ETTERS, PA - Huawei and FCI, supported by Sanmina-SCI, have successfully demonstrated 12.5-Gbit/s differential signal transmission on a backplane system designed around the AdvancedTCA (ATCA) standard network platform using FCI’s AirMax VS connectors in Zone 2. The demonstration proves that custom ATCA backplanes allow for performance levels beyond what ATCA was originally designed to provide. The low crosstalk of less than 1% exceeded the expectations of both Huawei and FCI design engineers.
Tested in the FCI Signal Integrity Laboratories in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, the demonstration evaluated 16-layer backplanes incorporating full mesh structures with 50-cm long traces embedded in several different dielectric materials (see Fig.).
 Huawei, FCI, and Sanmina-SCI demonstrated this 16-layer backplane system at 12.5-Gbit/s data rates with less than 1% crosstalk. |
“The selection of AirMax VS technology by Huawei for this demonstration and the excellent test results prove that the connector system meets the challenging requirements that the telecommunications sector demands,” said John Burkett, FCI product manager. “These higher speed transmissions will benefit many telecom applications, such as optical switches and transmission equipment.”
In addition to its electrical performance, the AirMax VS family offers reliability that is further enhanced by the dual-beam, double-sided contact system. Most backplane connectors offer only single-beam receptacle contacts, so contact is only made on one side of the header pin, leaving the interface vulnerable to loss of contact from shock or vibration. The AirMax VS connector uses a dual-beam contact system, so the blade slides into a receptacle with two points of contact (one on each side of the blade), greatly increasing reliability and durability. Since its commercial introduction more than two years ago, FCI has supplied more than one hundred million AirMax VS contacts to the market.
Huawei products cover every sector in the communication market. Demands for higher bandwidth for data communication and optical network applications, as well as the maturation of the 10- to 12-Gbit/s high-speed backplane standard, are pushing the development of next-generation high-speed backplanes. The backplane is the key component of telecom equipment, and the backplane connectors’ performance directly impacts the performance of the backplane. The Huawei High Speed Backplane R&D Laboratory is developing the next-generation high-speed backplane.
