Molex iPass+ zHD Vertical Connectors Operate at SAS-3 and Projected SAS-4 Bandwidths

“Limited airflow and high cross talk are becoming recurring problems in many servers and computing systems,” states Joe Dambach, new product development manager, Molex. “The iPass+ zHD vertical connector solves these issues for customers with a one-step placement, low-profile design that provides excellent signal integrity performance while maintaining a small footprint on the PCB.”

Featuring a robust and secure connection, Molex iPass+ zHD connectors are scalable up to 96 Gbps data rates (24 Gbps over 4 lanes). The new iPass+ zHD vertical connectors improve system airflow and reduce board-space constraints by providing flexible midplane design options. The waferised connector design optimises the PCB footprint with low insertion loss, low integrated cross-talk noise, low return loss and only minimal performance variation across all high-speed channels.

The vertical press-fit iPass+ zHD connector nearly doubles the number of ports on the PCB, compared to convention iPass connectors. One-step placement reduces both the time and costs associated with the wave solder process. The iPass+ zHD connectors mate to all current miniSAS HD (Molex iPass+ HD) passive copper, active copper and optical cable assemblies. A positive locking latch ensures secure mating retention to cable assemblies.

“Innovative iPass+ zHD vertical connectors deliver Molex customers a virtually future-proof new connector design for SAS-3 and projected SAS-4 high-speed server-storage networks,” adds Dambach.

Available in multiple configurations (1-by-1, 1-by-2, 1-by-4), versatile press-fit iPass+ zHD connectors accommodate a range of high density data and networking applications.