SERDES ICs Tooled For High-Speed Backplanes And Transceivers

Aimed at high-speed serial backplanes and Gb Ethernet transceivers, the six-channel PM8373 HexPHY 1GR and four-channel PM8363 QuadPHY 1GR serializer/deserializer (SERDES) devices support the RGMII v2.0 parallel interface. This feature is said to pave the way for low power, low cost, and compact Ethernet-based system designs. Both devices support 1.5V and 1.8V HSTL input/output levels on the RGMII interface, with the 1.5V HSTL input/output levels upward compatible with the IEEE 10 Gb Ethernet XGMII interface. The devices are available in thermally-enhanced, 196-pin CABGA packages and exhibit typical power consumption of less than 200 mW per port. Operating temperature range is from -40°C to 85°C. Prices for HexPHY 1GR and QuadPHY 1GR are $29.90 and $21.90 each/1,000, respectively. For more information on the new SERDES devices, contact Susan Kirk at PMC-SIERRA INC., Santa Clara, CA. (604) 415-6065.