NVMe Extender Cards
Enabling Multi-Connector and Cabled Topologies
RT = Retimer
Requirements & Challenges
- NVMe drives are usually located at the front panel, connected to the CPU through interposer boards, backplanes, and sometimes cables
- A typical server has at least 4 drives, but limited routing space
- Multiple SSD vendors must be qualified by manufacturers
- NVMe drives require Manage and Surprise hot-plug functionalities
Aries Retimer Benefits
- Supports SSD-specific features such as hot-plug, and bifurcation down to x2 link width
- Integrated capacitors reduce total retimer footprint size, fits easily on small mezzanine or interposer boards
- Built-in protocol analyzer for easy bring-up & debug
- Rigorous interop tests with numerous NVMe drives to ensure design confidence
Products
Product | Documents | Description | Max PCIe Gen | PCIe Lanes | Ordering |
Astera Labs PCIe® 4.0, PCIe 5.0, and CXL™ x16 and x8 Low-Latency Smart Retimers | PCIe 5.0 | x 8 |