MACOM has announced what it calls the industry’s first PCIe 7.0-optimized linear equalizer and cross-point switch devices, the MAEQ-39964 and MAEQ-39966, aimed at extending passive copper cable reach at 128 GT/s. The company says the devices are optimized for 128 GT/s operation and support PCIe 7.0, PCIe 6.0, and CXL, targeting longer reach and higher performance for copper-based interconnects.

MACOM positions the MAEQ-39964 and MAEQ-39966 for PCIe 7.0 signal integrity requirements while maintaining “full protocol transparency,” with use cases called out across data centers, high-performance test and measurement equipment, and server and storage systems. For data center engineers, the practical angle is straightforward: if you can keep more links on passive copper (or push copper further), you can avoid earlier transitions to optics for some topologies, but the signal integrity budget at 128 GT/s gets tight quickly.

On the device-level details, MACOM says the MAEQ-39964 is a four-channel linear equalizer that supports 2.5 NRZ to 128 Gbps PAM4 data rates and is designed for Active Copper Cables (ACCs). The MAEQ-39966 is also a four-channel linear equalizer supporting 2.5 NRZ to 128 Gbps PAM4 data rates, but adds integrated 2×2 switching, with MACOM pointing it at system and server applications.

“As PCIe 7.0 drives higher signaling speeds, maintaining signal integrity over copper cabling and system boards becomes increasingly challenging,” said Stephen G. Daly, President and Chief Executive Officer, MACOM. “Our new equalizers provide our customers a clear, scalable path to PCIe 7.0 while maximizing the reach and value of existing copper infrastructure.”

MACOM says both equalizers are available in a 91-pin BGA package.

Source: MACOM