MaxLinear Launches Product Design Kit for Active Electrical Cables Using Keystone PAM4 DSP
- The product design kit (PDK) offers up to 40% power savings over competitor solutions
- MaxLinear’s 5nm PAM4 DSP, Keystone, is expected to drive the next generation of hyperscale cloud networks
- The high-speed interconnect market is projected to grow to $17.1B by 2028, up from $10.7B in 2021
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Insights
The introduction of MaxLinear's comprehensive product design kit (PDK) for Active Electrical Cables (AEC) using its Keystone 5nm PAM4 DSP represents a significant advancement in the high-speed interconnect market. The PDK's potential to reduce power consumption by up to 40% compared to competing solutions can be a game-changer for hyperscale data centers focused on optimizing energy efficiency. As data centers continue to scale, the demand for low-power, high-performance interconnect solutions will likely grow, providing MaxLinear with a substantial market opportunity.
The high-speed interconnect market is poised for growth, projected to reach $17.1 billion by 2028. The Keystone PAM4 DSP's ability to support 400G and 800G applications with efficient power usage and signal integrity could capture a significant share of this market, especially considering the trend towards higher bandwidth and longer cable reach required by modern data centers. The PDK's time and cost efficiency benefits could also lead to quicker adoption by manufacturers, potentially increasing MaxLinear's market penetration and revenue streams in the short to medium term.
MaxLinear's launch of the Keystone PAM4 DSP and its associated PDK is not only a technological milestone but also a strategic move that can impact its financial performance. By providing a toolset that accelerates time to market for cable manufacturers, MaxLinear is positioning itself as a key enabler in the supply chain for next-generation data center technologies. The ability to minimize power consumption significantly is a critical competitive advantage, as energy costs are a major concern for data center operators.
Investors should monitor MaxLinear's market share and revenue growth in the coming quarters, as the adoption of Keystone PAM4 DSP could lead to increased sales volumes. Additionally, the company's focus on cost-effectiveness and integration support is likely to strengthen partnerships with cable manufacturers, potentially leading to long-term contracts and stable revenue streams. However, it is essential to consider the competitive landscape and any potential technological advancements from competitors that could challenge MaxLinear's position.
The Keystone 5nm PAM4 DSP is a notable development in the semiconductor and data center technology sectors. Utilizing 5nm CMOS technology allows for a smaller, more power-efficient chip that is well-suited for the high-density requirements of modern data centers. The Keystone family's support for various optics and cable types makes it a versatile solution that can cater to a wide range of applications, from intra-data center connectivity to longer-range communications.
The technical specifications, such as the groundbreaking 106.25Gbps host side electrical I/O and extensive DSP functionality, position MaxLinear's Keystone as a leading solution in the market. The availability of Known Good Die (KGD) variants also indicates that MaxLinear is targeting not just the AEC market but also the integration into next-gen module form-factors like QSFP-DD800 and OSFP800. This strategic positioning could lead to broader adoption across different data center architectures and contribute to the company's growth in the sector.
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Used in active electrical cables, MaxLinear’s Keystone can yield up to
40% power savings over competitor solutions.
MaxLinear Launches Product Design Kit for Active Electrical Cables Using Keystone PAM4 DSP (Graphic: Business Wire)
MaxLinear’s Keystone PAM4 DSP offers a significant power advantage in AEC applications, which is increasingly becoming a critical factor for hyperscale data centers. The use of 5nm CMOS technology enables designers and manufacturers to build high-speed cables that meet the need for low power, highly integrated, high performance interconnect solutions that will drive the next generation of hyperscale cloud networks.
Manufacturers taking advantage of MaxLinear’s PDK to optimize cable designs using Keystone PAM4 DSP will gain a distinct advantage over competitor solutions when trying to maximize reach and minimize power consumption. The PDK makes Keystone easy to integrate with strong applications support, multiple tools to optimize and monitor performance, and reference designs (SW and HW) to accelerate integration. Sophisticated software allows for quick design optimization for the lowest possible power consumption and maximizing cable reach. Cable designers can constantly monitor performance, route signals from any port to any port, and take advantage of hitless firmware upgrades.
“MaxLinear is focused on providing not only industry-leading interconnect technologies but also a comprehensive suite of tools to support our manufacturing and design partners,” said Drew Guckenberger, Vice President of High Speed Interconnect at MaxLinear. “Our development kit for our Keystone products provides them with a path to take products to market more quickly and more cost-effectively.”
Active electrical cables (AECs) are revolutionizing data center connections. Unlike passive cables, they actively boost signals, allowing for longer distances (up to 7 meters for 400G), higher bandwidth, and thinner, lighter cables. This makes them ideal for high-speed applications like top-of-rack connections (connecting switches to servers within the same rack); direct digital control (enabling flexible interconnectivity within racks and across rows); and breakout solutions (splitting high-speed connections into multiple lower-speed channels). The high-speed interconnect market – which includes active optical cables, active electrical cables, direct attach copper cables, and others – is expected to grow to
The Keystone Family
The Keystone 5nm DSP family caters to 400G and 800G applications, featuring a groundbreaking 106.25Gbps host side electrical I/O, aligning with the line side interface rate. Available variants support single-mode optics (EML and SiPh), multimode optics (VCSEL transceivers and AOCs), and Active Electrical Cables (AECs), offering comprehensive solutions with companion TIAs.
Host side interfaces cover ethernet rates of 25G, 50G, and 100G per lane over C2M, MR, and LR host channels. The line side interfaces, tailored for 100G/λ DR, FR, and LR applications, also support these rates. These devices boast extensive DSP functionality, encompassing line-side transmitter DPD, TX FIR, receiver FFE, and DFE.
With exceptional performance and signal integrity, these DSPs occupy a compact footprint (12mm x 13mm), ideal for next-gen module form-factors like QSFP-DD800 and OSFP800. Additionally, they are available as Known Good Die (KGD) for denser applications, such as OSFP-XD.
About MaxLinear, Inc.
MaxLinear, Inc. (Nasdaq: MXL) is a leading provider of radio frequency (RF), analog, digital, and mixed-signal integrated circuits for access and connectivity, wired and wireless infrastructure, and industrial and multimarket applications. MaxLinear is headquartered in
MaxLinear, the MaxLinear logo, any other MaxLinear trademarks are all property of MaxLinear, Inc. or one of MaxLinear's subsidiaries in the
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This press release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, among others, statements concerning or implying future financial performance, anticipated product performance and functionality of our products or products incorporating our products, and industry trends and growth opportunities affecting MaxLinear, in particular statements relating to MaxLinear’s active electrical cables and the functionality, performance and the benefits of use of such products; the anticipated growth in the potential market opportunities for the high-speed interconnect market; and statements by the Vice President of High Speed Interconnect at MaxLinear. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. We cannot predict whether or to what extent these new and existing products will affect our future revenues or financial performance. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current, preliminary expectations and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may contain words such as “will be,” “will,” “expected,” “anticipate,” “continue,” or similar expressions and include the assumptions that underlie such statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: risks relating to the development, testing, and commercial introduction of new products and product functionalities; risks relating to our terminated merger with Silicon Motion and related arbitration and class action complaint and the risks related to potential payment of damages; the effect of intense and increasing competition; impacts of global economic conditions; the cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry; a significant variance in our operating results and impact on volatility in our stock price, and our ability to sustain our current level of revenue, which has declined, and/or manage future growth effectively, and the impact of excess inventory in the channel on our customers’ expected demand for certain of our products; the geopolitical and economic tensions among the countries in which we conduct business; increased tariffs, export controls or imposition of other trade barriers; our ability to obtain or retain government authorization to export certain of our products or technology; risks related to the loss of, or a significant reduction in orders from major customers; costs of legal proceedings; information technology failures; a decrease in the average selling prices of our products; failure to penetrate new applications and markets; development delays and consolidation trends in our industry; inability to make substantial research and development investments; delays or expenses caused by undetected defects or bugs in our products; failure to timely develop and introduce new or enhanced products; order and shipment uncertainties; failure to accurately predict our future revenue and appropriately budget expenses; lengthy and expensive customer qualification processes; customer product plan cancellations; failure to maintain compliance with government regulations; failure to attract and retain qualified personnel; any adverse impact of rising interest rates on us, our customers, and our distributors and related demand; risks related to compliance with privacy, data protection and cybersecurity laws and regulations; risks related to conforming our products to industry standards; risks related to business acquisitions and investments; claims of intellectual property infringement; our ability to protect our intellectual property; risks related to security vulnerabilities of our products; use of open source software in our products; and failure to manage our relationships with, or negative impacts from, third parties. In addition to these risks and uncertainties, investors should review the risks and uncertainties contained in MaxLinear’s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including risks and uncertainties arising from other factors affecting the business, operating results, and financial condition of MaxLinear, including those set forth in MaxLinear’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K, as applicable. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. MaxLinear is providing this information as of the date of this release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
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MaxLinear, Inc. Press Contact:
Matthew Lea
Head of Public Relations
Tel: +1 760.415.2529
mlea@maxlinear.com
Source: MaxLinear, Inc.
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