GRL extends compliance test automation portfolio with flexible PCIe® 5.0 specification and DisplayPort 2.0 multivendor solutions

Software offerings give developers freedom to use the test equipment of their choice

SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Granite River Labs (GRL), a global leader in engineering services and test automation solutions for digital connectivity, has expanded its offering of electrical compliance test automation software solutions that give product developers exceptional freedom to use test equipment from leading vendors including Anritsu, Keysight and Tektronix through a single software platform. The new solutions include PCI Express® (PCIe®) 5.0 architecture and earlier Phase Lock Loop (PLL) Bandwidth and Peaking, as well as DisplayPort 2.0 Source and Sink. GRL now offers the most comprehensive and flexible portfolio of electrical compliance test solutions available through a single software automation platform. GRL's PCIe 5.0 PLL Bandwidth and Peaking solution has been approved by PCI-SIG for PCIe 5.0 Compliance Testing. DisplayPort 2.0 solution approval is underway by VESA (GRL-DP21-SINK-AN & GRL-DP21-TX).

Traditional compliance test automation software solutions work exclusively with a narrowly-defined range of test equipment with no flexibility to be used with other platforms. Users rely on test equipment vendors for solutions availability and quality, and must learn multiple software applications to leverage multiple equipment platforms. Also, while test equipment vendors manufacture excellent instrumentation, keeping their test automation software up-to-date with the latest standards is a constant challenge.

GRL's electrical compliance test solutions support Transmitter and Receiver physical layer testing for the latest digital connectivity standards – including PCIe 5.0 technology and earlier, USB4, USB 3.2, DisplayPort, and SAS – on most high-performance oscilloscopes and multiple BERTs. GRL's solutions sharply increase product developers' buying power and ROI by enabling test equipment mix and match and facilitating freedom of choice among test equipment brands. GRL's solutions free product developers to focus on product validating and debugging instead of wrestling with multiple software toolsets, limited budgets, and purchasing red tape.

GRL works closely with leading test equipment vendors and standards organisations to develop robust test tools and methodologies. GRL's roadmap anticipates even more solutions to be released in 2022 and beyond to support PCIe 6.0 specification and other emerging standards.

"GRL's compliance test software automation solutions facilitate the widespread adoption of the PCI Express standard," said PCI-SIG® Chairperson and President, Al Yanes. "As a contributor to the PCI Express ecosystem, GRL's support for PCIe 5.0 specification electrical compliance testing will help our members deliver PCIe specification compliant products to market.  We look forward to GRL's future contributions to PCI Express technology."

"With VESA's newly established DisplayPort UHBR (Ultra High Bit Rate) Certification Program, device and cable manufacturers can now send products that support the higher data link rates supported by DisplayPort 2.0 to GRL and other DisplayPort authorized test centers for testing and certification," stated Bill Lempesis, Executive Director of the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA), which develops and administers the DisplayPort standard and compliance logo program. "The availability of UHBR test solutions like those offered by GRL play an important role in advancing the DisplayPort ecosystem and accelerating the introduction of higher-performance video and display products enabled by the latest DisplayPort specifications."

"Since releasing our first multivendor test solution in 2014, GRL has aggressively pursued our vision to provide product developers with freedom and flexibility to use the test equipment that they want while enjoying the benefits of proven, cost effective and easy-to-use automation software solutions," said Miki Takahashi, Executive Vice President of Engineering at GRL. "GRL's new PCIe PLL and DisplayPort 2.0 test solutions are the latest step in a journey to put the power of test automation in the hands of the end user, along with the confidence that the solution works with the latest test equipment of their choice and delivers reliable test results aligned with the latest standards."

For more information about Granite River Labs visit www.graniteriverlabs.com.

For PCI-SIG visit https://pcisig.com/.

For VESA visit https://vesa.org/.

SOURCE Granite River Labs (GRL)