FCI AirMax VSe backplane connector system

FCI, partnered with National Semiconductor and Agilent, has demonstrated 25 Gbps differential signal transmission over a backplane link.

It featured FCI’s AirMax VSe backplane connector system, 28 Gbps discrete quad-channel retimer technology recently announced by National Semiconductor and 28 Gbps pulse pattern generator from Agilent.

The link displayed good signal integrity with a clean output eye, zero bit errors and good jitter performance.

FCI’s next-generation AirMax VSe connector provides users of its AirMax VSR connector system with a migration path to higher data rates while preserving the pin assignment flexibility of an open pin field design. The connectors feature backwards mating-compatible interfaces to existing AirMax VS connectors with minimal changes to connector board footprints.

The connectors combine FCI technologies for a shield-less design with no metallic plates and closely edge-coupled differential pairs with design improvements for low loss and crosstalk.