I3C Test Solutions

Verify I3C controller IP and system behavior during design and FPGA bring-up. Simulate sensors to accelerate integration and test protocol features before tape-out.

SoC and device IC development goes through multiple stages before being tape-out of the IC. Due to design complexity and the need for first-time success, semiconductor vendors increasingly rely on extensive pre-silicon validation using FPGA-based prototype or emulator boards.

Common Workflow:

Interface the UFS device to FPGA Platform where SoC or UFS IP with MPHY test chip is present and run different test cases b. Interface the real-world SoC with UFS host support

Management Component Transport Protocol (MCTP) a transport layer protocol and encapsulated in I3C Protocol. MCTP enables intercommunication among different devices in management controller, GPUs, CPUs and intelligent devices.

PGY-I3C-EX-PD enables designer and test engineer to write the MCTP layer protocol script to generate MCTP over I3C traffic to validate the DUT performance. Also, Tester will decode the MCTP communication in a I3C bus.

The NVMe management Interface (NVMe-MI) commands encapsulated in MCTP protocol enables the management of solid-state drives (SSDs), enclosures independent of the operating system. NVMe-MI protocol used in out of band mode allows separate management controller (BMC) to communicate with SSDs and other peripherals using dedicated I3C interface. This ensures continuous management of system though the high-speed links are not in operation due to any issues.

PGY-I3C-EX-PD supports NVMe-MI Protocol scripting over MCTP transport layer protocol and drive the NVMe-MI traffic to DUT. The tester also decodes the NVMe-MI traffic in a system with I3C as an independent interface.

University of New Hampshire (UNH) IOL has developed conformance test suites so that NVMe-MI Protocol works reliably in configuration, health status polling, and data length verifications. PGY-I3C-EX-PD drives all these test cases traffic to DUT at a press of a button. The software analyzes the DUT response for conformance to tests and reports pass/fail status for each test case. It also provides a detailed report for test case failures for easy debugging of the failed test cases.

Security Protocol and Data Model (SPDM) is transmitted over MCTP. One of the lower layer protocols for MCTP is I3C. PGY-I3C-EX-PD supports SPDM over MCTP. SPDM enables the management controller to perform security functions such as discovery, authentication and measurement retrieval.

PGY-I3C-EX-PD supports SPDM over MCTP traffic generation to DUT. User can write their own custom scripts and drive the traffic to DUT. The tester analyzes the response from DUT and provides detailed protocol analysis.

DMTF offers a list of SPDM Conformance Test Cases which are integrated with PGY-I3C-EX-PD. User can select each test case and drive the relevant SPDM Protocol traffic to DUT using off-the-shelf test cases. The response from DUT is analyzed and the test result is reported by PGY-I3C-EX-PD. The tester can also generate the test report for records.

Platform Level Data Model (PLDM) over MCTP is an emerging application for I3C protocol. PLDM application layer protocol is used for communication between components in a server. PLDM carries out monitoring hardware, updating firmware, monitoring power states.

PGY-I3C-EX-PD supports PLDM protocol scripting analysis for easy testing of PLDM supported devices. User can generate PLDM traffic by an easy-to-use guided script and inject it to the device under test (DUT). The tester analyzes this traffic and displays response from the DUT and lists the communication between tester and DUT.

Our 16-channel Logic Analyzer provides protocol-aware triggering and precise digital signal capture for I3C system debugging. It offers accurate timing analysis, supports multi-signal correlation, and helps engineers validate controller–device interactions, identify protocol violations, and troubleshoot complex I3C behaviors during system bring-up and post-silicon validation.

The I3C USB Adapter is designed for high-volume production environments where reliability, repeatability, and speed are critical. With fixed voltage levels, stable I3C signaling, and seamless integration into automated test setups, it enables consistent functional testing across large batches of devices. Its simple interface and robust performance make it ideal for end-of-line validation and manufacturing QA processes.