EP16XG4RDCA03 External PCI Express x16 (with Gen 4 Redriver) Cable Adapter Card

Highlights

External PCIe (SFF-8644 1x2) to PCIe x16 (x8 mode) Edge Finger Gen 4 Active (Redriver with Linear Equalization) Cable Adapter
- PCIe x16 Edge Finger (x8 mode)
- Redriver with Linear Equalization support PCIe Gen 4.0
- External PCIe Cable Port (SFF-8644 1x2 Connector)
  - 4-Lane External PCIe Application: Mini SAS HD 4x Cable
  - 8-Lane External PCIe Application: Two Mini SAS HD 4x Cables or One Mini SAS HD 8x Cable
Supports both Copper and AOC Cables
- CB-S0074: PCIe Gen 4 External Mini-SAS HD (SFF-8644) 4x plug Cable
- P4MSHDAOC: PCIe Gen 4 External Mini SAS HD (SFF-8644) 4x plug AOC
Supports Low Profile PCI Form Factor: Low Profile PCI Bracket S-BR-00194-23-1020

Introduction

EP16XG4RDCA03-8 is External PCIe (SFF-8644 1x2) to PCIe x16 (x8 mode) Edge Finger Gen 4 Active (Redriver with Linear Equalization) Cable Adapter, it requires no additional software or drivers to operate.

The Fixed-Side Connector (SFF-8644 1x2) is defined to support multiples of x4 link width. The cabled channel was developed using 100Ω as a target for both PCB’s and cables.

EP16XG4RDCA03-8 is designed with two Eight-Channel PCIe 4.0 Linear Redrivers to support PCIe Gen 4.0.

The Eight-Channel PCIe 4.0 Linear Redriver deploy continuous time linear equalizers (CTLE) to provide a high-frequency boost. The equalizer can open an input eye that is completely closed due to inter-symbol interference (ISI) induced by an interconnect medium, such as PCB traces and cables. The Linear Redriver along with the passive channel as a whole get link trained for best transmit and receive equalization settings resulting in best electrical link and lowest possible latency. Low channel-channel cross-talk, low additive jitter and excellent return loss allows the device to become almost a passive element in the link. The devices has internal linear voltage regulator to provide clean power supply for high speed datapaths that provides high immunity to any supply noise on the board.

In particularly rugged environments, your desktop computer can be placed at a secure location up to 100 meters away (using PCIe A.O.C). High-performance and reliable communication are maintained with the well-shielded extension cable or A.O.C (Active Optical Cable).

Technical Specifications

Upstream PCIe Interface	PCIe x16 Edge Finger (x8 mode)
Downstream PCIe Interface (CON1)	SFF-8644 1x2 Connector 100ohm, 72pin SFF-8644 Connector 4-lane PCI Express PCIe Gen 1 (2.5 GT/s) PCIe Gen 2 (5.0 GT/s) PCIe Gen 3 (8.0 GT/s) PCIe Gen 4 (16.0 GT/s)
ReDriver Feature	Eight channel linear equalizer supporting PCIe 4.0 up to 16 Gbps CTLE boosts up to 18 dB at 8 GHz Automatic receiver detection for PCIe use cases Protocol agnostic linear redriver allows seamless support for PCIe link training Ultra-low latency of 90 ps Low additive random jitter of 70 fs with PRBS data Single 3.3-V supply Low active power of 107 mW/channel No heat sink required Pin-strap or SMBus programming
Receiver Equalization	DC Gain Setting: The default DC Gain is 0dB. For most PCIe systems the default DC Gain 0dB would be sufficient. Equalization setting (SW1~SW2) SW1: PCIe Tx0~7 Equalization Setting From PCIe Edge Connector (Side B) to ReDrivers (U1) SW2: PCIe Rx0~7 Equalization Setting From SFF-8644 (CON1) to ReDrivers (U2)
SMbus Setting (SW5-1, 5-2)	ON: Enable OFF: Disable
Receiver Detect State Machine Setting	RX-Detect: In Pin Mode L3 (Float) TX polls every ~150us until valid termination is detected. RX CM impedance held at Hi-Z until detection Reset by asserting PD0/1 high for 200us then low. Pre Detect: Hi-Z, Post Detect: 50Ω
Computer Platform Requirements	Desktop computer equipped with a PCIe 1.0/2.0/3.0/4.0 x8, x16 slot
Physical Dimensions	64.4mm(H) x 146.1mm(L) NW:67.5g

Application

x8 x8