Allion Labs > AI & Automation Solution > Allion PCIe Multiport System (APMS)

Allion PCIe Multiport System (APMS)

APMS is an automated verification solution exclusively developed by Allion. This solution speeds up PCIe testing, shortens the test cycle, and improves the productivity and turnover rate of measurement equipment.

With the era of AI and high-speed computing, demands for high-speed data transmission also rise. PCIe®, a feature for high-speed, has long been widely used in server ecosystems.
In the server ecosystem, PCIe takes advantage of its high-speed features by not only utilizing the original CEM slot, but also other slots such as OCP NIC 3.0 and EDSFF E1/E3 for connecting high-speed products such as computing accelerator cards, network cards, and storage devices.
However, enjoying high-speed transmission also brings signal integrity issues.PCIe electrical signal measurement has become an important test item.

Getting a headache just thinking about performing PCIe electrical signaling measurements?

It’s very time-consuming to test all of the lanes. For example, an AI server with 8 PCIe 5.0 slots (x16) will have an output of 4608 eye diagrams, requiring 9-10 days to complete.
Due to measuring it to completion is so time-consuming, brands and manufacturers often run partial tests to shorten schedules, which usually cover less than 25% of signals. With such a low coverage ratio, poorly designed lanes will not be detected, leading to reduced performance. In more severe cases, it could even lead to GPU failures or system restarts.
Thus, Allion, based on rich testing experience and many AI solutions in the testing industry, decided to develop the Allion PCIe Automation Multiport System (APMS) to provide an effective solution for customers who are suffering from this problem, which can help to improve the overall performance of the test and shorten the test cycle.
APMS consists of a switch box, a test fixture, a holder structure, and a software control platform.

① High Speed Lanes Switch
② Allion Test Fixture
③ Holder Structure
④ Automation Control Software

PCIe® Automatic Measurement System (APMS)

 1) High Speed Lanes Switch 

・Support 8 lanes switching

・40GHz bandwidth

⇒ Support PCIe 6.0

・Total loss budget is calculated

⇒ S4P file will be provided to match with spec

 2) Allion Test Fixture 

OCP NIC3.0 PCIe CLB5.0 Test Fixture

◆ Major 8 lanes are designed on a single board

– CEM CLB

  • Board A: L0,3,4,7,8,11,12,15
  • Board B: L1,2,5,6,9,10,13,14

◆ Same characteristic on CEM and OCP CLB5.0

– No calibration needed when switch CLB from board A to board B

– No calibration needed when switch CLB from CEM to OCP

More fixture details in here：OCP NIC3.0 PCIe CLB5.0 Test Fixture

 3) Holder Structure 

Support 5 axis moving and rotation

⇒ X/Y/Z moving

⇒ Vertical rotation: 180 degrees

⇒ Horizontal rotation: 360 degrees

 4) Automation Control Software 

The Tx part is available to choose the Generation, Lane and preset mode and can be saved as a template profile, which can then be quickly loaded for testing when the project is reviewed.
Sigtest uses multi-threaded execution to save analysis time and automatically select profiles for automated analysis, while the Rx section provides multi-lane options for selecting and executing tests according to specifications.

Find more information on the video

Once you use it, you never go back! Understanding the APMS benefits

 Higher Time Efficiency 

Shortens project schedule and speeds up turnaround time. Execute full test scope but keeps same (or less) NRE & test schedule

 Consistent Quality 

Get consistent test quality without human error

 Expand Equipment Usage 

Maximizes the utilization of high-value instrument

PCIe Test
(8 Lanes)		 HW Measurement
(Gen1-5, All preset mode)		 SW Conversion
Manual Test (Mins) 240 630
APMS (Mins) 50 170
Time Save 79.17% 73.02%

Note:
◆ HW Measurement Time Efficiency
Time save 79.17% -> 4.8 times productivity
◆ SW Conversion Time Efficiency
Time save 73.02% -> 3.7 times productivity

PCIe
(24 hours )		 HW Measurement
(Gen1-5, All preset mode)
(Work time: 8 hours)		 SW Conversion
(Off work time: 16 hours )
Manual Test (Lanes) 16 None
APMS (Lanes) 76.8 45.2

Note:
◆ 24 hours productivity
HW measurement in work time and then SW conversion in off work time
SW Conversion is unattended

APMS is Not That Easy! The Unspoken Stories：

Hardware

Software

For any consulting needs related to the Allion PCIe Multiport System (APMS), please feel free to reach out to us at service@allion.com or by filling out our contact form.