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PLX eNews – December 2011Welcome to PLX's quarterly newsletter and thank you for subscribing. |
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In this issue: 10GBase-T PHY
PCI Express
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10GBase-T Family Expanded; Lower Power, Cost; Added Features
Low power dissipation is crucial in today's data centers and PLX's upgraded TN8000 PHY devices require only two watts for 10-meter distances over standard copper cabling, which is a popular networking length. PLX TeraPHY products automatically determine the length of a cable and only use the necessary power to reach that distance. Another key feature includes Enhanced Energy Efficient Ethernet (eEEE) for both 10 Gigabit and Gigabit speeds -- this PLX customization of the IEEE 802.3az standard implements special low-power idle modes, resulting in lower costs and further contributes to saving the environment. Appealing to system designers requiring high-security networks, PLX added exclusive Media Access Control Security (MACSec) improvements that include options for either variable or fixed latency for network protection. MACSec allows the setup of very secure private networks by identifying and preventing threats within and beyond a local area network (LAN). Additional value-added features include RXAUI and KR interface and Wake on LAN support. The new TN8000 devices will also be able to use a 39.0625 MHz crystal, in addition to the 156.25 MHz oscillator, resulting in reduced bill-of-materials (BOM) cost. Important for high-density switch applications, the new TN8045 quad-port member of the family is housed in a smaller 25mmX25mm flip-chip BGA package and therefore requires less overall board space than previous solutions. EDN Magazine Names TN8022 Dual-Port 10GBase-T PHY to Prestigious Hot 100 Products of 2011 List
EDN's assessment of the TN8022 was elevated when PLX announced it had successfully demonstrated the PHY in 10Gbps Ethernet data and electrical transfer, in full compliance with the IEEE 802.3an standard, over a distance of 300 meters using typical, widely installed Cat6A unshielded twisted pair copper cable. The unique networking demonstration, enabled by PLX-designed Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) repeaters, utilizes a TN8022 dual-port 10GBase-T PHY transceiver. This breakthrough distance achievement with low-cost Ethernet cabling brings new capabilities to IT managers seeking high-performance networking between multiple server rooms, which, for example, may be located on different floors of a high-rise building or in a campus environment. The Benefits of 10GBase-T Connectivity in Data CentersFrom Datacenter Journal, by George Zimmerman and Ron Cates (Read Part 1 / Part 2)
Electromagnetic Interference and 10GBase-T in the Data CenterFrom Network World magazine, by Sanjay Kasturia (read article)
The adoption of 10G Ethernet over twisted-pair cabling in the data center has had its challenges. After the initial concerns of high power consumption, new concerns arose about EMI susceptibility. Fortunately, the latest generation of 10GBase-T PHYs, employing both advanced manufacturing processes and innovation in design, are delivering dramatically improved EMI immunity and now a low-cost 10G connectivity solution without the severe reach constraints of SFP+ Direct Attach. 10GBase-T Technology RevisitedFrom EE Times magazine (read article)
This article will explore the basic operation of a 10GBase-T transceiver and the inherent advantages of 10GBase-T technology as compared to alternatives, such as optical fiber and coaxial copper. Power-reducing algorithms such as Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) and Wake-on-LAN (WoL) will be investigated and their impact in real networks explained. PLX Expands PCIe Gen3 Switch Family
Integrated into each new PLX PCIe Gen3 multi-root switch device are unique features, including two non-transparency (NT) ports, four direct memory access (DMA) engines, two virtual channels (VCs), and up to 12 ports for spread spectrum clock (SSC) isolation. The NT feature enables host failover and redundancy and has been widely used by tier-one OEMs since it was developed in early PCI technology. The on-chip DMA engines enable designers to increase the performance of systems by moving data among endpoints or between memory and endpoints without sacrificing CPU bandwidth. Support for two VCs enable users to prioritize traffic to support desired quality of service (QoS). The SSC clock isolation for each x4 port of the device allows designers to create large systems with each sub-system running its own SSC clock. PLX is the only switch vendor that offers x16 ports on PCIe Gen1 Gen2,and Gen3 switches. The switches also uniquely offer native x2 and x4 ports that enable development of large arrays of SSD based systems with fewer switches. PCI Express Enhancing SSD Performance(read article in CTR magazine / watch related video, see Flash Summit presentation)
Now in its third generation (PCIe Gen3), PCIe is designed directly into CPUs and IO devices and has been proven to work over copper and optical cables. PCIe not only offers huge bandwidth and capacity advantages for SSD interconnect but also offers special features such as non-transparency, DMA and peer-to-peer transfers that allow enhancement of overall system reliability, durability, performance and cost.
PCIe Gen3, the Ultimate ChoiceAs seen at SC11, Intel Developer Forum, and PCI-SIG DevCon [(video), (中国客户)]
The demonstration utilizes Avago® high-density MiniPOD™ parallel fiber optic modules, enabled by PLX PCIe Gen3 switches for connectivity down the rack. The MiniPOD modules extend PCIe data traffic box-to-box over optical cable for 30 meters at an impressive 64GB/s (x8 PCIe connectivity) with no special software. The remote chassis, featuring a PLX five-bay expansion module, can easily be populated with GPGPUs and linked to generic servers through PCIe fiber optic modules for high-performance computer applications. Inside the expansion chassis is a host bus adapter (HBA) card, recently introduced by ATTO Technology, which uses a PLX Gen3 switch for fan-out, resulting in unparalleled storage bandwidth. Reflecting how PCIe is thriving in today's solid-state disk (SSD) market, the PLX Gen3 switches automatically down-train to Gen2, thus enabling future-proof, market-ready SSD solutions. Additionally, the demonstration combines the seamless integration of PLX-enabled SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0) adaptors without the use of additional software or hardware, highlighting the universal appeal of PCIe.
All 26 PCIe Gen2 Devices Awarded Total PCI-SIG Compliance
The latest PCI-SIG entries include the industry's only three-lane PCIe Gen2 switch, and a new four-lane PCIe Gen2 switch, both of which are in the market's smallest 10x10mm QFN packaging. The PEX8603 (three lanes, three ports) and PEX8605 (four lanes, four ports) switches offer very low power requirements (down to 0.6W typical) while touting exclusive x1 and x2 port configurations. The other newest entries to the Integrators List include the industry's first USB 3.0 general-purpose peripheral controllers that bridge USB 3.0 to PCIe 2.0. The new USB3382 features two PCIe Gen2 x1 ports with flexible port configurations for different needs of PCIe buses, while the USB3380 is designed with one PCIe Gen2 x1 port. The USB338x family features high-efficiency power management to meet the difficult power constraints of battery-powered and bus-powered applications. In addition, PLX has introduced the integration of reference clocks into these devices, which in turn sheds the requirement for multiple external clock and timing IC's, thereby reducing vendors and overall bill-of-material (BOM) costs. ASUS Demos PLX PCIe Gen3 Switch & Software on new P8Z68 MoBo
ASRock chooses PLX for Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 Motherboards
"Our Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 was designed to deliver the optimal user experience in gaming and high-end graphics, which required a PCI Express switching solution that was up to the task," said James Lee, ASRock vice president of sales and marketing. "PLX has a long history and worldwide reputation for PCI Express technology that we felt was a perfect match for the Z68 Extreme4 Gen3, as the PEX8608 switch takes full advantage of the Z68 chipset and other cutting-edge technology we've built into the platform." PLX Enables High-Density Storage via PCIe Gen3 on ATTO HBAs
File Update Alerts - Stay Informed of Changes
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PLX expanded its TeraPHY® 10GBase-T PHY family with three new single-, dual- and quad-port integrated transceivers. Designed on a 40-nanometer lithography node, these devices represent the fourth generation of PLX 10GBase-T PHYs and its second generation in 40nm. 
The influential EDN magazine has awarded the PLX TeraPHY TN8022 dual-port 10GBase-T physical layer (PHY) device a "Hot 100" product of 2011 from among thousands of candidates. EDN editors noted the TN8022's breakthrough performance and power achievements based on unique advancements, such as built-in noise and interference mitigation, robust DSP algorithm, and ultra-low power capabilities that feature a 50 percent reduction in power dissipation for typical long-term traffic patterns.
Synopsis: In this two-part article, we examine the rising prominence of 10G Ethernet in the data center and explore the various options available for connectivity at these rates. We focus on the 10GBase-T connectivity option and come to the conclusion that it is the most flexible, economical, backwards-compatible and user-friendly 10G Ethernet connectivity option available. We have examine the basics of 10GBase-T transceiver operation and outline the benefits of 10GBase-T technology — namely the ability to interoperate with slower legacy technologies, the use of ubiquitous and inexpensive cabling and connectors, the flexibility of full structured wiring reach, the ease of Cat6A cabling deployment, and various power-saving options. We address the implications of 10GBase-T technology availability to data center architectures in the context of alternatives to the currently popular ToR switch placement. This information should empower those responsible for data center design and operation to prepare for the near future, in which 10GBase-T solutions will become prevalent.
The majority of data center LAN links use 1000Base-T (Gigabit Ethernet) running on unshielded twisted pair structured cabling (Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a). While increasing demand for bandwidth is driving a shift to 10G Ethernet, that migration is being slowed by the fact that the 10G links being deployed today are based on optical transceivers or SFP+ Direct Attach copper, neither of which is backward-compatible to Gigabit Ethernet.
The 2006 ratification of IEEE 802.3an, 10 Gigabit Ethernet over twisted pair standard, also known as 10GBase-T, has not led to an immediate proliferation of compliant switches and servers in data centers. However, steady advances in semiconductor lithography, and sophisticated algorithms intended to increase electromagnetic interference (EMI) immunity and lower operating power, allow networking equipment manufacturers to bring to market a slew of new switches and servers promising to make 10GBase-T the connectivity technology of choice in progressive data centers designed to reduce overall costs and improve flexibility.
The company expanded its PCI Express Gen3 switch family to eleven products with five new high-performance, feature-packed devices, compliant with the PCI Express Gen3 r1.0 Specification. The new switches blend valuable innovation and high port counts to enable new, more powerful designs in servers, storage and communications platforms. PLX now offers Gen3 devices ranging from 12 to 48 lanes, and three to 18 ports.
This PLX video demonstration highlights a PCIe-centric, server-to-server, or server-to-IO scenario using off-the-shelf PCIe Gen3 hardware. PCIe is widely believed to replace and/or complement other standards, such as InfiniBand and Ethernet -- in various high-performance data center applications, including servers, storage and the cloud -- because a PCIe fabric eliminates complicated conversions of other protocols, which inherently add power, latency and cost to designs.
In its commitment to superior quality and reliability, which assures designer confidence, PLX announced the inclusion of four more unique PCIe Gen2 devices on the PCI Special Interest Group's (PCI-SIG) PCI Express 2.0 Integrators List, fully passing all key rigorous compliance testing required by leading global OEMs. These PLX devices are ideal for cost-conscious, energy-sensitive, form-factor-restrictive markets, including digital televisions, set-top boxes, home gateways, security systems, cable modems, multi-function printers, video surveillance and numerous other control-plane and embedded applications. The entire PLX portfolio of 26 PCIe Gen2 devices is listed as compliant and includes the industry's deepest and most robust selection of switches.
ASUS motherboards are qualified and true PCIe 3.0 ready. Featuring 22nm CPU native BIOS support. ASUS P8Z68/Gen3 series motherboards are fully PCI Express 3.0 ready and include a PLX PCIe 3.0 switching IC and native BIOS support for next generation CPUs. This video demonstration highlights the PLX Gen3 switch and PLX's exclusive SDK toolset.
ASRock Inc. announced PLX's ExpressLane™ 
PLX and ATTO Technology, Inc. a leader in network and storage and infrastructure solutions for intensive computing environments, teamed up today to announce a powerful enterprise storage solution enabled by the PCI Express Gen3 standard. The new ATTO ExpressSAS H6F0 GT host bus adapter (HBA) integrates a PLX PCIe Gen3 switch to empower system architects with unparalleled bandwidth needed for storage appliances, including rack-mounted servers and workstations in data centers, data warehousing, video-on-demand (VOD), and other high-availability, high-performance cloud applications.
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