With the USB4 specification set to become official later this year, developers are gearing up to develop compatible hardware and software. Test equipment supplier Teledyne LeCroy has announced and demonstrated the first protocol analyzer program for testing USB4 and Thunderbolt™ 3—a stanadard with the same maximum 40 Gbps speed.
The convergence of the underlying Thunderbolt and USB protocols in the USB4 specification will increase compatibility among USB Type-C™ connector-based products, thus simplifying how devices are connected.. Teledyne LeCroy’s Voyager M4x Protocol Analyzer will enable companies to develop high-performance products with the USB4 standard, targeted for release in mid-2019.
The Voyager M4x Protocol Analyzer platform leverages Teledyne LeCroy’s T.A.P.4™ probe technology and industry-leading analysis software, allowing developers to verify interoperability and compliance for the rapidly expanding USB Type-C™ market. Designed to be fully backward compatible for testing legacy USB links, the Voyager M4x captures 100 percent of bus and protocol traffic for USB4 devices and systems. The T.A.P.4 probe technology locks on the signal-under-test without impacting critical link training and speed negotiation handshaking.
“The USB Implementers Forum is pleased to see Teledyne LeCroy announce support for USB4 testing with their protocol analyzer platform,” says USB-IF President and COO Jeff Ravencraft, in a statement. “An important contributor to the USB ecosystem, Teledyne LeCroy’s participation and support for USB4 compliance will help our members bring products to market that deliver high performance and reliability.”