Volex Launches Cxp Cable Assemblies For High-speed And Data-intensive Applications

The 12X CXP cable assembly system has been launched specifically for high-speed data applications driven by three significant areas of growth in the datacoms market: the steady increase in demand for high-performance computing, the growth in enterprise data and applications being hosted in the network (cloud-computing), and the continued growth of consumer-driven Internet traffic. These developments have driven requirements for faster data transfer, which in turn have challenged cable assembly manufacturers such as Volex to deliver cutting-edge higher-speed cable assemblies while retaining signal integrity and cost-effectiveness.

Toney Chew, Business Development Manager for Volex, comments, “The ongoing growth in internet data traffic – for example driven by the increasing volume of internet searches, and the growth in content-rich services like video clips both on professional sites and shared via social-networking pages – has meant that increased bandwidth and transfer speeds have become crucial. Also, with the growth of cloud computing, data centres need to upgrade for faster processing and for transferring increased amounts of data back and forth to the client at consistently high speeds.”

Chew adds, “Copper cable assemblies offer a cost-effective solution for device connection within rack environments such as these which only require short length assemblies, typically less than five metres. Importantly, these products also consume lower levels of power and generate less heat. In a data centre environment this is vital to effectively managing air conditioning costs and addresses the increasingly important environmental agenda. And this does not compromise performance, with return loss for the Volex CXP plug at least 2db below InfiniBand® Trade Association (IBTA) Quad Data Rate specifications. The near-end crosstalk (NEXT) figures are also remarkable at below -30 db for frequencies up to 11.1 GHz, with the far-end crosstalk (FEXT) achieving below -35 db for frequencies up to 11.1 GHz.”

Volex is one of the first cable assembly manufacturers to launch a CXP system of this type, and the company’s approach to design and manufacture further sets it apart. Chew explains, “Volex applies its significant industry experience and technical expertise to every stage of a new product’s design and development. Our CXP plug has a smaller profile which enables easier physical routing of the cable; and our manufacturing processes, such as our unique micro-welding technique, ensure consistent high-quality performance of the end product for our customers.”

Tom Aubin, Group Technology Director at Volex, comments, “As one of the first cable assembly manufacturers to launch a CXP cable assembly of this type, Volex is committed to being at the forefront of product innovation for the datacoms and telecoms markets. As the demand for increased data transfer rates looks set to continue, we will continue to invest in product development to meet the requirements of our customers.