Optimistic technologists have been predicting fiber optics would replace many copper links since the late 1990s, but designers were able to find ways to extend the bandwidth and reach of copper. Now we may be reaching the point where fiber may finally become the most practical solution in an increasing number of applications. Electrical interconnectsRead More

Inventive humans have always sought better, faster methods of communications. Today’s high-speed communications are enabled by high-speed cabling and connectors that are rapidly evolving to give us connectivity on a level we couldn’t imagine only a few years ago — and that will inevitably be left in the dust by future iterations. For centuries, innovatorsRead More

To address performance requirements for next-generation equipment, an ideal solution would be the ability to double the data throughput using legacy hardware. Replacing traditional NRZ signaling with PAM4 is exactly what the industry needs. Design engineers have been dealing with the challenges of ever-increasing data rates for many years. Each iteration of computing equipment requiredRead More

This is the fifth installment in a series of articles that address leading technology trends that have had a significant impact on the electronic connector industry over the past 20 years. This latest installment in the Technology Trends series by Bob Hult examines the trends and technologies that have pushed copper to the limits and ushered inRead More

The connector industry continues to refine backplane and I/O connectors to provide a migration path to the next generation of high-speed architectures. This is the fourth in a series of articles that review leading technology trends that have had a significant impact on the electronic connector industry. high-speed 112Gb/s 3.125Gb/s NRZ to 112Gb/s PAM4 ItRead More

System architects are using over-the-board technologies to extend signal reach and density and achieve high-speed data rates by routing signals through ultra-low-skew twinax cable instead of through expensive, lossy PCBs.  Industry observers have noted that emerging high-speed system requirements of 28Gb/s and 56Gb/s, and now 112Gb/s, are nearing the physical limitations of traditional electronic hardwareRead More

Copper will reach its limits, but connector companies are pushing that day into the future with an exciting array of connectivity products that fly, jump, and pass over the board to increase performance. Design engineers have been grappling for years with the challenges of propagating ever-increasing signal rates in printed circuit boards (PCBs). As dataRead More

Applying the open source concept to hardware development could spur the innovation we need to power a more connected future. As people, businesses, and governments transfer more activities to online formats, the global computing infrastructure is being stretched to its limits — and the demand for high-speed connectivity is just beginning. Once fully operational, 5GRead More

The 2020 Optical Fiber Communications Conference & Exhibition celebrated 50 years of optical connectivity with a combination of exhibits on the show floor and remote presentations. The 2020 Optical Fiber Communications Conference & Exhibition (OFC 2020), scheduled for March 8–12, had grand plans to celebrate 50 years of optical communication. Groundbreaking technologies, including low-loss opticalRead More

The recent Embedded Tech Trends conference highlighted a trend: Boards and subsystems for military applications are increasingly employing optical cable. Fiber optic technology is continuing its push into high-end military systems as engineers increasingly choose it to meet accelerating speed demands. This marks a change from its traditional role as a technology for long-distance communications.Read More

The DesignCon conference and expo celebrated its 25th anniversary with an array of impressive high-speed developments. DesignCon 2020 celebrated its 25th anniversary with an impressive program of keynote speakers, tutorials, technical sessions, and product showcases. Over 100 presentations and panel discussions spanning 14 conference tracks focused on advances in leading-edge high-speed chip, board, and systemRead More

The Open19 Foundation has developed a server design solution that makes data center deployment faster, easier, and less expensive. The Open19 Foundation is advancing a new data center design standard that significantly reduces the hardware costs and time required to set up or upgrade a server. This simplified hardware platform consists of three main elements:Read More