Cables for supercomputers
W. L. Gore & Associates and Quellan Inc have demonstrated a broad range of new GORE Extended Reach Cable Assemblies. The new “active†cables deliver extended reach over thinner, lighter copper cabling for High-Performance Computing (HPC), enterprise server and storage applications.
13 November, 2007
The cables are designed to address numerous next generation protocols such as InfiniBand, 10GbE and 8G Fibre Channel. The family of new products is constructed with advanced EYE-OPENER+ Conductor Technology, which provides distributed equalisation to minimise signal degradation, and integrates Quellan Q:ACTIVE silicon technology that reduces jitter, crosstalk and other signal impairments.
Using this cabling technology, a system can carry up to 480Gbps of bandwidth to and from a single 1RU rack at distances of up to 15 meters. GORE Extended Reach Cable Assemblies eliminate the need for power hungry and expensive optical interconnects while improving data center reliability.
For supercomputer applications, the companies showcased the industry’s first active 12x DDR InfiniBand cable, carrying 60 Gbps over 10 meters in a single link and measuring just 8 mm in diameter.
For high density data center switching, the companies demonstrated the industry’s first active QSFP cable handling 35 Gbps of data over 15 meters. For high density blade servers and stackables, the companies demonstrated the industry’s first active SFP+ cable reaching 10 meters.
"We're excited by the introduction of this low power active technology as a promising low risk means to extend the usable length of our current cluster interconnects,” says Ed Turkel, manager of product marketing, high-performance computing, HP.
“Cable reach and bundle size are two critical hurdles to overcome as HPC systems move to higher data rates,” said Frank Berry, VP of corporate marketing for QLogic. “These products will be important elements in next generation data centers and compliment the existing GORE Extended Reach DDR InfiniBand Cable Assemblies currently being installed in HPC systems worldwide
"Data Centre cable management and power consumption are becoming increasingly critical,” says Quellan's chair and CEO Tony Stelliga. "By removing cable impairments and attenuation with active low power analog silicon, thinner, lighter and longer cabling can be used. This reduces weight, increases room for airflow and saves power by avoiding the need for optics. We are delighted to be working with Gore and to showcase this capability in their cabling products.”