Semtech, a leading global supplier of high performance analog and mixed-signal semiconductors and advanced algorithms, announced the launch of the new CopperEdge™ product portfolio for use in next generation 400G (4x100G) and 800G (8x100G) data center interconnects using copper cable and backplane interconnects.
The CopperEdge GN8112 is a quad channel 112Gbps PAM4 linear equalizer and is the first product sampling in the portfolio.
As next generation data center interconnects transition to 112Gbps PAM4 per lane to meet higher bandwidth and throughput demands, passive copper cables can only enable reaches of up to 1.5 meters. This severely limits the use cases of passive copper cables in data centers at 112Gbps and has created a strong demand for active copper cables (ACCs) that extend the copper cable reaches to allow for the high-volume switch-to-server connections.
The CopperEdge GN8112 is a 112Gbps PAM4 quad channel linear equalizer designed to enable low cost, manufacturable ACCs that can deliver reaches of up to five meters over a copper twinaxial (Twinax) cable assembly. This reach extension enables ACCs to service the large volume 400G and 800G data center interconnects while offering ultra-low power (<0.75 Watt per 400G) and ultra-low latency (<10ps).
The CopperEdge GN8112 is now available for sampling. Semtech also offers ACC Reference Design Kits (RDKs) for the GN8112 to enable rapid adoption of Semtech’s solution.
Julius Yam, Market manager data center products for Semtech’s Signal Integrity Products Group
Building upon Semtech’s outstanding high-speed signal integrity expertise, the new CopperEdge product portfolio continues to offer valuable solutions that our customers need to meet current and future market demands, starting with the sampling release of the CopperEdge GN8112 quad linear equalizer. The GN8112 can extend copper cable reaches up to five meters at 112Gbps PAM4 data rates with ultra-low power and latency, as needed in Cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) applications. In addition, the GN8112 can also be used in backplane and onboard applications to extend the trace lengths of interconnects for reliable high-speed communication between two end points.
