Molex claims industry-first with chip to chip 224G portfolio
Molex claimed to offer the industry’s first chip to chip 224G product portfolio, comprising cables, backplanes, board-to-board connectors and near-ASIC connector-to-cable products operating at speeds up to 224Gbits per second PAM4. The range is designed to meet demands for the fastest available data rates powering advanced technology including generative AI, machine learning (ML), 1.6T networking and other high speed applications.
System architectures with multiple chip-to-chip connection schemes will be required to achieve data rates up to 224Gbits per second-PAM4, said Molex adding that this represents an important, yet complex, technology inflection point. The portfolio developed using predictive analytics and software simulations includes the Mirror Mezz Enhanced, an addition to the Mirror Mezz family of genderless mezzanine board-to-board connectors. This model supports 224G-PAM4 speeds while addressing varying height requirements and PCB space constraints. It extends the capabilities of Mirror Mezz and Mirror Mezz Pro, which were selected as the Open Accelerator Mo (OAM) standard by the Open Accelerator Infrastructure Group, a subgroup of the Open Compute Project (OCP).
There is also Inception, the first Molex genderless backplane system designed from a cable-first perspective. It features variable pitch densities, optimal signal integrity and simplified integration with multiple system architectures. The simplified surface mount technology device reduces the need for complicated board drill and via processing at the PCB interface, said Molex. The multiple wire gauge options can be partnered with custom lengths both internal and external to the application for optimised channel performance.
Another product in the series is the CX2 Dual Speed, a near-ASIC connector-to-cable system which offers robust, reliable performance with the benefits of screw engagement after mating, an integrated strain-relief feature, a reliable mechanical wipe and a fully protected “thumb proof” mating interface. It is also equipped with high performance twinax and an innovative shielding structure for Tx/Rx isolation, said Molex.
I/O products in the OSFP 1600 group include SMT connector and cage, BiPass, direct attach and active electrical cable products all built for 224G-PAM4 per lane or aggregate speed of 1.6T per connector. Improved shielding minimises crosstalk while increasing signal integrity at a higher Nyquist frequency, said the company.
There are also upgrades to the QSFP 800 and QSFP-DD 1600 products. These now provide surface mount connector and cage, BiPass, direct attach and active electrical cable versions with the same lane and aggregate speed as the QSFP 1600 products. They are designed to ensure mechanical robustness, improved signal integrity, reduced thermal load, design flexibility and decreased rack costs.
Samples of Mirror Mezz Enhanced, Inception and CX2 Dual Speed will be available this summer, with product samples of Molex’s new OSFP and QSFP offerings scheduled for release in the autumn / fall.
