SAS InFusion

Developed by the Protocol Solutions Group of LeCroy (formerly CATC), the SAS InFusion™ and SATA InFusion™ systems are the first of their kind. These systems allow you to inject errors and modify traffic in order to verify real-world fault handling. While sitting in the data path on a live system, they can programmatically alter or corrupt traffic. The InFusion systems are the ideal tool for stress testing systems while running real traffic and actual workloads.

The InFusion traffic modifier is designed to verify recovery characteristics within a sub-system. In just minutes, an easy-to-use pop up menu interface allows you to create test scenarios. You can change any field, within any frame, as the data moves across the bus. Any primitive or data pattern can be intercepted and changed to a different pattern you specify. This allows for unprecedented corner case and protocol level error injection for SAS and SATA traffic.

The InFusion system supports a single 3.0G or 1.5G SAS or SATA link and monitors traffic from both directions. Once the InFusion system has been added to a SAS or SATA link, it automatically passes the boot up sequence and preserves protocol handshaking between devices. It silently monitors the line while transmitting a faithful copy of the original data stream. The system will wait for a specific time interval or count a particular event that you designate before it begins modifying frames or injecting errors. InFusion can be configured to send a single error, multiple errors, or random errors.

When changing fields within a frame, the InFusion traffic modifier will preserve the outbound frame structure, including recalculating the CRC if needed. The response transmitted from the device-under-test will pass through the InFusion system, without modification. This allows true end-to-end system testing. And, the InFusion system will maintain a log that contains a summary of the exchange.

The InFusion system was designed to modify existing traffic between a host and a target, which better reflects real world operating conditions compared to script based simulations. Test scenarios are independent of hardware setup and rarely need to be tuned for different configurations. Firmware or components in the system-under-test can be modified when needed, and then re-verified using the InFusion system.

Sophisticated error injection strategies are now possible using the dual sequencers with up to 256 sequential wait states per sequence. Each state can be configured to check for different conditions or inject different errors before branching to the next state. Looping allows the error injection sequence to repeat at specific intervals. Each sequential state can also include timers and counters to better isolate specific link conditions.

You can setup the InFusion traffic modifier by attaching the system to a LAN using an Ethernet connection. The wizard interface allows you to create custom test scenarios on the PC, and download to the InFusion hardware's memory. You then can detach the InFusion system and move it around your lab so that it may function as a stand-alone instrument. The built in LCD and keypad allows you to start, stop, and control the InFusion session. InFusion can also be controlled with a comprehensive C++ programming API (Windows DLL). InFusion can also coordinate error injection across multiple SAS Links. Up to 4 InFusion systems can be cascaded together (using BNC connectors) to validate fault recovery on SAS “wide” ports.

LeCroy’s SAS and SATA solutions provide you with advanced features necessary to ease the development and deployment of SAS and SATA devices. By combining the functionality and power of a SASTracer™ or SATracer™ analyzer, SASTrainer™ or SATrainer™ exerciser, and InFusion traffic modifier, you have a complete system that gives you the most in-depth analysis, testing, and validation available for SAS and SATA.

Let LeCroy’s Serial Data Solutions peel back the layers of SAS and SATA to solve your test and verification challenges.