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The Forefront of PCIe Technology

Unprecedented advancements in high-performance computing have generated an insatiable need for data processing from nearly every sector. Molex is operating at the forefront of PCIe technologies to help customers meet these demands with high-speed, low-latency and highly scalable solutions. 

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Overview

The continued emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud storage, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) is placing endless pressure on server, network, and storage ecosystems.

PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) is of strategic importance for data operations that are experiencing a surge in demand for computing capability and faster processing.

Low-latency performance, scalability, support of high data transfer rates, and hot swappability have made PCIe a longtime standard as a high-speed serial bus used for connecting expansion cards, solid-state drives (SSDs), graphics cards (GPUs) and network cards to server systems.

Each new PCIe generation provides a leap forward in data transfer capability, often doubling the rates of previous versions. Additionally, PCIe’s backward compatibility eases adoption and implementation as older connected devices can be upgraded over time. Integrating the latest generation of PCIe has become central to boosting capacity for new high-performance applications and maintaining a competitive edge. 

Molex is a leader in PCI-SIG-standard solutions with a broad hardware portfolio across generations, including the future-focused Gen 5.0 and Gen 6.0. The evolution doesn’t stop there — Molex’s NextStream Connector System is even upgradable to Gen 7.0. 

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Conquer the Challenges of High-Speed Signaling

While new generations of PCIe typically come about every three years, each faces its own set of engineering obstacles. Designers are forced to overcome crosstalk, EMI and power requirements to gain speed while maintaining signal integrity — a potential roadblock to OEMs, ODMs and system architects alike.  

As a global provider of interconnect solutions with decades of experience in data centers, Molex understands the design challenges of high-speed computing. Our interdisciplinary engineering expertise and modular PCIe solutions help customers at even the earliest stage of migration make the leap to the next generation of PCIe.

OCP

Key Features of PCIe Gen 5.0

The fifth generation of PCIe offers data transfer rates up to 32 GT/s — approximately twice that of Gen 4.0 and four times the speed of Gen 3.0. But innovation goes beyond speed. Molex engineers have optimized our solutions for the electrical, spatial and user-centered design elements in the most common PCIe contexts: high-performance computing, data center, high-speed storage systems and real-time processing applications.

Molex’s PCIe Gen 5.0 solutions enhance signal integrity, noise sensitivity, and interoperability and feature the modularity necessary for flexible system implementation. 

OCP

Trends Driving PCIe Advancement

Data centers are challenging environments, and system architects are tasked with ensuring maximum performance and reliability from the systems and devices in place. This requires systematic optimization, with a focus on space efficiency, modularity, routing flexibility and maximal connectivity with servers and hardware. These technical and business demands are what drive Molex’s advancements in PCIe technology and the capabilities of our products. 

NearStack PCIe Connectors are designed with density in mind, allowing for minimal footprint and maximization of routing flexibility. And their low-profile height minimizes the negative impact on system thermal performance.

For customers delivering high-speed performance in space-constrained applications, NextStream Connectors incorporate a guiding mechanism in the housing for a more robust design that reduces the potential for damage during mating.

Impel Plus Backplane Connectors can move data up to 56 Gbps and allow data center managers to migrate to higher speeds without completely re-designing their architecture.

The newest upgrade to the Impel product family, Impel Enhanced, is designed specifically for PCIe Gen 6 channel requirements. Enhanced Cable and Backplane headers mate to existing Impel Plus daughtercards.

The Direct Attached Card Electromechanical (CEM) is a hybrid card edge solution with high-speed signal pins designed to directly attach to a cable, which reduces insertion loss by about a decibel (dB) and makes longer cabling possible. 

OCP

Additional Resources

Building Blocks of High-Performance Computing

Thermal management, future-proofed scalability and reliable, high-speed connectivity are critical data center design issues when upgrading to next-generation infrastructure. See how Molex innovations support the implementation of advanced modular architectures to help address these design challenges.

Explore High-Performance Computing

Data Center Solutions

Balancing the need for higher power throughputs and faster data rates with the increasing demand for compact, efficient systems is one of the challenge of today’s Data Center engineers. Molex's next-gen solutions and expansive portfolio enable seamless scalability and performance, ensuring you can rise to the challenge of today's server storage demands. 

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The Architecture of OCP DC-MHS

Hyperscale data centers are trending from monolithic architectures to modular, scalable and pluggable designs with a focus on interoperability. Molex is a recommended supplier for the Data Center – Modular Hardware System (DC-MHS) developed by the Open Compute Project (OCP).

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A Closer Look at NearStack PCIe

Take a close-up view of the optimized electrical and mechanical design that makes NearStack PCIe the premier product in the industry for data center systems. By providing superior signal integrity performance in a compact design, NearStack is ideal for a range of applications including enterprise storage systems, servers, redundancy array of individual disks (RAID), storage racks and cabled PCIe riser cards.

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