2001: A Space Odyssey. The Terminator. The Matrix. Avengers: Age of Ultron.
These and many other Hollywood blockbusters foreshadow the worst fears of some: humankind being cast aside into the ash heap of history by AI-based machine overlords.
Is that reality? Not likely, but some AI researchers feel it COULD happen in the decades or centuries to come. It all sounds a bit cataclysmic, but there is no doubt AI is influencing many facets of everyday life.
AI-based systems like genomics and high-frequency trading are driving new system architectures that demand increased speeds, bandwidths, frequencies and densities.
To meet these challenges, Samtec offers innovative Silicon-to-Silicon solutions from testing and development to interconnects that meet or exceed industry standards.
Scalable 32 GT/s Silicon Test Platform for AI
This scalable and configurable test fixture platform is one example of Samtec’s innovative AI solutions. Leveraging the Gen Z™ PECFF, this platform supports PCIe® Gen 5 performance. It also offers realistic topology loss ranges over a cable mesh backplane and edge card connectors in a configurable and scalable system architecture targeting AI applications.
The cable mesh backplane and edge card connectors are configurable and scalable. The interconnect is optimized for 32 GT/s PCIe® Gen 5 performance in targeted AI-HPC architectures.
Signals can travel from an AI chipset to the Samtec test platform via precision RF cable assemblies. One lane routes 32 GT/s data via 0.635 mm pitch AcceleRate® Slim Cable Assemblies. A second lane routes 32 GT/s data via Samtec 0.60 mm pitch Edge Rate® High-Speed Edge Card Connectors in a backplane architecture.
The channel routes through precision RF cable assemblies back to the AI chipset. System analysis via BER, eye diagrams and channel loss performance confirm the system performance.
AI Chipsets, SoMs, CoMs and More
One feature common to many AI-focused chipsets – CPUs, GPUs, TPUs, FPGAs and more – is high-speed gigabit transceivers. Some FPGAs have dozens or hundreds of transceivers on them.
The Samtec Bulls Eye® Test Point Systems combines a compression interface, small footprint, high cycle and performance to 70 GHz. Bulls Eye® typically provides a 4:1 space savings over discrete SMAs. The density of Bulls Eye® enables smaller evaluation boards and shorter trace lengths.
AI SoMs, CoMs and carrier cards route high-speed signals in mezzanine applications. Connectors that can support hundred of pins at 112 Gbps PAM4 data rates are in demand
AcceleRate® HP High-Performance Arrays achieve 112 Gbps PAM4 performance in a low profile, high density open pin-field design compatible to PCIe® Gen 5 and other high-speed protocols.
For more information on these and other Samtec’s Interconnect Solutions for AI Systems, please visit www.samtec.com/ai.
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