Protocol analyzer cuts USB 3.0 test costs

LeCroy Corp. launches a USB 3.0 protocol analyzer that is designed to lower the cost of testing SuperSpeed USB devices.

The Advisor T3 combines LeCroy's 5Gbit/s serial data know-how in a portable form-factor measuring 127mm x 152.4mm x 30.5mm while offering a comprehensive feature set with full support for USB 3.0 and 2.0 analysis.

The Advisor T3 can enable developers interested in accelerating their SuperSpeed USB product introductions. It is also suited for use by field applications engineer as well as the design and development engineer.

It is interoperable with early SuperSpeed devices—being based on LeCroy's Voyager verification system—and includes the same reliability as the flagship system.

The Advisor T3 has the full benefit of the intuitive CATC Trace view with its ease of use and understanding for USB protocol. The de facto standard for USB debug, this hierarchical display provides visibility at the packet level and includes comprehensive decoding of higher level USB events. The analyzer features hardware-based event triggering that makes it easier to pinpoint specific traffic conditions.

"First and foremost, the Advisor T3 brings accurate 5Gbit/s data capture that's essential for troubleshooting SuperSpeed USB issues," said Mike Micheletti, product manager at LeCroy. "And there's no compromise on debugging features with spool-to-disk capture, 2GB built-in memory, event triggering and full decoding of the new USB Attached SCSI (UAS) protocol."

Bridging serial ATA storage devices to USB 3.0 has become a key application area for SuperSpeed USB development. Storage vendors are combining SATA drives with the USB 3.0's plug-n-play interface to provide high performance storage for the consumer market. The Advisor T3 simplifies debugging of bridge environments by seamlessly synchronizing with LeCroy's new low-cost STX-M6-1 SATA analyzers. Together, the Advisor T3 and the STX-M6-1 provide a true multiprotocol monitoring solution.

The Advisor T3 is available now in a protocol analyzer-only configuration with support for USB 3.0/2.0; or as a USB 2.0-only configuration that is upgradeable to add SuperSpeed analysis features. The Advisor T3 is offered at an introductory price of $4,950.