Parade Introduces PCI Express 5.0 / CXL Retimer Chip
Posted January 18th, 2023
Parade Introduces PCI Express 5.0 / CXL Retimer Chip
Sixteen-Lane PCI Express 5.0 Retimer / CXL Chip Supports up to 32 Gbps Operation
San Jose, Calif.— 18th January 2023 —Parade Technologies, Ltd. (Taiwan OTC: 4966.TWO), a leading high-speed interface, video display, and touch controller IC supplier, introduces the new PS8936 retimer chip developed for PCI Express Rev. 5.0 and Compute Express Link (CXL), supporting sixteen bidirectional lanes. In addition to supporting the 32 Gbps data rate offered by the PCI Express 5.0 specification, it also supports 2.5 Gbps, 5 Gbps, 8 Gbps and 16 Gbps for backward compatibility with earlier PCI Express revisions.
The PS8936 is the PCI Express Gen 5 retimer addition to Parade’s PS8926 and PS8925 PCI Express 4.0 16-lane and 4-lane retimer family currently in production and PS8570 PCI Express 4.0 4-channel linear redriver in sampling stage. The PS8936 is in full compliance with the PCI Express 5.0 specification and has been successfully tested in multiple OEM systems and PCI Express 5.0 CPU platforms. It is designed for use in enterprise systems including servers and data storage, and in high-performance workstations. Retimers are needed in very-high-speed data channels to maintain signal integrity across longer PCB traces, connector, and cables. The doubling of data rate that PCI Express 5.0 offers over the PCI Express 4.0 comes with even tougher challenge of error-free signal propagation, which is why retimers are an integral part of the PCI Express 5.0 specification and system implementation.
“PCI Express has always been an important interface because it’s the technology leader that other high-speed data interfaces tend to follow,” said Jimmy Chiu, Executive VP of Marketing at Parade Technologies. “Parade has a long history in suppling PCI Express repeaters, starting with PCIe Gen 2, Gen 3 and Gen 4 in the past. Our success in development of the PCIe Gen 5 retimer also provides us optimized analog IP that can be leveraged for supporting the increasing data rates of other standards such as USB4 v2, DisplayPort 2.1, and HDMI.”
The PS8936 includes both adaptive CTLE and DFE equalization to compensate for up to 36 dB channel loss at Nyquist. In addition to supporting PCI Express specification-complaint retimer operation for common reference clock, SRIS and SRNS configurations, it can also enable near-zero latency bit-level retiming. It supports -40 to +85 deg. ambient temperature range.
Availability
The PS8936 is available in an 8.9mm x 22.8mm 354-ball BGA package and is sampling now.
About Parade Technologies
Parade Technologies, Ltd. is a leading supplier of mixed-signal ICs for a variety of increasingly used high-speed and display interface standards used in network and storage systems, computers, automotive, consumer electronics, and display panels. Parade is a fabless semiconductor company founded in 2005 and publicly listed on Taipei Exchange (TPEx) in 2011 (stock code: 4966). Parade’s portfolio of signal conditioning IC products serves the growing demand for high speed data integrity solutions for HDMI™, DisplayPort™, USB, and PCI Express interface applications.
Parade leverages its close relationships with market leading Tier-1 OEMs to develop ICs that enable competitive system capabilities. Parade is also a key contributor to industry standards development organizations. The company’s devices integrate proprietary technologies that offer superior signal integrity as well as improved system integration and power efficiency. As a result of the company’s “standards-plus” design philosophy, Parade ICs have been designed into products offered by nearly every leading computer and display vendor worldwide.