Streamline PCIe 6.0 Switch Design with Effective Verification Strategies

By _Cadence Blog

May 9, 2024

The demand for PCIe 6.0 switches has surged due to the exponential growth in global data traffic. PCIe 6.0 switches play a crucial role in enabling high-performance computing (HPC) systems, particularly in data centers, for applications that demand massive bandwidth and ultra-low latency. Yet, ensuring these switches meet strict criteria for performance, power efficiency, and cost presents a formidable challenge. The complexity of designing these switches can be mitigated through thorough testing and verification processes.

Traditional verification methods, like data integrity and virtual channel arbitration testing used for PCIe 5.0 switches, remain valuable. However, PCIe 6.0 demands a more comprehensive approach. One needs advanced verification strategies that delve deeper than basic functionality. This includes generating backpressure traffic to identify potential performance bottlenecks and ensure the switch operates optimally in real-world scenarios. By proactively addressing these challenges, one can guarantee low latency and high bandwidth design for demanding high-performance computing applications.