Vanguard VME Bus Analyzer, Exerciser & Protocol Checker for VMEbus

The Vanguard VME Bus Analyzer is a complete solution for VMEbus analysis, exercising and protocol error detection. Supports new VME standards including 2eSST.

The bus analyzer is controlled via USB or Ethernet from a PC running Windows and VMETRO's BusView graphical user interface or an Application Programming Interface (API). The Ethernet connection adds a world of possibilities to the analyzer tool, by allowing the user to connect to Vanguard analyzers situated anywhere a network connection can be made. As with all VMETRO analyzers, the unit may be powered from the target system or from an external power supply, and extensive on-line help is available.

State Analyzer
The State Analyzer of the Vanguard VME captures and displays VMEbus activity in State or Timing modes with highly advanced (yet simple to use) triggering, filtering and counting capabilities. Unlike logic analyzers, VMETRO's VME Bus Analyzers know the bus protocol and derive the sampling clocks from the bus cycles at the right moments. This gives a complete trace of all kinds of activity, including arbitration, interrupts, block cycles, RMW cycles, etc.

Exerciser
The optional (-VE) Exerciser available for the Vanguard VME is a powerful Master with a DMA engine, a Slave memory, a System Controller and an Interrupt Generator and Handler. The unit is very flexible and easy to use, and allows concurrent operation of all functions. A flexible script feature allows test scripts to be made and tasks to be automated. The exerciser is controlled via dialog boxes through the user-interface, automated with the built-in script recording and playback capability with programmable delay and loop functions.

Protocol Checker
The Vanguard VME Bus Analyzer features an optional protocol checker (-VP) for the VMEbus. This versatile feature automatically detects up to 60 VME errors, helping the user track down bus hardware errors without the need to understand the nature of the problem. The protocol checker can run in the background when other analyzer functions of the Vanguard are active. As an example, the state analyzer, and the bus utilization statistics can all be active at the same time while the protocol checker runs in the background, screening the bus for errors. If the protocol checker is used as the trigger source for the analyzer(s), the state and timing analyzers will then provide a comprehensive picture of the bus activity around the point when an error was found. This helps the user to identify and correct the problem.