ScanWorks® supports PLX’s embedded instrumentation in PCI Express chips

ASSET and PLX Technology recently announced that the two companies would work together so that the ScanWorks platform for embedded instruments would support PLX’s suite of embedded instruments, visionPAK, on its PCI Express® (PCIe®) chips. PLX is the leading global supplier of PCIe switch and bridge silicon with more than 65 percent of the market. visionPAK is PLX’s own set of diagnostic and monitoring features.

“visionPAK provides unique capabilities which are embedded within all of PLX’s Gen 2 and Gen 3 devices,” said Akber Kazmi, director of marketing at PLX. “ASSET ScanWorks support will make printed circuit board designs built with our parts widely testable.”

visionPAK has extensive functionality, including the following: the ability to access internal data paths and state machines for debugging systems; a tool to validate a circuit board’s signal integrity by measuring the eye-width at the receiver inside a device; a function to inject errors into a circuit board to check system behaviors; loopbacks to transmitters to debug data paths; and packet performance/activity monitoring. When integrated with ScanWorks, visionPAK will provide printed circuit board (PCB) validation, test and debug functions to enhance the signal integrity and high-speed bus performance on circuit boards, and to detect manufacturing defects and process variances.

“PLX has more than 65 percent of the PCIe switch market share,” said Tim Caffee, ASSET’s vice president, design validation. “Providing standardized access to their on-chip instrumentation demonstrates a commitment to PCB manufacturing excellence for their customers.”