PCIe 7.0 Front Panel Interconnect Demo Shines At ECOC
PCIe® 7.0 is a scalable interconnect solution for data-intensive markets that aims to double the data rate of PCIe 6.0. It’s designed to meet the high bandwidth demands of applications such as artificial intelligence, high-performance computing (HPC), machine learning, and data centers.
PCIe 7.0 is targeted for member release in 2025. At ECOC 2024, Samtec presented a proof-of-concept demonstration with a front panel high-speed cable system operating at 128 GT/s (PCIe 7.0), with exceptional performance.
The Bottom Line: PCIe 7.0, Excellent Performance
An Alphawave Semi PipeCORE™ PCI-Express PHY transmits 128 GT/s data to a 2.5+ meter transmission line consisting of various Samtec high-performance interconnect systems. Despite the 2.5+ meter overall length and eight connection points, the system still achieves an excellent pre-FEC BER of e-10.
The Connectors
NovaRay® I/O is a high-speed, high-density cable system that provides a 3,584 Gbps aggregate data rate. It is designed for cable-to-cable bulkhead panel connections; the cable assembly in this demo was 2.0 meters long.
NovaRay I/O is available with:
- 16 and 32 pair configurations
- Internal cable: 34 AWG Eye Speed® Ultra-Low Skew Twinax
- External cable: 28, 30, or 34 AWG Eye Speed Ultra-Low Skew Twinax
- Full EMI external shielding
Bulls Eye® BE70A is a high-performance test assembly featuring a high-density space-saving design that enables smaller evaluation boards and shorter trace lengths in test and measurement applications. Bulls Eye products are rated at 90 GHz+.
NovaRay mid-board system is a high-density, high-speed board-to-board, and cable-to-board connector system. Combining extreme density and performance is critical as system sizes decrease and speeds increase. A proprietary pin-to-ground configuration enables extremely low crosstalk (<30 dB, FEXT and NEXT) out to 40 GHz.
Want to learn more? Here are some links that might be of interest to you:
- Samtec Flyover® Solutions
- Samtec NovaRay I/O Front-Panel System
- Samtec NovaRay Mid-Board System
- Samtec Bulls Eye High-Performance Test Assembly
- Samtec at ECOC 24
