Samtec cable-to-cable interconnects support high density AI architectures
Samtec has announced the release of the ARJ6 cable-to-cable, high-density panel mount cable assembly. Supporting PCI 6.0/CXL 3.2 and 100 GbE in AI architectures and FPGA prototyping, the ARJ6 cable assembly is part of Samtec’s AcceleRate HP family with 112 Gbps PAM4 performance per channel.
Samtec’s ARJ6 cable assembly mounts into a panel bracket (ARJ6-PB). When paired with Samtec’s ARP6 Series, the ARJ6 cable assembly enables cable-to-cable connection at the front panel, mid-plane, or backplane, which eliminates the need to route signals through a PCB. The ARJ6-to-ARP6 cable-to-cable connection also uses direct-attach technology which removes the transition PCB inside the cable assembly housing and replaces it with high-density contacts that solder directly to the cable. Removing unnecessary PCBs at both the panel and within the connector assembly itself streamlines the signal path and improves impedance control, overall signal integrity, and density.
In addition to eliminating unnecessary PCB transitions, the ARJ6 AcceleRate HP cable system balances density and performance with designated signal mapping and staggered row-to-row spacing, which reduces crosstalk. High-density differential pair configurations are available with 25 or 37 positions per row on 4 or 6 rows.
ARJ6 uses Samtec’s 34 AWG, 92 Ohm Eye Speed Thinax cable which has approximately a 40-percent smaller cross-sectional area compared to equivalent micro twinax cable. This makes it easier to route through a system while also maximising air flow and reducing weight. Eye Speed cable is designed to manage intrapair skew by eliminating physical mismatch within a differential pair and controlling skew to very low and predictable levels, especially at 112 Gbps PAM4 speeds and beyond. Advanced co-extrusion techniques create best-in-class symmetry between conductors and shielding, resulting in a maximum skew of 3.5 ps/meter.
