Highlights:

  • Credo plans product expansion with Black Hawk (CRT55321).
  • The CRT55321 is a 32-lane gadget that supports 16 lanes on the line side and 16 lanes on the host side.
  • The CRT55321 is registering into production shipments in a 23×23 mm BGA package.

Credo to expand product portfolio with Black Hawk (CRT55321)

A leading innovator in high-performance, low-power serial connectivity solutions, Credo publicized its product expansion plan with Black Hawk (CRT55321) that influences its unique PAM4 DSP architecture.

The PAM4 retimer and gearbox offer guaranteed end-to-end (E2E) signal integrity in the backplane, copper applications, and front panel. The CRT55321 increases the bandwidth capacity of enhanced network infrastructure at Hyperscale data centers, service providers, and enterprise networks while using not more than 50% power of present solutions.

The CRT55321 is a 32-lane device that endorses 16 lanes on the line side and 16 lanes on the host side. Further, this offers robust signal integrity for PAM4 across the most challenging channels comprising legacy backplanes.

The device can be used in front panel applications to power:

  • QSFP, QSFP-DD, and OSFP optical modules
  • Active Electrical Cables (AEC)
  • Passive copper cables

With the help of gearbox capability, applications that need rate-mismatching are supported. It shows best-in-class jitter and extended reach while operating at the lowest power consumption. Also, the device supports built-in test and channel performance analysis capabilities such as PRBS pattern generation, internal eye monitoring, and PRBS error detection. To allow more flexible applications, it supports IEEE standard auto-negotiation with link partners.

The CRT55321 is registering into production shipments in a 23×23 mm BGA package. Besides, Credo offers an evaluation kit that enables consumers to assess performance in their specific application environment rapidly.

Expert’s take

Scott Feller, VP, Marketing at Credo, commented: “The introduction of Black Hawk DSP furthers Credo’s commitment to providing high-performance DSP for data centers, enterprise networking and high-performance computing.”

He further added, “Credo has leveraged its extensive analog and mixed-signal expertise to develop a unique DSP architecture to create the Black Hawk product which is 50% lower power than existing products. Credo continues to innovate with new product solutions to help solve the signal integrity issues of the next-generation data center interconnects.”

Alan Weckel, Founder and Technology Analyst at 650 Group, LLC, commented: “Credo has established a significant market share in Hyperscale data centers with their retimer and gearbox solutions. The new Black Hawk device, which offers a 50% reduction in power consumption, enables those data centers to lower power consumption while driving even higher bandwidth.”

He further added, “As Cloud data centers deploy a larger number of 400G and 800G ports, low power solutions such as Credo’s Black Hawk will enable the migration.”