New 224 Gbps PAM4 Backplane, Mid-Board Cable Solutions
DesignCon 2026 once again showcased systems, equipment, and components capable of powering the next-generation bandwidth required for artificial intelligence, co-packaged optics, hyperscale data centers, routers, switches, and high-performance computing (HPC), among other applications.
And once again, Samtec was front and center with a variety of live product demonstrations of 448, 224, and 112 Gbps PAM4.
The demonstration shown in this video, with our friends from Synopsys, showcases two new products. We see the new Samtec Si-Fly® HD family, which includes CPC (co-packaged copper cable) assemblies, and the very new Si-Fly HD cable backplane. Both the CPC and backplane are designed for 224 Gbps PAM4.
Taking a closer look, we see a Synopsys 224G PHY IP transmitting 32-bit PRBS data at 224 Gbps PAM4. These signals travel from a Samtec Bulls Eye BE70A test point system, to a Si-Fly HD co-packaged cable assembly, through Samtec Hyper Low Skew Twinax cable, to end 1 of our new Si-Fly backplane cable system.
The signal loops back to end 2 of the cable backplane system, to another CPC cable assembly, and back to the Synopsys 224G PHY IP for analysis.
The results are strong. We see a BER of e-9, with a total channel loss of 43 dB. However, it is worth noting that 14 dB is in the boards. That’s significant because in a typical application, the Si-Fly HD CPC is on package with the SerDes. So those 14 dB will not be present, allowing designers to increase the length of the backplane cable assemblies.
Placement of Samtec Flyover® cable solutions on or near the chip package improves transmission line density and extends signal reach in high-performance applications.
Here are some other Samtec news and demonstrations from DesignCon 2026 that might interest you:
