Point2 Technology recently launched its P1B120 mixed-signal SoC that enables 800G active electrical cables (AEC) at 5 W per paddle card, while providing adaptive line compensation for multiple cable lengths. The 112G SoC targets top of rack (ToR) switch to ToR switch, ToR switch to smart NIC, and distributed disaggregated chassis interconnects in hyperscale, cloud and enterprise data centers.
With the solution, Point2 is addressing a wider range of use cases. It also will enable cloud data centers and 5G infrastructure to reach improved levels of efficiency. Point2 said that AECs using the P1B120 consume 40% lower power than existing solutions, providing greater energy efficiency in data centers.
(Source: Point2 Technology)
The SoC integrates eight unidirectional serial data channels with clock data recovery/re-timer functions supporting 112G (PAM4) or 56G (NRZ) data rates. BER-aware signal processing produces pre-FEC BER that is an order of magnitude better than existing solutions, improving mean time before failure for deployed devices. The on-chip intelligent engine provides self-diagnostic capabilities during AEC development and field servicing.
AECs that are based on mixed-signal SoCs are thinner, lighter and more flexible than others since they use lower gauge copper wiring. This reduces cable volume and congested cabinet space and increases airflow to cool equipment. The P1B120 will enable hyperscalers and enterprises to scale their installation performance, simultaneously improving energy efficiency and sustainability, said the company.
Point2 is offering a production-ready reference design platform for the P1B120. The PC0800 C-Tube 800G AEC reference design includes a hot-pluggable AEC fully compliant with the QSFP-DD800 MSA cable specification and the CMIS 5.0 specification for cable management. The PC0800 offers intelligent diagnostic hardware and software features for continuous monitoring and access during operation for mission-critical datacenters.
Point2 also announced that it will provide its Raon mixed-signal SoC solution to Molex. The Raon SoC enables 40% lower power and reduces cable volume by 40%, providing greater energy-efficiency for data centers. Raon is a fully integrated single chip, 4-channel unidirectional CDR/re-timer. Each lane supports 28G NRZ or 56G PAM-4 transmission over media such as optics, passive copper cables and backplanes. It is also optimized for Ethernet applications that meet OIF CEI-56G-VSR and CEI-56G-MR specifications. The device features built-in programmable and autonomous adaptive equalization in the receiver, which compensates for transmission line losses and inter-symbol interference.
Customer samples of the P1B120 mixed signal SoC are planned for the second quarter of 2023, with production in the second half of the year. The PC0800 C-Tube reference design is available now to accelerate development of 800G AEC applications. The Raon Cloud Connect Engine is currently available with a complete reference design for 400G AECs and active optical cables (AOC).
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