PCIe 4.0 ReDrivers for high-speed serial bus signals
Diodes Incorporated has announced the PI3EQX16612 and PI3EQX16621 PCI Express compliant ReDriver devices offering four differential channels with either 1:2 (demultiplexing) or 2:1 (multiplexing), respectively. PCIe 4.0 is the preferred serial interface for high-performance IT equipment including desktop and laptop PCs and workstations, and for use in embedded systems.
As microprocessor manufacturers continue to push the performance envelope in serial bus speeds, differential ReDrivers are essential in applications that need to implement longer PCB trace lengths without introducing additional signal latency. The PI3EQX16612 and PI3EQX16621 offer four channels in a single package at speeds of up to 16Gbps per channel. This combination supports the routing of high-speed serial interfaces across motherboards where longer signal traces are needed to mitigate the effect of more densely populated cards.
With full backwards-compatibility to PCIe 1.0, the PI3EQX16612 and PI3EQX16621 ReDrivers offer an adjustable output linear swing, flat gain and equalization, all of which are configurable through pin strapping. These features allow design optimization to reduce intersymbol interference across a range of different physical mediums without the need for firmware configuration.
The linear equalization function operates across speeds from 2.5Gbps to 16Gbps, making it suitable for systems utilizing PCIe 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0. Each of the four channels is independently configurable, allowing designers complete flexibility to configure each channel based on the circuit conditions, such as trace length, signal integrity, and component placement.
PI3EQX16612 and PI3EQX16621 are available now priced from $2.90 each in 3,500 piece quantities.