Diodes' PCIe 4.0 Mux/DeMux ReDriver solves the challenge of routing high-speed serial bus signals

     Diodes Incorporated announced that the PI3EQX16612 and PI3EQX16621 PCIExpress compliant ReDriver devices offer four differential channels with 1:2 (demultiplexing) or 2:1 (multiplexing), respectively. PCIe 4.0 is the preferred serial interface used in high-performance IT devices, including desktops, laptops, and workstations, as well as embedded systems.

     As microprocessor manufacturers continue to push the performance limits of serial bus speeds, differential ReDriver is critical in applications where longer PCB track lengths need to be achieved without introducing additional signal delays. The PI3EQX16612 and PI3EQX16621 offer four channels in a single package with speeds of up to 16Gbps each. This combination enables high-speed serial interfaces to be routed between motherboards that require longer signal routes to mitigate the impact of densely populated cards.

     With full backward compatibility with PCIe 1.0, the PI3EQX16612 and PI3EQX16621 adapter drivers offer adjustable output linear swing, flat gain, and equalization, all of which can be configured via pin bunching. These features allow design optimizations to reduce inter-symbol interference across many different physical media without requiring firmware configuration.

     The linear equalization function operates in the speed range of 2.5Gbps to 16Gbps, making it suitable for systems with PCIe 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0. Each of the four channels is configurable independently, giving designers complete flexibility to configure each channel based on circuit conditions such as track length, signal integrity, and component placement.