Repeater IC boost signal quality of high-speed USB 3.2

Diodes Incorporated has introduced a series of USB ReDrivers for the industrial, embedded, and consumer market areas. The PI3EQX1004E and PI3EQX1002E are USB 3.2 compliant, 5Gbps to 10Gbps, 2-Port/1-Port, linear ReDrivers. The devices offer adjustable linear equalisation, output swing, and flat gain to optimise performance over a mixture of physical media by decreasing intersymbol interference. They are claimed to be the industry’s smallest ReDrivers and free board space by utilising packages that are up to 64% smaller than those often employed for similar products. Target applications include desktop PCs, laptops, tablet PCs, and gaming devices.

The redriver, often known as a repeater IC, regenerates signals to boost the signal quality of high-speed interfaces. Faster signal frequencies leave designers with less signal margin to design reliable, high-performance systems. Using equalisation, pre-emphasis, and other technologies, a single ReDriver can modify and correct for known channel losses at the transmitter and recover signal integrity at the receiver. This allows for reliable communications with low bit error rates.

The devices are manufactured using the company’s patented technology, which allows them to extend PCB trace lengths while reducing cost and power consumption. Linear ReDrivers can also provide lower latency.