INDUSTRY

Platform demonstrates reliable backplane system solutions with adaptive equalization ideally suited for field-deployed system environments. Teradyne, Inc. (NYSE: TER), Connection Systems Division, the industry leader in high-performance connection systems, and Rambus Inc. (Nasdaq:RMBS), a leading developer of chip interface products and services, will publicly demonstrate a low-risk, 10 Gbps solution for designers of high-performance backplane systems seeking to improve data rates at DesignCon East 2004, April 6-7 in Boxborough, Mass. and April 8, at the Rambus Design Seminar in Waltham, Mass. This reference platform utilizes Teradyne's high-speed, high-density connectors, VHDM(R) and VHDM-HSD(TM), along with Rambus's advanced 10 Gbps serial link interface solution, RaSer(TM) X. The platform, built upon existing and proven connectors and materials representative of field-deployed networking and storage system backplanes, achieves data rates of up to 10 Gbps per backplane differential trace. Manufacturing variations, dynamic humidity and temperature changes affect signal integrity at 10 Gbps, said Jean-Marc Patenaude, director of marketing for the Logic Interface Division at Rambus. The combination of Teradyne backplane interconnect, coupled with Rambus's intelligent adaptive equalization technology links a backplane at 10 Gbps error free and solves the real-world problems of widely varying channel characteristics. Teradyne's VHDM(R) connector platform is the de-facto industry standard for high-speed backplane applications, with measured system performance beyond 5 Gbps and billions of pins installed worldwide. Its modular design enables a mix of single-ended and differential signals within the same connector. The 8-row version of the VHDM connector provides 101 real signals per inch, and in its differential configuration (VHDM-HSD(TM)), the connector delivers cross talk as low as 2% (at 100 picoseconds). The Rambus RaSer X cell runs at up to 10 Gbps on a single connection and offers designers a low-cost, standard CMOS solution that extends bandwidth performance in backplanes without requiring drastic changes to existing equipment. Network equipment that is deployed in the field could experience dramatic temperature swings from 0 degrees C to 60 degrees C and relative humidity ranging from 2% to 80%. This could result in the backplane channels behaving differently as the environment changes. The powerful equalizer integrated in the RaSer X cell continuously and automatically adapts to these environmental changes, ensuring integrity of the link. Moreover, the RaSer X cell is backward compatible with all common lower data rate backplane standards, providing a seamless upgrade path for system designers to quadruple the capacity of existing modular telecom, networking, blade server and storage systems. Using a standard backplane design (200 mil thick, FR-4, non-counterbored via with 26 inch trace lengths) and connectors that are widely in use in systems today, this reference platform mimics a real-world backplane environment, said Gautam Patel, signal integrity engineer for Teradyne Connection Systems. Demonstrating and measuring performance in a typical system set-up enables Teradyne and Rambus to provide our customers with a proven starting point for their designs. The reference demonstration will be shown in the Rambus booth at DesignCon East, April 6-7, at the Boxborough Holiday Inn, Boxborough, Mass., booth #211, and at the Rambus Design Seminar in Waltham, Mass. on April 8. For more information about Rambus Design Seminars, visit www.rambus.com/news/events/designseminars/.