PCIe Gen 3 switches have advanced design

The ExpressLane PEX8749, PEX8733, and PEX8725 PCIe Gen3 switches have 48-lanes/18 ports, 32 lanes/18-ports, or 24 lanes/10 ports and target more powerful designs in servers, storage, and communications platforms. Features include two non-transparency ports, four DMA engines, two virtual channels, and ports for spread spectrum clock isolation.

The 8.0 GT/s chips non-transparency feature enables host fail-over and redundancy. They are fully backwards-compatible with Gen2/Gen1 devices, take 6.4 to 7.3 W, support packet cut-thru with a maximum latency of 126 to 132 ns, and come in a 27 x 27 mm, 676-pin FCBGA package. ($35 to $70 ea/volume qty — samples now, production Q4.)

by Jim Harrison

PLX Technology , Sunnyvale , CA
Information 408-774-9060
www.plxtech.com