PLX to Market Three- and Four-Lane PCIe Gen2 Switch

PLX Technology, Inc. announced a three-lane PCI Express (PCIe) Gen2 switch, and a new four-lane PCIe Gen2 switch, both of which are in a small 10x10mm QFN packaging. 

With samples available in early July, the PLX ExpressLane PEX8603 (3 lanes, 3 ports) and PEX8605 (4 lanes, 4 ports) switches offer very low power requirements, down to 0.6W typical, have optional x1 and x2 port configurations, along with debug diagnostic circuitry backed by free software tools.

Targeting a rapidly emerging PCIe landscape ranging from the enterprise to the consumer, these new devices are for energy-sensitive, form-factor-restrictive, cost-conscious markets including digital televisions, set-top boxes, home gateways, security systems, cable modems, DVRs, multi-function printers, digital media servers, video surveillance, and numerous other control-plane and embedded applications.

"As the industry’s first three-lane PCIe Gen2 switch, the PEX8603 gives designers an unprecedented new choice of high-speed yet highly efficient 5Gbps non-blocking interconnect performance," said David Raun, PLX vice president of marketing and business development. "PCI Express is now readily available on all the processors in the consumer market and customers need PLX switches to expand connectivity to various endpoints, such as WiFi modules and USB 3.0 devices. Engineers can confidently bridge PCIe Gen1 and Gen3 designs knowing that the forward and backward compatibility of the standard will sustain their architectures."

"Power and size efficiencies are driving development of a new generation of semiconductors targeted at emerging and fast-growth market segments, from consumer electronics to full enterprise systems," said Rob Lineback, senior market research analyst at IC Insights. "PLX has factored this imperative into its expanding PCI Express switch lineup, with its lower-lane-count devices particularly suited for applications demanding such efficiencies."

PLX ExpressLane PCIe silicon and supporting software provide the high-speed interconnect in server, storage, enterprise and consumer products from manufacturers worldwide. This family of more than 50 highly configurable devices ranges from three to 96 lanes, three to 24 ports, the industry’s lowest latency (down to 110ns) and power (as low as 0.6W), as well as PCIe bridge solutions.

Pricing and Availability
Pricing for the PEX8603 and PEX8605 devices ranges from US$4.00 to US$6.00 in volume. The products will sample in July 2011 and will be in production in Q3’11.