Simulating existing pcie cards using artificial intelligence to predict signaling behaviors in untrained scenarios

A method comprising:

• during a training phase, receiving data, via a data receiver module, from a peripheral component interconnect express (“PCIe”) emulation card connected to a host during testing of one or more systems under test using one or more PCIe cards plugged into the PCIe emulation card, the PCIe emulation card configured to plug into a PCIe interface of a system under test and configured for a PCIe card to plug into a PCIe interface of the PCIe emulation card, the system under test comprising a computing device with a processor;
• building, via a model builder module, an AI model based on the received data, the artificial intelligence (“AI”) model configured to emulate a PCIe card through the PCIe emulation card;
• and
• during a utilization phase, using, via a simulation module, the AI model to emulate a PCIe card through the PCIe emulation card while the PCIe emulation card is plugged into a system under test and in response to testing of the system under test without a PCIe card plugged into the PCIe interface of the PCIe emulation card.

An apparatus comprising:

• a peripheral component interconnect express (“PCIe”) emulation card configured to plug into a PCIe interface of a system under test and configured for a PCIe card to plug into a PCIe interface of the PCIe emulation card, the system under test comprising a computing device with a processor;
• a host connected to the PCIe emulation card, the host comprising:
• a data receiver module configured, during a training phase, to receive data from the PCIe emulation card during testing of a plurality of systems under test in combination with a plurality of PCIe cards plugged into the PCIe emulation card, wherein the received data comprises signals from the plurality of PCIe cards plugged into the PCIe emulation card and signals from the plurality of systems under test;
• a model builder module configured to build an artificial intelligence (“AI”) model based on the received data and/or a previous AI model, the AI model configured to emulate a PCIe card through the PCIe emulation card, wherein the model builder module uses machine learning to build the AI model, the machine learning using the received data and/or the previous AI model;
• and
• a simulation module configured to, during a utilization phase, use the AI model to emulate a PCIe card through the PCIe emulation card while the PCIe emulation card is plugged into a system under test and in response to testing of the system under test without a PCIe card plugged into the PCIe interface of the PCIe emulation card,
• wherein all or a portion of said modules comprise hardware circuits, a programmable hardware device, and/or executable code stored on non-transitory computer readable storage media.