Your Pathway to PCIe® 6.0

PCI Express® (PCIe) stands as a cornerstone in modern computing, delivering high-performance, serial communication vital for many applications, including AI-enabling data center infrastructure. With PCIe 6.0 bringing speeds up to 64 GT/s and innovative PAM4 modulation, and PCIe 7.0 on the horizon, the data transfer landscape is evolving.

In this solution brief, Keysight presents a comprehensive and scalable suite of PCIe test solutions, ensuring your designs are future-proofed and compliant with evolving standards. Whether you're traversing the realms of PCIe 5.0's 512 Gb/s throughput or gearing up for PCIe 6.0 at 1024 Gb/s, Keysight's tools accompany you every step of the way.

Single-vendor Solution for PCIe 5.0 and 6.0: Keysight provides a one-stop-shop for PCIe testing needs, spanning OSI layers and design cycles. With deep involvement in PCI-SIG initiatives, including a seat on the board of directors, Keysight crafts cutting-edge tools for precise PCIe measurements. Recently, our portfolio expanded to encompass PCIe 6.0 protocol testing, offering compact form factors and powerful visualization tools.

Physical Layer – System Simulation: Keysight’s EDA Advanced Design System (ADS) facilitates early design cycle insights, allowing for rapid error correction and enhanced confidence in designs. With simulation capabilities tailored for PAM4 signals and PCIe 6.0 elements, PathWave ADS optimizes your channel's performance.

Physical Layer – Interconnect Design: The N19301 Physical Layer Test System (PLTS) software streamlines PCIe 6.0 interconnect characterization, offering templates for impedance profiles, crosstalk analysis, and PAM4 eye diagrams. This accelerates design cycles by up to four times, ensuring efficient and reliable interconnects.

Physical Layer – Transmitter Test: Keysight's UXR series oscilloscopes provide unparalleled accuracy for PCIe 6.0 transmitter characterization, crucial in accommodating PAM4 signal encoding challenges. Automated compliance test tools further simplify validation processes, ensuring adherence to PCIe 5.0 and upcoming 6.0 standards.

Receiver Testing and Link Equalization: The M8040A 64 GBaud High-performance BERT emerges as the go-to solution for PCIe 6.0 receiver and LinkEQ testing, with capabilities extending from 2.5 GT/s to 64 GT/s. Combined with Keysight's automation software, it offers a comprehensive suite for PCIe 5.0 and 6.0 testing needs.

Protocol Layer Test – The Next Generation: Keysight's latest PCIe 6.0 Protocol Analyzer and Exerciser herald a new era in protocol testing, boasting a cableless design for streamlined setup and unparalleled signal integrity. Engineers can now link train at 64 GT/s seamlessly, enhancing uptime and efficiency.

CXL 1.1 / 2.0 Protocol Test: Compute Express Link (CXL) adds a new dimension to high-speed interconnects, and Keysight's protocol exerciser and analyzer software cater to CXL 1.1 and 2.0 standards. With flexible emulation capabilities and robust analysis tools, Keysight simplifies the complexities of CXL protocols.