Free, Easy-to-Use Software Takes the Guesswork out of PCI Express
Development
AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Silicon
Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB) has introduced a free software tool that enables
engineers to quickly and easily measure PCI Express® (PCIe®) clock
jitter from an oscilloscope data file in just a few simple clicks,
making it easy to verify PCIe specification compliance and reduce system
development time. Silicon Labs' clock jitter tool is the first
standardized jitter calculator readily available for the PCIe 1.0, 2.0,
3.0 and 4.0 specifications, at no charge, to anyone developing
applications based on the popular PCIe architecture. Designed to support
PCIe common clock and separate clock architectures, the tool is open to
the industry and not restricted for use with Silicon Labs' clock
products.
Silicon Labs' jitter measurement tool for PCIe technology is available
to developers now and can be downloaded free of charge at www.silabs.com/pcie-learningcenter.
Since its inception as a serial interconnect for desktop PCs more than a
decade ago, the PCIe standard has evolved over three generations to
become widely deployed in blade servers, storage, embedded computing, IP
gateways, industrial systems and consumer electronics. PCIe technology
has also been adopted for FPGA and SoC devices to provide a versatile,
high-performance means of transferring data within systems. While the
PCIe specification specifies a 100 MHz reference clock with ±300 ppm
frequency stability, some FPGA and SoC designs may operate internally up
to 250 MHz, making clock jitter evaluation a critical design
consideration.
Filter masks and jitter calculations for PCIe technology are often
misunderstood during the development process. Most oscilloscopes are not
equipped with the necessary filter masks to enable correct PCIe clock
jitter measurements, which can lead to confusion regarding why a
measured result does not match data sheet specifications. Developers
often report PCIe jitter measurements higher than clock data sheet
specifications, indicating incorrect measurements rather than design
issues. As a leading supplier of PCIe clock products, Silicon Labs
created the PCIe jitter tool to address these needs, providing hardware
designers with a downloadable utility that quickly determines if the
measured clock meets PCIe jitter requirements.
Silicon Labs' clock jitter tool for PCIe technology features an
intuitive graphical user interface that guides developers through the
few simple steps required to compute clock jitter from an oscilloscope
data file. The tool includes all filter masks defined by the PCI-SIG®
for PCIe 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 common clock and separate reference clock
architectures, supporting both independent spread spectrum (SRIS) and
non-spread spectrum (SRNS) technologies. The jitter results are
displayed in a concise, easy-to-read summary format that takes the
guesswork out of ensuring the system design meets PCIe specifications
with sufficient jitter margin. For added convenience, the jitter
measurements can be saved as a PDF file for future reference.
In related news, Silicon Labs has announced that its clock generators
and buffers for PCIe applications meet PCIe 4.0 specification
requirements. All associated product datasheets have been updated to
reflect agreement with the PCI Express Base Specification 4.0, rev 0.5.
"As part of our vision of simplifying timing design, we developed the
clock jitter tool to make the task of obtaining PCIe jitter measurements
as fast, easy and accurate as possible," said James Wilson, director of
marketing for Silicon Labs' timing products. "As a service to the
industry, we've made this helpful clock jitter calculator freely
available to all developers working with the PCIe data bus standard,
regardless of the clock IC vendor they are using."
About Silicon Labs' Timing Products
Silicon Labs offers a comprehensive portfolio of timing devices
including crystal
oscillators (XOs), voltage-controlled
crystal oscillators (VCXOs), any-frequency, any-output clock
generators, clock
buffers, jitter
attenuators, network
synchronizers, and PCIe
Gen 1/2/3/4 clock generators and buffers.
Leveraging patented DSPLL
and MultiSynth technologies, Silicon Labs' timing products provide
best-in-class jitter performance, frequency flexibility and integration,
minimizing the bill-of-materials (BOM) cost and complexity associated
with clock generation and distribution. To help developers get to market
faster, Silicon Labs offers a wide range of easy-to-use tools, fast and
easy customization, and short, two-week lead times for samples - even
for custom-configured products. For more information, please visit www.silabs.com/timing.
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Silicon Labs
Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB) is a leading provider of silicon, software
and system solutions for the Internet of Things, Internet
infrastructure, industrial automation, consumer and automotive markets.
We solve the electronics industry's toughest problems, providing
customers with significant advantages in performance, energy savings,
connectivity and design simplicity. Backed by our world-class
engineering teams with unsurpassed software and mixed-signal design
expertise, Silicon Labs empowers developers with the tools and
technologies they need to advance quickly and easily from initial idea
to final product. www.silabs.com
Cautionary Language
This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on
Silicon Labs' current expectations. These forward-looking statements
involve risks and uncertainties. A number of important factors could
cause actual results to differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements. For a discussion of factors that could
impact Silicon Labs' financial results and cause actual results to
differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, please
refer to Silicon Labs' filings with the SEC. Silicon Labs disclaims any
intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
Note to editors: Silicon Labs, Silicon Laboratories, the "S" symbol, the
Silicon Laboratories logo and the Silicon Labs logo are trademarks of
Silicon Laboratories Inc. All other product names noted herein may be
trademarks of their respective holders.
PCI-SIG®, PCI Express®, PCIe® and M-PCIe® are trademarks or registered
trademarks of PCI-SIG.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151203005073/en/
Silicon Labs
Dale Weisman, +1-512-532-5871
dale.weisman@silabs.com
Source: Silicon Labs
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