Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation, a provider of integrated circuits (ICs) for carrier and enterprise Ethernet networks, announced launch of its new VSC3441, a multi-protocol, 6.375 Gigabit per second (Gbps) multi-rate Serialization/De-serialization (SerDes) transceiver device.

 

Vitesse’s VSC3441 device suits next-generation backplanes and communication equipment that runs multiple protocols, including Gigabit Ethernet, XAUI, 2xXAUI, Fibre Channel, Serial Attached SCSI (SAS (News - Alert)), Serial ATA (SATA), Serial Rapid IO, Infiniband and PCI Express (PCIe).

 

The VSC3441 operates at selected data rates from 125 Mbps to 6.375 Gbps and incorporates advanced equalization to compensate for various impairments and losses encountered in copper cables, backplane traces and connectors. Further, it has a combination of integrated technologies: SerDes, Clock and Data Recovery (CDR) and advanced signal equalization. The high-speed SerDes incorporates VScope waveform viewing technology which enables a real-time oscilloscope view of the received data, thus providing telemetry of high-speed signals.

 

VSC3441’s integrated VScope waveform viewing technology enable original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to serialize data to these higher rates for simplified transmission through backplanes or cable interconnects. This is achieved by compensating for the signal path degradation which, in turn, improves the signal integrity performance of the transmission. VScope waveform viewing technology is used by OEMs for real-time system diagnostics and remote monitoring functions in these applications. This provides a state-of-the-art signal integrity solution that extends the use of existing ASICs and FPGAs with slower speed interfaces.

 

“With over a decade of leadership in high-speed signal integrity, SerDes and CDR technologies, Vitesse is uniquely qualified to deliver this product,” said Juan Garza, product marketing manager for Signal Integrity devices at Vitesse, in a statement. “By incorporating Vitesse’s patented VScope waveform viewing technology into high-speed links, this solution creates a new category for innovative SerDes technology that enables advanced levels of signal integrity quality and remote monitoring.”

 

With a single reference clock input, the VSC3441 provides a high degree of signal integrity through a configurable input and output equalization. In various modes, the VSC3441 can function as a single 20:1 SerDes with redundant I/O, a dual 10:1 SerDes with redundant I/O, and a quad 10:1 serializer or quad 1:10 deserializer. The high-speed CDR per channel removes random jitter from optical fiber links. I/O characteristics are programmable for interfacing to a wide variety of devices and protocols.

  

VScope embedded waveform viewing technology is a per-pin “micro-oscilloscope” that enables new diagnostic capabilities during system development. It helps in remote monitoring of live signals on deployed systems. With VScope, system designers can have new dynamics and economics in backplane design, signal integrity analysis, and remote monitoring of communication systems. Besides the VSC3441, this patented technology is available in other products from Vitesse, including the VSC3406 6.375G backplane transceiver and the VSC824x 9.9G-11.3G EDC CDRs.