SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Inphi Corporation (NYSE: IPHI), a leading provider of high-speed, mixed signal semiconductor solutions for the communications, computing and data center markets, today announced the availability of the industry’s first, highly integrated, lowest power 4-level Pulse Amplitude Modulation(PAM4) chipset solutions for intra-data center and inter-data center cloud interconnects. Inphi announced a family of PAM4 PHY ICs for 40G (IN014020-XL), 50G (IN015050-SF), 100G (IN015025-CA), 400G (IN015025-CD) and a companion linear TIA (IN2860TA) that will enable platform solutions for multi-rate PAM4 interconnects. The foundation of the PAM4 PHY IC solutions is the highly configurable and adaptable InphiNity Core Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Engine and a media agnostic dual mode OmniConnectTMtransmitter architecture that can be targeted to multiple different performance oriented applications for optical and copper based interconnects, while keeping a low power profile.

As the massive megatrends of cloud computing, Big Data, IoT, Social and Web2.0 continue to accelerate and drive the insatiable need for unlimited bandwidth, there is clear need to increase the speed of interconnect pipes while maintaining cloud economics and lowering carbon footprints. PAM4 modulation has now been recognized as the modulation scheme that will take the industry over the next wave of Ethernet deployments for optical and copper interconnects by doubling the bits per symbol at the same baud rate. By integrating multiple channels along with transmit and receive PAM4 and FEC functions on a single IC, Inphi is able to double the levels of integration available from existing PAM4 IC offerings and scale the solution across multiple rates.

“This is yet another industry first for Inphi as we continue to demonstrate technology and market leadership, now with the availability of our multi-rate PAM4 product chipset solutions,” said Siddharth Sheth, Vice President, Networking Interconnect. “With multiple contributions on PAM4 technology in the IEEE and other industry MSAs and with the IEEE 400Gbps taskforce agreeing to use PAM4 for next- generation electrical and optical interfaces, Inphi has now proven that not only does the technology work, but can be productized and is indeed the right way forward to 40/50/100/400G and beyond.”

According to Loring Wirbel, Senior Analyst at The Linley Group, “With the arrival of 100G QSFP28 optical modules and the availability of 3.2Tbps switch silicon, we expect 100G 1RU TOR switches to be deployed in cloud data centers starting early next year. When coupled with Inphi’s low-power, highly integrated PAM4 PHY IC solutions, the market’s move to high-density, lower cost 40/100G and next-generation 50/400G systems will become a reality. Inphi's solution is unique not only in the breadth of speeds addressed and provision of companion TIAs, but in its work with driver vendors to assure reference designs for all available physical media.”

Inphi Corp.