate the PCIe 6.0 specification:
  • Bandwidth Limitation: SSDs and SoCs were limited by the bandwidth of the SSD socket, which was gated by the PCIe data rate.
  • Signal Quality: Ensuring a clean and successful exchange between two ends of a link without trips to recovery caused by aberrations in signal quality.
  • Complex Specifications: The PCIe v6.0 specification is complex, with close to 2,000 pages, making it challenging to ensure compliance and interoperability.
  • Sensitive Links: Even minor disruptions, such as a bumped wire, could trigger a trip to recovery and renegotiations.

Solution

To address these challenges, Keysight and Synopsys utilized a combination of advanced testing and prototyping tools:

  • PCIe Testing 91³Ô¹ÏÍø: Keysight¡¯s comprehensive portfolio includes a protocol analyzer that examines traffic moving across the link and an exerciser at the end point for compliance and stress testing.
  • Prototyping System: The end-to-end hardware linkup was completed with the Synopsys HAPS?-100 prototyping system, which was connected to a 64G PHY daughtercard connected to a controller to form the complete system.
  • Dynamic Negotiation: Establishing the linkup at L0 involved sending data packets first at a slow speed and negotiating up to the higher speed across the serial link, exchanging equalization information along the way.

Results

The implementation of the solution led to significant results:

  • Increased Bandwidth: The PCIe 6.0 specification provided a data transfer rate of 64 GT/s, effectively doubling the bandwidth for SSD SoCs.
  • Enhanced Performance: Enabled real-time data connectivity with low latency and high throughput for HPC, storage, and AI SoCs.
  • Successful Interoperability: The rigorous demonstration of a two-party linkup validated interoperability and set the stage for the deployment of PCIe 6.0 devices.
  • Industry Recognition: The collaboration between Keysight and Synopsys was showcased at the DesignCon high-speed communications and system design conference, highlighting their leadership in PCIe 6.0 technology.

These results underscore the impact of Keysight Technologies' innovative solutions in advancing high-speed data transfer technologies, ultimately driving progress across multiple high-performance applications.