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Evaluate PCIe devices under real-world conditions
The Keysight LA5-class protocol backplane provides a stable, signal-optimized interface for PCIe and CXL add-in cards. Our PCIe protocol backplane ensures that you can thoroughly evaluate device performance, signal integrity, and protocol compliance under real-world conditions. Its robust mechanical design and broad form-factor compatibility make it an essential tool for accelerating development cycles and delivering next-generation computing, storage, and networking solutions with confidence. Request a quote or order a Keysight PCIe protocol backplane today. Need help selecting? Check out the resources below.
High-speed data support
Enables accurate and reliable testing of PCIe 6.0 data rates up to 64 GT/s per lane, which is essential for validating signal integrity, protocol compliance, and performance in next-generation devices.
Enhanced signal integrity
Designed according to the PCI-SIG® Card Electromechanical (CEM) specification to reduce crosstalk, maintain impedance, and optimize signal transmission between the backplane and PCIe devices.
Form factor compatibility
Supports the Enterprise and Data Center SSD Form Factor (EDSFF) and Open Compute Project Network Interface Card (OCP-NIC), enabling testing of diverse data center, storage, and networking devices.
Integrated power supply
Features a low-noise, high-efficiency power supply with PCIe auxiliary power available, reliably accommodating high-power endpoint devices for stable and consistent performance testing.
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Maximum data rate
64 GT/s
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Protocols
NRZ, PAM4
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Standards
PCIe 6.0, PCIe 5.0, PCIe 4.0, PCIe 3.0, PCIe 2.0, PCIe 1.0, CXL 1.1, CXL 2.0
Typical configuration
LA5-class PCIe Protocol Analyzer, Protocol Test Backplane for PCIe 6.0
Services and support
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Frequently asked questions
A PCI protocol test backplane is useful because it provides a controlled and reliable environment for evaluating PCIe devices and systems under test. It enables you to easily insert protocol analyzers, exercisers, and other test tools between a PCIe host and endpoint, facilitating signal access without modifying the DUT or motherboard. The backplane maintains signal integrity while supporting various form factors, allowing seamless validation across different device types. It’s especially valuable for repeatable testing, debugging interoperability issues, and validating compliance, making it a critical component in high-speed PCIe development and test workflows.
PCIe is a high-speed, sensitive interface where even minor instability—such as poor mechanical connections, signal reflections, or voltage fluctuations — can lead to intermittent errors, link failures, or inaccurate test results. A stable interface eliminates variables unrelated to the device itself, allowing you to focus on true performance, protocol compliance, and error detection. This stability is especially important when testing across different speeds (e.g., Gen4, Gen5) or during long-duration and stress tests, where any instability could compromise data integrity or mask real design issues.
An integrated power supply in a PCIe test backplane is helpful because it provides a stable, controlled, and isolated power source for the device under test (DUT), independent of the host system. This allows you to precisely manage power conditions, monitor consumption, and perform power margining or fault injection during testing. It simplifies setup by eliminating the need for external power supplies and reduces noise or instability that could interfere with high-speed signal integrity. An integrated supply also enables automated power cycling, which is essential for stress testing, validation, and debugging power-related issues in PCIe devices.