OFC: Molex Participates in OIF CEI Demonstration

A CEI-56G-VSR-PAM4 QSFP compliance board demo will test 56 Gbps data rates with a PAM4 module. It will demonstrate the ability to transmit and receive PAM4 signals across a commercially available connector using test equipment from Tektronix. One demonstration uses a Tektronix PAM4 signal generator to transmit PAM4 formatted data over a QSFP connector using test boards from Molex. The PAM4 receiver is provided by Multilane.

A CEI-56G MR/LR PAM4 backplane demo, including a Molex MR/LR backplane and Keysight PAMs, will showcase the ability of PAM4 signaling to operate over a backplane. This demo uses Keysight test equipment to generate and receive PAM4 formatted data sent over a Molex backplane consisting of two line cards with Impel™ backplane connectors on a MR/LR compliant backplane. This demo has been performed for the past three years, but the data rate has doubled to 56 Gbps compared to last year’s demo, which featured a speed of 28 Gbps.

A CEI-56G-MR NRZ compliant SERDES IC will transmit 56 Gbps NRZ live serial traffic on the zQSFP+™ form factor across a high-speed copper cable infrastructure. The demonstration will highlight the feasibility of running extremely high, next-generation data rates, even on current form factors. Credo will supply transmitting and receiving electronics and will drive a cable assembly using a 50 Gbps, NRZ-encoded data stream, demonstrating this new level of performance at acceptable BER across existing interconnects. The demo will use a Molex zQSFP+ cable assembly and a zQSFP+ SMT connector interface. This demo uses Credo SERDES ICs on evaluation boards to send 50 Gbps NRZ data across high-speed copper cables supplied by Molex. Keysight test equipment is used to show eye diagrams.