Teledyne LeCroy announced the release of the Summit Z74 Protocol Exerciser for PCI Express (PCIe) 7.0 technology. The device is described as the industry’s first standalone PCIe 7.0 Protocol Exerciser. It operates as a standalone protocol exerciser for controlled traffic generation or pairs with the Summit M616 Protocol Analyzer to form a complete PCIe 7.0 analysis and exerciser solution.
Artificial intelligence, machine learning, high-performance computing (HPC), cloud infrastructure, and advanced storage applications are driving demand for faster, lower-latency interconnects. The PCIe 7.0 specification doubles the raw data rate of the PCIe 6.0 specification from 64.0 GT/s to 128.0 GT/s and delivers up to 512 GB/s of bi-directional bandwidth in a x16 configuration. At these speeds, Pulse Amplitude Modulation 4-level (PAM4) signaling, FLIT-based protocol, and system architectures require validation tools that can generate precise protocol traffic, emulate workloads, reproduce problem conditions, and provide control over PCIe link behavior.
Used independently, the Summit Z74 enables engineers to generate controlled protocol traffic, exercise device behavior, and validate responses under targeted conditions. When paired with the Summit M616 Protocol Analyzer, it forms a system that combines traffic generation with protocol capture, decode, analysis, and debug. The combined platforms support isolation, resolution, and verification of link training behavior, transaction-level issues, protocol errors, LTSSM transitions, interoperability challenges, and compliance-development concerns within the Summit workflow.
Al Yanes, PCI-SIG President and Chairperson, said: “The rapid evolution of PCI Express technology to the PCIe 7.0 specification is enabling new levels of performance for AI, storage, and high-performance computing applications. Protocol test equipment accelerates validation and ecosystem readiness to help engineers address growing system complexity.”
Michael Romm, General Manager, Teledyne LeCroy Protocol Solutions Group, said: “The Summit Z74 extends our long-standing commitment to the PCIe design and test community. Engineering teams can deploy the industry’s first standalone PCIe 7.0 protocol exerciser or pair it with the Summit M616 to create a complete, familiar environment for traffic generation, protocol visibility, validation, and debug. This flexibility helps customers protect their test investment while confidently advancing next-generation PCIe designs.”
Availability
The Summit Z74 and the Summit M616 are available to PCI Express technology development teams preparing for PCIe 7.0 specification validation programs. Additional product information, technical specifications, configuration guidance, and availability details are available by contacting Teledyne LeCroy.
