FCI, a leading supplier of connectors and interconnect systems, showcased a wide-ranging suite of IT storage connector solutions at the Flash Memory Summit 2013. The summit brought together major players within the ecosystem, including FCI, and featured the next generation of hardware and software solutions. FCI, known for developing high-performance storage interfaces, highlighted some of its latest range of solutions that can support cutting-edge products and high speed applications in the IT sector.
FCI’s Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) and PCI Express (PCIe) storage drive interface connectors were featured products at the event. The latest range of SAS connectorssupports 12 Gb/s data transfers, twice that of its immediate predecessors, and is designed to comply with the SAS 3.0 and SFF-8680 specifications in terms of mating interface, performance and signal integrity to ensure compatibility and performance in a wide spectrum of SSD and HDD storage applications. The new SFF-8639 connectors enable PCIe SSDs to achieve up to 32 Gb/s data transfers with four lanes of PCIe 3.0 at the 8 GT/s data rate.
FCI also showcased its new 288-position DDR4 DIMM sockets that support next-generation DRAM memory modules as well as hybrid modules that include non-volatile NAND flash along with DDR4 DRAM chips to significantly reduce memory access times. The DDR4 connectors further expand FCI’s established range of DIMM sockets that are compatible with industry standard memory module types, including DDR2 and DDR3 in DIMM and VLP DIMM form factors. The sockets allow for convenient memory expansion in servers and embedded applications in communications, data and industrial equipment.
Other products that FCI presented at the summit were its high speed, array-style mezzanine connectors. FCI’s proven MEG-Array® connector system is now complemented by FCI’s new low-profile array connector for ultra-low 2mm board-to-board spacing. This expanded product range now provides options for 2mm to 14mm board spacing between a host board and an add-in mezzanine card and 81 to 528 contact positions. This versatility enables the connectors to support a wide variety of equipment designs and mechanical requirements within the data market.
FCI also exhibited its PCIe vertical card edge connectors and dual-row BERGSTAK® 0.8mm mezzanine connectors. Both interconnect solutions are able to effectively support 8 GT/s signaling for PCIe 3.0. The versatile BERGSTAK®0.8mm pitch connector series offers 40 to 200 positions in increments of 20 positions and twelve stack heights ranging from 5mm to 16mm in increments of 1mm. The wide spectrum of circuit sizes and stack heights allow this connector family to support evolving designs and mechanical requirements in a variety of board-stacking applications.
“FCI was excited to participate in this year’s Flash Memory Summit. It provides us with the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the IT storage environment and engage with the evolving designs in this space,” said Brent Peterman, VP & GM for FCI Americas. “By providing leading connector solutions that are able to meet rigorous requirements in terms of data rates, reliability, and compatibility, FCI will help to empower the next generation of flash memory devices in the consumer, computer and enterprise markets.”