Reply by Anton Erasmus July 15, 20072007-07-15
On Fri, 13 Jul 2007 15:55:39 +0100, "Tom Lucas"
<news@REMOVE_tlcs_THIS_dot_TO_fsnet_REPLY_dot_co.uk> wrote:

>"Marc Battyani" <Marc.Battyani@fractalconcept.com> wrote in message >news:nPGdnWZQAqSCEArbnZ2dnUVZ8vidnZ2d@giganews.com... >> >> "Maurice Branson" <traubenuss@arcor.de> wrote >>> >>> Oay, to make it more precise: I'm looking for an interconnect system >>> (multi-channel plug + receptacle) for 24 differential pairs at >>> signaling rates of 3 - 6 Gbps per channel. >> >> I don't know if you have already looked at them, but for things like >> that, I use Samtec connectors and cables. >> http://samtec.com/high_speed_connectors/2006/si_b2b.asp >> http://samtec.com/high_speed_connectors/2006/SI_C2B.asp?m=hs > >I can recommend Samtec as well - very fast service and samples turn up >in under two days. Knowledgable reps too. >
I alos like Samtec, but their prices has been kreeping up over the last number of years. Every time we buy the price is up from the previous time. There are quite a few pretty standard connector families that can take coax pins. D-Type and Din 41612 to name 2. You can also try Nicomatic. They make small connectors which can take coax pins. They can do a custom connector for quite cheap. Less than US$500 if I recall correctly for NRE charges. Regards Anton Erasmus
Reply by David L. Jones July 14, 20072007-07-14
On Jul 13, 3:21 am, "John_H" <newsgr...@johnhandwork.com> wrote:
> You're seriously overthinking your problem. Please indicate the data speeds > you're encountering to help bound the problems in peoples' minds. > > Consider the lowly HDMI interface. These are ~1.8 Gbit/s signals that go > over flimsy, mass-produced cables with flawless digital performance to get > 1080p signals.
I'd second HDMI, certainly worth looking at. I just added HDMI to a Virtex-4 myself. The Virtex-4 doesn't have the TMDS signaling used on the real HDMI interface, but you can use LVDS or whatever over the standard connector. The Type A connector has 4 pairs, and the Type B has 7 pairs per connector. If you are short on space, the HDMI Mini connector has just been released. Dave.
Reply by MM July 13, 20072007-07-13
"Maurice Branson" <traubenuss@arcor.de> wrote in message 
news:46971c5b$0$3830$9b4e6d93@newsspool4.arcor-online.net...
> Tanks for your answers so far! > > Oay, to make it more precise: I'm looking for an interconnect system > (multi-channel plug + receptacle) for 24 differential pairs at signaling > rates of 3 - 6 Gbps per channel.
So, I assume it is a motheboard-daughtercard kind of connection, right? I am running Xilinx Rocket IOs at 3.36 Gb/s over the standard cPCI connectors (front card to/from rear card through the backplane, but not across the backplane) with no problems. Since these connectors aren't designed/specified for such speeds I had to develop my own grounding solution. Basically, I have enclosed each of the differential pairs in between GND pins and it worked really well both in simulation and in real life. Also, I am not sure what exactly you are up to, but consider doing some upconversion on your DAC board (maybe even in the DAC itself). By doing this you might be able to reduce your communication bandwidth requirements substantially. /Mikhail
Reply by Tom Lucas July 13, 20072007-07-13
"Marc Battyani" <Marc.Battyani@fractalconcept.com> wrote in message 
news:nPGdnWZQAqSCEArbnZ2dnUVZ8vidnZ2d@giganews.com...
> > "Maurice Branson" <traubenuss@arcor.de> wrote >> >> Oay, to make it more precise: I'm looking for an interconnect system >> (multi-channel plug + receptacle) for 24 differential pairs at >> signaling rates of 3 - 6 Gbps per channel. > > I don't know if you have already looked at them, but for things like > that, I use Samtec connectors and cables. > http://samtec.com/high_speed_connectors/2006/si_b2b.asp > http://samtec.com/high_speed_connectors/2006/SI_C2B.asp?m=hs
I can recommend Samtec as well - very fast service and samples turn up in under two days. Knowledgable reps too.
Reply by Marc Battyani July 13, 20072007-07-13
"Maurice Branson" <traubenuss@arcor.de> wrote
> > Oay, to make it more precise: I'm looking for an interconnect system > (multi-channel plug + receptacle) for 24 differential pairs at signaling > rates of 3 - 6 Gbps per channel.
I don't know if you have already looked at them, but for things like that, I use Samtec connectors and cables. http://samtec.com/high_speed_connectors/2006/si_b2b.asp http://samtec.com/high_speed_connectors/2006/SI_C2B.asp?m=hs Marc
Reply by Maurice Branson July 13, 20072007-07-13
Tanks for your answers so far!

Oay, to make it more precise: I'm looking for an interconnect system 
(multi-channel plug + receptacle) for 24 differential pairs at signaling 
rates of 3 - 6 Gbps per channel.


Reply by whit3rd July 12, 20072007-07-12
On Jul 12, 9:16 am, "Maurice Branson" <trauben...@arcor.de> wrote:

> designing a motherboard featuring a Virtex-4 FX140 FPGA with 24 integrated > RocketIOs (Gigabit SerDes IOs) I am now facing the problem of how to get the > signals off the board in a most space-saving and elegant way? > > All 24 differential signals will be connected to some DACs
Mass-produced SCSI internal and external cables and terminators are easy to find. The 68-pin cables go to 320 MHz nowadays, and connect 27 differential pairs plus some status wires and power wires for active terminators (which are commonly crimped onto the internal cable end- no need to populate your board with the terminators). If you can drive 110 ohm wiring, and if the low-voltage differential signal levels are the same as SCSI, your choice may be easy.
Reply by dave July 12, 20072007-07-12
In comp.arch Maurice Branson <traubenuss@arcor.de> wrote:
> Hello, > > designing a motherboard featuring a Virtex-4 FX140 FPGA with 24 integrated > RocketIOs (Gigabit SerDes IOs) I am now facing the problem of how to get the > signals off the board in a most space-saving and elegant way? > > All 24 differential signals will be connected to some DACs outside the > motherboard to convert the signals into the analog signal domain. > > In the definition of the interface I have nearly all effective degrees of > freedom. I once learned that coaxial connections are the most appropriate > way to do so in terms of signal integrity, but with 24 differential signals > and bidirectional connections that would mean at least 96 SMA connectors > (that takes very large board space and implies some skew problems due to the > differences in the line lengths). > > I once used the Tyco ZDOK system (plug + receptacle) for board-to-board > connections with up to 80 parallel signals but unfortunately the > performance was not satisfactory, so I won't be using them again. Are there > any other interface systems for the above described purpose or ways to build > a highly-parallel highspeed connection between two boards? > > I appreciate every kind of suggestion and help. Thanks a lot in advance. > > Regards, Maurice
What's the required signaling rate to the DAQs?
> >
-- Be Happy. Don't Worry about the difference between lose and loose..
Reply by John_H July 12, 20072007-07-12
You're seriously overthinking your problem.  Please indicate the data speeds 
you're encountering to help bound the problems in peoples' minds.

Consider the lowly HDMI interface.  These are ~1.8 Gbit/s signals that go 
over flimsy, mass-produced cables with flawless digital performance to get 
1080p signals.

Twisted pairs will get you to where you need to be.  The speed will dictate 
the eye closure over distance and you *probably* are well within the 
appropriate operating range.  For the truely demanding applications, twinax 
may be necessary but is probably overkill.

If the eye closure is a problem for your chosen transmission media and 
distance, preemphasis or receiver compensation can allow your twisted pair 
cables to provide an open eye to the A/Ds.  There are several products on 
the market that provide the transmit and/or recieve functions to allow 
multi-gigabit transmission over very cheap lines.



"Maurice Branson" <traubenuss@arcor.de> wrote in message 
news:469653f8$0$3834$9b4e6d93@newsspool4.arcor-online.net...
> Hello, > > designing a motherboard featuring a Virtex-4 FX140 FPGA with 24 integrated > RocketIOs (Gigabit SerDes IOs) I am now facing the problem of how to get > the > signals off the board in a most space-saving and elegant way? > > All 24 differential signals will be connected to some DACs outside the > motherboard to convert the signals into the analog signal domain. > > In the definition of the interface I have nearly all effective degrees of > freedom. I once learned that coaxial connections are the most appropriate > way to do so in terms of signal integrity, but with 24 differential > signals > and bidirectional connections that would mean at least 96 SMA connectors > (that takes very large board space and implies some skew problems due to > the > differences in the line lengths). > > I once used the Tyco ZDOK system (plug + receptacle) for board-to-board > connections with up to 80 parallel signals but unfortunately the > performance was not satisfactory, so I won't be using them again. Are > there > any other interface systems for the above described purpose or ways to > build > a highly-parallel highspeed connection between two boards? > > I appreciate every kind of suggestion and help. Thanks a lot in advance. > > Regards, Maurice > > >
Reply by MM July 12, 20072007-07-12
"Maurice Branson" <traubenuss@arcor.de> wrote in message 
news:469653f8$0$3834$9b4e6d93@newsspool4.arcor-online.net...
> > designing a motherboard featuring a Virtex-4 FX140 FPGA with 24 integrated > RocketIOs (Gigabit SerDes IOs) I am now facing the problem of how to get > the > signals off the board in a most space-saving and elegant way? >
Do you really need all 24 pairs? What is the DACs' sampling rate?
> All 24 differential signals will be connected to some DACs outside the > motherboard
What does "outside" mean precisely? /Mikhail