PLX PCI Express Gen3 Switches Provide Interconnect Backbone to New Advantech Video-Streaming Platform

Demonstrated at the 2013 National Association of Broadcasters conference (NAB Show), Advantech’s HTTP Live Streaming platform based on eInfochips software, takes advantage of the PEX8748’s high-speed throughput of 8 Gigatransfers per second, per lane, in full duplex mode to enable a wide range of applications, including broadcasting, content creation, cinema projection, video conferencing, and other uses that require raw processing power for high-performance video.

The HLS platform featuring the PEX8748 switch (12 ports, 48 lanes) is based on Advantech’s DSPC-8682 video cards with multi-core digital signal processors and supports high-performance video applications -- from core servers to edge nodes. This rich combination of cutting-edge technology enables original equipment manufacturers of video products to select the most cost-effective yet performance-optimized platform for their particular applications.

“Advantech’s new HLS platform serves as a tremendous example of how PLX ExpressLane switches are architected to solve the performance challenges of demanding new applications such as professional video,” said Gene Schaeffer, executive vice president of worldwide sales at PLX. “OEMs will realize through this platform developed by our valued partner Advantech that PLX PCI Express Gen3 technology continues to unleash the processing power in an ever-growing number of designs.”

“To deliver much higher channel density to content providers, video streaming servers need resource-intensive transcoding operations to be offloaded onto dedicated media processing engines like Advantech’s DSPC-8682,” said David Lin, senior director of DSP solutions at Advantech. “The PEX8748 switch from PLX allows the DSPC-8682 to maintain the highest possible data rate with the host for premium quality video delivery across multiple streams.”

Connectivity, Scalability, Bandwidth
The PEX8748 provides the Advantech HLS platform and other designs with multi-host PCIe Gen3 switching capability that enables users to connect multiple hosts to their respective endpoints via scalable, high-bandwidth, non-blocking interconnection to a wide variety of applications including servers, storage, communications, and graphics platforms. Ideal for fan-out, aggregation, and peer-to-peer traffic patterns, the expansive PLX ExpressLane PCIe Gen3 portfolio today features 18 switches ranging from a streamlined 12-lane, three-port device to the industry’s only 96-lane, 24-port switch, the PEX8796.