PCI Express connectors target server applications

Gina Roos

eeProductCenter (02/28/2006 5:52 PM ET)

Etters, Pa. — FCI has developed press-fit, vertical PCI Express card-edge connectors to extend the use of the high-speed serial PCI Express architecture to thicker system boards found in server applications. The press-fit connectors target 2.36- to 4.19-mm thick printed-circuit-boards (PCBs).

The connector family is offered with the industry-standard x4 and x8 links typically used in servers and in a 280-position size for riser cards that provide support for PCI Express, PCI, or PCI-X add-in cards in rack-mount servers.

The press-fit connectors are also available in standard x1 or x16 link widths. Each serial PCI Express lane is comprised of differential transmit and receive signal pairs that support 2.5 Gbits/s data rate in each direction. All connectors fully support PCI Express signal and power requirements, as well as the auxiliary signals at the interface between the system board and add-in card. Click the link for more PCI Express connector information.

“As board thicknesses increase, through-hole aspect ratios increase the difficulty of achieving reliable solder joints using solder-to-board connectors,” said Stanley Fu, FCI product manager, in a statement. “By using press-fit PCI Express card-edge connectors, manufacturers can avoid soldering problems and improve manufacturing yields when implementing I/O slots on thick motherboards.”

Typical pricing ranges from $0.01 to $0.02 per contact in quantities of 2,000, depending on connector configuration. Samples are available now with production lead times from stock to eight weeks.

FCI, 1-800-237-2374, www.fciconnect.com