Parade Supports Deployment of First PCI Express Gen 4 Enterprise Network Server Systems with 16 Gbps Retimer
Posted May 6th, 2020
Parade’s PS8925 is the first PCIe Gen 4 retimer used in system production
San Jose, Calif.— 6 May 2020 —Parade Technologies, Ltd. (Taiwan OTC: 4966.TWO), a leading high-speed interface, video display, and touch controller IC supplier, announces the mass production of the PS8925 PCI Express Gen 4 retimer for enterprise system deployment. The device has completed rigorous testing and validation in enterprise-level network and storage systems now entering production. The PS8925 is a 4-lane device within Parade’s family of PCI Express Gen 4 retimer IC products that support up to 16 bi-directional lanes using 32 high-speed data channels operating at 16 Gbps.
The PS8925 is the industry’s first PCI Express Gen 4 retimer released to system production. The PS8925 is also the only bidirectional, 4-lane PCI Express Gen 4 retimer that supports both single port (up to 1×4) and dual port (up to 2×2) operation. This provides support for variety of server grade, PCI Express Gen 4 SSD cards entering the market that include both single or dual port system implementations.
“The doubling of the data rate from 8 Gbps to 16 Gbps in next generation enterprise systems, moving from PCI Express Gen 3 to the new Gen 4, puts a heavy demand on signal integrity” says Jimmy Chiu, Executive VP of Marketing at Parade Technologies. “Many interconnected server functions cannot reliably transport data at this speed over a typical point-to-point interface consisting of copper board traces, cables, and connectors. Our family of PCI Express Gen 4 retimers are the first to market to address this problem. PCI Express Gen 5, doubling the data rate at again to 32 Gbps, is our next focus.”
The PS8925 supports four bidirectional PCI Express lanes using eight high-speed differential channels. In addition to supporting the 16 Gbps data rate offered by the newest PCI Express 4.0 specification, Parade’s family of PCI Express Gen 4 retimers support 2.5 Gbps, 5 Gbps, and 8 Gbps for backward compatibility with earlier PCI Express revisions. Parade’s PCI Express retimers are designed for the longer reach data paths within server and storage systems, such as from the root complex to memory subsystem. They are typically applied midway along the data path to receive and retransmit data, in both directions, to accommodate both the increase in data rates and system design complexity.
Availability
The PS8925 is available for production now. It is available in a 5.5mm x 10mm 146-ball BGA package.
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.