Signature High-Speed Interconnect Solutions

Interconnect challenge: keeping pace with computer-control devices and protocols

The next distance category is computer peripherals. Distances here typically range from 0.5 meter to 15 meters. The primary consumers of high-speed bandwidth in

environmental conditions, and include PCB to I/O datalinks, board-to-board and modular disconnects, and intra-board ‘fly-over’ cable links. BREAKPOINTS: We’ve talked about distance, and made the point that there are distance limits in high- speed copper systems that play out at the network, peripheral and board levels. The next consideration in the equation is the inclusion of connector breakpoints in link budgets. Breakpoints are particularly challenging because many protocols have rigid link configurations baked into the standards (the USB standard, for example, was not written for any additional connectors in the link). The same is true for most peripheral data transmission protocols. In military and aerospace systems, a relatively hard-wired configuration does not meet the needs of most applications and link budgets, and must be re-evaluated for each additional breakpoint connector and cable length. A naval command post, for example, may be 100 feet away from a data center, and the link may need to traverse any number of bulkhead disconnects. Glenair does offer a full range of re- drivers and repeaters for these situations. These devices can be built directly into the cable side of a connector or can be implemented with an over- molded device on the cable, much like a ferrite bead.

this range are high-resolution video feeds, sensors, radars, and avionic box connections. Rapid growth of computer-control device types and applications has meant that the lifespan of chip technology is relatively short. This is evident in the rapid evolution of the high-speed protocols addressing this space (e.g. HDMI, DisplayPort). Many of the chipsets developed for these protocols are now making their way into rugged systems. But while new chipsets are easily implemented at the logic and PCB level, interconnects and cables often require more specialized development. Witness the persistence of RJ45 and legacy USB interconnects in otherwise cutting-edge application environments. The shortest links of concern to those of us in the interconnect realm are ‘inside the box.’ These connector and cable sets rarely see full system

800 N S 34° 8 48.99 “ E W 118° 14 52.49 “ DATA TRANSMISSION DISTANCES AND APPLICATION FAMILIES 600 400 200

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Networks: Mainframe, server, and system-to- system networks • Dominated by Ethernet protocols • Ever-increasing bandwidths, driven by peak demand • “Tree” structure with switches and routers • Flexible configuration, user-modified as nodes are added or removed

Sensing and Control: Links between a computer and monitored or controlled devices • Ruggedized / environmental • Long connection distances (longer with re-drivers and repeater devices) • Broad range of bandwidths • “Daisy chain” configuration

Peripherals: specialized device interfaces connected to a computer • Short connection distances (a few yards maximum) • Cover a broad range of bandwidths • Serial (bit-by-bit) or Parallel (multiple data streams) • “Star” configuration

Board Level: Short- distance board-to-I/O and board-to-board • Data-intensive servers, computers and peripheral devices • Transmission rates in the 10Gb/s+ range for each data pair. • Supports serial data protocols (USB 3.1 Gen2, USB-C, SATA, PCIe, DisplayPort, and HDMI)

• Stable installation, not usually user-modified

QwikConnect • July 2020