SX5-STREAM

Most computer systems are based on the PCI Express® standard as a high speed backbone for interconnection of peripheral components with a host CPU. Typically all PCI Express® based devices are located closely in a common enclosure.
The PCI-SIG PCI Express® External Cabling Specification for Gen1 and Gen2 data transfer rates addresses extended applications, such as split-systems or I/O expansion by means of a suitable copper cable, available e.g. for a x8 PCI Express® link, up to 7m length. When used with an AOC (Active Optical Cable), distances of up to 300m can be bridged between host and target systems. Beyond the PCI-SIG cabling specification, the Samtec PCIEO series of AOC addresses also Gen3 speed up to 100m.
The SX5-STREAM is a CompactPCI® Serial host adapter card for dual PCI Express® x8 external cabling. The board is provided with two PCIe® x8 front panel connectors, for attachment of one ore two remote (target) systems via PCI Express® x8 links. The SX5-STREAM has been designed for operation in a CompactPCI® Serial fat pipe slot (PCIe® x8). The on-board Gen3 PCI Express® packet switch splits the upstream link into two concurrent PCI Express® downstream links x8, each delivering up to 64Gbps to an associated target system. The advantages of PCI Express® as an communication path compared e.g. to 10Gbps Ethernet are higher data transfer speed at lower latency, and primarily merging distributed subsystems virtually into a single PCI Express® based computer assembly.
The SX5-STREAM allows to control a remote PCI Express® based target (downstream) system by a CompactPCI® Serial host CPU via PCI Express® external cabling. The target system may be any PCI Express® based hardware with an external cabling adapter, not necessarily a CompactPCI® Serial system.
By means of the SX5-STREAM, a CompactPCI® Serial system backplane, with respect to its PCI Express® resources, can be virtually extended. Hence, PCI Express® based devices in a remote target system can be controlled by the CompactPCI® Serial host system CPU in an identical manner as its local resources.