Molex Inc. introduces the z-Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable Plus (zQSFP+) interconnect system, designed for next-generation, high-density applications in telecommunications, data networking, test and measurement, and medical diagnostic equipment.
The system combines surface mount technology (SMT) connectors, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding cages, passive copper cable assemblies, and active optical cables (AOC). It is designed to provide a less expensive, reliable transport with aggregated data rates of up to 100 Gbps, says a representative.
“Molex’s zQSFP+ solution will provide engineers with the option to use AOC assemblies for applications in which high-speed copper cable assemblies are not suitable due to length, EMC compliance or physical cable routing challenges. This is especially useful in data centers and campus environments where the zQSFP+ AOC singlemode fiber technology provides long reaches of up to 4km (2.49 miles),” says Tom Marrapode, director of marketing, fiber optics, Molex. “Additionally, Molex’s 25 Gbps AOC products are budgeted at a low power consumption of only 2.5 W, which improves overall data-center power consumption and thermal efficiency, enabling deployment of additional ports for more connectivity options and a total-system cost savings.”
Molex AOC assemblies include four bi-directional optical data links per end, each operating at data rates of up to 26 Gbps to support multiple protocols including InfiniBand EDR and 100 Gigabit Ethernet. Because the optical transceivers are permanently attached to the fiber, the assemblies are protected from environmental contaminants and user disturbances during installation.
Other components of the zQSFP+ system include:
Surface mount technology (SMT) connector: Molex’s zQSFP+ SMT EDR application consists of 4 lanes of high data-rate differential signals with proven data rates of 25 Gbps. The patent-pending preferential coupling design uses insert molding to support a narrow edge-coupled blanked and formed contact geometry to optimize electrical performance. The zQSFP+ connector shares the same mating interface as the QSFP+ form factor, making it backward-compatible with current connectors, cages, and cable assemblies.
Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding cage: Molex’s zQSFP+ EMI cages are designed with an advanced heat-sink system to provide a high level of heat dissipation for next-generation system-power levels. The spring-finger design provides improved EMI grounding and allows for more space to route high-speed traces.
Passive Copper Cable Assemblies: The next-generation copper-cable assembly construction provides improved insertion loss performance at 12.5 and 14.0 GHz, and has been tested up to 30 GHz. The 4-lane and SI performance design on the paddle card and the cable termination process help to provide low reflection, low cross talk, and controlled impedance.
To learn more about the Molex zQSFP+ system, including the AOC assemblies, stop by Molex booth 1908 at OFC/NFOEC 2011, through today, March 10.