High speed signal switches designed for PCIe 4.0 architecture

Addressing the expanding market for signal routing with different protocols in PCs, servers, embedded applications including artificial intelligence and fast data transfer generally, the PI3DBS16212 and PI3DBS16412 are 1-20Gbps 2-channel and 4-channel 2:1 differential multiplexers/demultiplexers with extremely low loss, reflection, crosstalk and skew.

Offering greater flexibility of channels and routing, typical applications include switching high speed serial signals employing the latest protocols, including: 20Gbps ThunderboltTM 3; 16Gbps PCIe 4.0 architecture; 10Gbps USB3.1 Gen2; 12Gbps Serial Attached SCSI 3 (SAS3); 8.1Gbps Display Port 4 (DP4); 12Gbps HDMI2.1, and 10Gbps Ethernet standards.

For the emerging PCIe 4.0 applications, PI3DBS16212 and PI3DBS16412 offer signal integrity with an insertion loss of just -1.3dB at 16Gbps.

In this application, minimal skew between channels eases the timing budget between nodes, and power dissipation is very low at typically 300µA. The parts are fabricated with Silicon On Insulator (SOI) technology and have a very small profile package at 2x2mm for the 2:1 multiplexer.

Also driven by the adoption of the new PCIe 4.0 standard, the PI6CG18201, PI6CG18401, PI6CG18801, PI6CG15401 clock generators provide 1.8V 2/4/8 HCSL outputs and 1.5V 4 HCSL outputs, respectively, and use Diodes Incorporated’s proprietary phase-locked loop design to achieve the required tight jitter performance of less than 0.5ps.

The parts also provide the reference clock for SERDES chipsets supporting the PCIe 4.0 interface. Each output has its own enable with programmable slew rate and amplitude. On-chip termination resistors are incorporated saving up to 32 external resistors for the 8-channel version for space-constrained applications with the parts consuming approximately 85% less power than traditional PCIe clocks. A spread-spectrum option is also available to reduce EMI in sensitive applications.

PI6CB18200, PI6CB18401, PI6CB18601, and PI6CB18801 are PCIe 4.0 2/4/6/8 HCSL output clock buffers fanned-out from a reference input. Like the clock generators, the slew rate and amplitude of each output is programmable and there are individual output enables for better power management. Additive jitter for the clock buffers is less than 0.05ps.

“As a PCI-SIG member for more than a decade, Diodes Incorporated has been involved in offering semiconductor solutions for the PCI Express market,” said Al Yanes, PCI-SIG President and Chairman. “Its support of the PCIe 4.0 architecture helps expand the PCI Express ecosystem.” 

“Diodes Incorporated is proud to enhance our high speed serial connectivity offerings with our high performance signal muxes, clock generators and clock buffers for PCI Express 4.0 applications at 16Gbps and Thunderbolt 3 applications at 20Gbps,” said Kay Annamalai, Senior Marketing Director, Diodes Incorporated.

“The signal muxes offer the lowest insertion loss, low power consumption and small profile package, and our wide selection of PCI Express 4.0 architecture clock generators and clock buffers meet stringent jitter requirements whilst achieving lowest power, BOM cost and board space thus enabling computer, server, storage, networking, automotive and embedded applications.”