Selecting a backplane design requires tradeoffs specific to a particular network topology and application. In some cases, the assessment of PCB vs cable backplane is not an “either/or” but a combination approach. This blog post, based on a conversation with Samtec’s Andrew Josephson, Brandon Gore, and Jonathan Sprigler, aims to answer some of the most common questions that come up when deciding should I use a PCB or cable backplane for a high-speed design? How do the two approaches compare on … [Read more...]
Samtec SI Technologists to Present at EDI CON Online 2022
"I'm lovin' it." "Can you hear me now?" "Just do it." "Where High Frequency Meets High Speed" The first three taglines are a part of pop culture lexicon. The last describes an annual technology event - EDICON Online 2022 - focused on training and informing engineers on that latest high-performance technologies, solutions, trends and design techniques. The world of high-frequency and high-speed is converging as never before. Real-world and modeled 224 Gbps PAMx system design … [Read more...]
Six New 112 G Connector Systems Is The Coolest Demo At DesignCon (IMHO)
This live demonstration from DesignCon 2022 shows six of Samtec's 112 Gbps PAM4 connector systems. It includes board-to-board connector sets, as well as two Samtec Flyover® cable systems. One is a mid-board to cable backplane configuration, and the other is mid-board to front panel. These cable systems are emulating real-world data center system architectures. Each board has four Alphawave AlphaCORE Multi-Standard SerDes. For each connector set, the Alphawave SerDes is transmitting 112 Gbps … [Read more...]
PECFF AI Hardware System Architecture With New Cable Backplane
This live product demonstration from OFC 2022 emulates real-world AI system architectures, based on the PECFF form factor. It incorporates a PECFF backplane with PECFF add-in-cards. Matt Burns, Technical Marketing Manager at Samtec, walks us through the demonstration. He explains that we're comparing the performance of two backplane architectures. The first is a traditional rigid PCB backplane, with Samtec HSEC6-DV edge card connectors interfacing with the PECFF add-in … [Read more...]
Immersion Cooling or Convection? Connectors Exhibit Outstanding Performance In Both Cases
One of Samtec’s many live product demonstrations at OFC 2022 shows high-performance copper and optical cable assemblies performing equally well, whether in immersion cooling or in typical convection environments. Ralph Page, Systems Architect at Samtec, explains the setup and results of this incredibly popular demo. The demo consists of two identical Samtec product demonstration boards. They both incorporate a variety of high-speed interconnect systems, including copper-based Samtec … [Read more...]
Cable Backplane + META-DX1 Ethernet PHY= Great Performance at 3 Meters, 56 Gbps
Ralph Page, Systems Architect at Samtec, walks us through a live product demonstration combining Microchip’s META-DX1 family of Ethernet PHYs with Samtec ExaMAX® backplane cable systems. Samtec ExaMAX backplane cable systems improve signal integrity and routability using Samtec Flyover® high-speed cable technology, which routes signals above a lossy PCB using Eye Speed® co-extruded, ultra-low skew twinax for improved bandwidth and reach. The Microchip® META-DX1 is a 1.2 Terabit … [Read more...]
OFC 2022: New Products, Technologies, Demonstrations
OFC 2022 is back and in-person (and online). Primarily for data center and telecom professionals, it's a showcase of solutions in network equipment and software, active and passive components, test and manufacturing equipment, data center/IT products, cable and fibre. This year OFC boasts over 100 technical sessions, 120 invited speakers, and 500+ technical peer-reviewed presentations. And the epicenter of OFC 2022 is booth 2309, the Samtec booth. If you only have time for one … [Read more...]
PCIe 6.0: From IP To Interconnect In High-Performance Computing
The full PCIe® 6.0 specification in nearing completion. The latest 0.9 version provides details on increased system data rate to 64 GT/s, doubling the throughput from PCIe 5.0. Additionally, the latest version further explains PAM4 encoding, FLIT-based encoding, and low-latency FEC to improve bandwidth efficiency. In this video, Ralph Page, System Architect at Samtec, walks us through a demonstration of a prototypical PCIe 6.0 AI hardware design based on the GenZ-PECFF form factor. Working … [Read more...]
New PCIe® 6.0 PECFF Emulation Platform Hardware Demonstration
This video, from the AI Hardware Summit, shows a prototypical Gen-Z PECFF demonstration based on PCIe 6.0, at 64 GT/s. It shows PCB connectors and twinax cable systems, with performance capabilities eminently suitable for AI hardware applications. It’s a Gen-Z backplane with Gen-Z Add-In-Cards (AIC) with top card connectivity. This emulates industry standard AI Acceleration hardware platforms. It’s a configurable, scalable system featuring high-speed cable assemblies, high-speed edge … [Read more...]
112 Gbps PAM4 Rack-to-Rack Interconnect With Remarkable Results
Samtec Flyover® Twinax Cable assemblies allow designers to extend signal reach and density, enabling 112 Gbps PAM4 performance. Samtec Flyover systems are commonly used in mid-board applications, with a cable assembly connector located next to the chip. The signal path is directed to the front or back panel. Samtec Flyover also allows designers to go from one board to another as a flexible backplane architecture within a rack, and it can be used as a rack-to-rack interconnect. For … [Read more...]
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