can achieve 64 Gbps pulse amplitude
modulation 4-level (PAM4) data rates.
Although both are considered high-
speed in their specific industries, the
vast difference in speed between the two
shows how the term "high-speed" is used
somewhat loosely.
But, if considering all applications
across all industries, the highest speeds
currently used are around 112 Gbps
PAM4, which are significantly higher than
those used in everyday applications. To
achieve such speeds, engineers must use
several different techniques including
double data rate (whereby a single clock
cycle transmits data on the rising and
falling edge) and advanced modulation
schemes like PAM4, which encodes two
bits of logic per signal level. Even with
these techniques deployed, the frequency
of signals can easily exceed the 30 GHz
range, which introduces many challenges
from PCB signal routing to the cable
assembly used to transmit such signals.
Applications that use such high speeds
are often at the bleeding edge of
technology, including artificial intelligence
(AI), machine learning, high-performance
computing (HPC), and data centers. In all
these applications, compute platforms
are found in racks that use high-speed
input/output to move data from servers
to storage units and then across entire
networks of other clustered systems. As
the maximum speed of such a system
is often defined by its weakest link,
engineers are challenged to optimize
channel and system performance.
C h a p t e r 1 | D e f i n i n g " H i g h - S p e e d " Ve r s u s H i g h - S p e e d
Matthew Burns
Technical Marketing Manager, Samtec
Some of the common
high-speed applications
where Samtec focuses a lot
of attention are data center
applications, networking,
servers, memory, AI systems,
HPC, and supercomputing."
7
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