Point2 Collaborating with Molex to Develop 400G Active Electrical Cables

Raon Mixed-Signal SoC Enables 40% Lower Power, Reducing Cable Volume by 40% for More Energy Efficient Datacenters

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OFC 2023 – Point2 Technology, a leading provider of high-performance, low-power connectivity solutions for cloud and 5G infrastructure, today announced that it is providing its Raon mixed-signal SoC solution to Molex for its active electrical cables (AECs). Molex, a global electronics leader and connectivity innovator, is using Point2 Technology’s highly integrated, low-power Raon SoC to develop 400G AECs.

Raon SoCs are designed for 400G AECs that connect top of rack (ToR) to ToR switches, ToR to servers, spine to leaf switches, and distributed and disaggregated chassis (DDC) interconnects in datacenters. Molex plans to deliver Raon-based AECs to hyperscalers, enterprises and cloud datacenter operators that require 400G AECs for 400G switch and server deployments. Raon is an ideal solution for these applications because it enables lower power, thinner, lighter and more flexible AECs that reduce cable volume by 40 percent. This dramatic reduction in cable congestion increases airflow in server rooms, reduces energy use for air conditioning, and leads to more energy efficient and sustainable datacenters.

“The Raon SoC is field proven in hyperscale datacenters worldwide, making it a top choice for leading cable manufacturers seeking best-in-class CDR/retimer technology,” said Reza Norouzian, Chief Strategy Officer, Point2 Technology. “The Raon solution is a purpose-built SoC that meets the bandwidth requirements of cloud-based infrastructure and comes with a complete reference design that includes production-ready software and paddle card design, enabling our cable manufacturing partners to deliver 400G AECs quickly and cost effectively.”

“Partnering with Point2 Technology to develop multiple generations of AEC solutions that one day will reach speeds of 1.6Tb will bring tremendous value to hyperscalers, enterprises and cloud datacenter operators,” said Chad Jameson, General Manager I/O Solutions, Molex. “Molex’s vast AEC experience and innovation can now combine with Point2’s deep understanding of high-performance datacenter requirements and pain points to deliver compelling business value through optimized power, performance and cost.”

About Raon 400G AEC SoC

Raon is a fully integrated, four-channel, uni-directional CDR/retimer purpose-built and optimized for hyperscale datacenter connectivity. It provides the industry’s most advanced, ultra-low power profile CDR/retimer solution designed to fit QSFP56 and QSFP-DD pluggable modules over a variety of media including passive copper cables, fiber optics and backplanes. Each lane supports 28G NRZ or 56G PAM4 transmission and up to 25 dB channel loss compensation.

Manufactured in low-power CMOS technology, Raon provides the industry’s most power-efficient CDR/retimer solution for high-speed cabling applications. The SoC supports built-in programmable and autonomous adaptive equalization in the receiver to compensate for transmission line losses and inter-symbol interference. Built-in self-test and eye diagram monitoring reduce cost of manufacturing and accelerate ramps to volume production.

Availability and Demo Showcase at OFC 2023

The Raon mixed-signal SoC solution is available today with a complete reference design for 400G AECs and active optical cables (AOC). Point2 will be showcasing its Raon, RangeXtender, 400G C-Tube and E-Tune at the Optical Fiber Communication (OFC) 2023 exhibition in San Diego, California from March 7th to 9th. Contact us today to arrange a meeting.

About Point2 Technology

Point2 Technology, headquartered in San Jose, Calif., designs and manufactures low-power, high-speed, point-to-point interconnect and range enhancement SoC solutions designed to meet the bandwidth requirements of cloud-based datacenters and 5G infrastructure. Founded by an accomplished team from Marvell, Finisar and Samsung, Point2 is a leading innovator that is reimagining datacenter and 5G cloud infrastructure interconnects in the multi-terabit era. www.point2tech.com