Case Study: Synopsys

Synopsys Certifies the DesignWare SATA IP Solution for SATA-IO through the UNH-IOL

The Challenge: Finding third-party validation of a SATA IP Solution

When Synopsys released their DesignWare SATA IP solution, they needed to ensure that the IP functioned precisely to the specification and supported all of the required features. Because the IP must support all of the features of SATA, testing is more complex than for a "boxed" product with a narrow use, and SATA-IO certification is one of the primary means to validate this. Synopsys set out to demonstrate proven interoperability of its complete DesignWare SATA IP solution consisting of the digital controllers, mixed-signal PHY and verification IP.

Synopsys’s DesignWare SATA supports 1.5/3 & 6Gb/s transfer rates and the new features as defined

in SATA Specification 3.0 as well as being backwards compatible to the SATA 2.6 specification. The DesignWare IP is created to be highly configurable to ensure the end user can configure the IP to meeting their exact requirements.

"With data transfers handled exclusively by hardware and command interpretation handled by firmware the DesignWare SATA digital controllers offer the highest possible performance while maintaining flexible functionality with minimal CPU overhead," said Michael Posner, Senior Product Manager at Synopsys. "The seamless integration of the DesignWare SATA digital controllers and PHY IP reduces the end users integration risk by providing a proven, high quality, SATA IP solution, ensuring no last minute design surprises. We have customers using the DesignWare SATA AHCI Host solution in a wide range of application such as set-top boxes, RAID storage controllers, high end digital video cameras, application specific processors, and even in a number of highly mobile applications. The DesignWare SATA Device solution is used in many of the new Solid State Device controllers enabling a new generation of storage products.

“As a result of such diverse uses, SATA-IO certification is very important to us,” said Posner.

However, other interoperability scenarios could not provide the detailed reporting and debugging that Synopsys needed to ensure the quality and performance desired by their customers. They needed a SATA-IO certification center that could deliver.

The Solution: Achieve SATA-IO Certification Utilizing the UNH-IOL’s SATA Consortium

Synopsys turned to the UNH-IOL’s SATA Testing to achieve SATA-IO certification for its DesignWare SATA IP Solution. The Testing Service is the only SATA-IO certification laboratory in North America and takes advantage of a unique collaborative testing model that is dedicated to improving SATA systems. Particularly, the UNH-IOL SATA Testing looks to go beyond certification alone, ensuring that quality testing and debugging is performed on devices and hosts seeking SATA-IO certification.

“We were able to uncover a number of corner case issues that were found in interactions between the electrical specs and interface to the design core,” said Posner. “The expertise and equipment available at UNH-IOL definitely aided debug, and the UNH-IOL provided great technical support as we worked through any issues that arose.”

The Results: SATA-IO Building Block Interoperability Listing & UNH-IOL Reports

“High quality is a key selection criterion for our customers when looking for a SATA solution,” said Posner. “The testing sessions available through UNH-IOL allowed Synopsys to conduct additional verification to ensure product reliability and show customers that we have passed SATA-IO Building Block interoperability testing, demonstrating full SATA functionality from a single vendor.”