Microsemi Introduces New SXP 24G Expanders with Dynamic Channel Multiplexing

Press Release Summary:

The SXP 24G Expanders are available in multiple variants ranging from 28 ports to 100 ports per device. The units are designed for server and networked storage applications. The Dynamic Channel Multiplexing (DCM) offers full utilization of 24G SAS bandwidth uplinks while aggregating 24G SAS, SAS-3, SAS-2 or SATA drives. The 24G SAS increases the instantaneous bandwidth available to the drives in cloud storage deployments.


Original Press Release:

Microsemi Announces Industry's First 24G SAS Expanders for Data Center Storage

New Family Addresses High Bandwidth Storage Needs to Unlock Full Performance Capabilities of PCIe Gen 4-Capable Systems

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Aug. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsemi Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Microchip Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: MCHP), today announced its new SXP 24G family of devices, the industry's first 24G SAS (SAS-4) expanders for server and networked storage. 24G SAS doubles the bandwidth of the storage interconnect, which enables the full bandwidth of the PCIe Gen 4 to be utilized by the storage interconnect. This new family of devices is specifically designed to meet the demanding SAS storage infrastructure requirements by providing reliable, high performance, low power connectivity to both SAS and SATA HDDs and SSDs within the storage subsystem.

"SAS storage infrastructure continues to be a workhorse for data centers and we are extremely excited to further evolve our highly successful SXP SAS expander franchise this year by sampling the SXP 24G series of products," said Andrew Dieckmann, vice president of marketing and applications engineering for Microsemi's Data Center Solutions business unit. "In addition to being the first SAS expander products in the industry to support the new 24G SAS standard, the SXP 24G products will provide a significant power reduction, and include a wide range of port densities for a large variety of storage architectures while introducing Dynamic Channel Multiplexing (DCM) to enable high efficiency aggregation for lower speed SATA and SAS HDDs and SSDs."

"Seagate is excited to extend our collaboration with Microsemi to include 24G SAS solutions," said Ken Claffey, vice president and general manager of Cloud Systems at Seagate. "24G SAS infrastructure is a key enabler for both performance SSD-based and multi-actuator hard drive solutions, as these end points continue to drive bandwidth requirements higher within the data storage architecture."

"Excitement is building around 24G SAS as system vendors worldwide are planning their next-generation storage platforms, and the Teledyne LeCroy Sierra T244 analyzer is built to support this coming wave of 24G SAS ecosystem build-out," said Joe Mendolia, vice president of marketing at Teledyne LeCroy's Protocol Solutions Group. "We have worked closely with Microsemi to ensure interoperability and in addition we have integrated full support for Microsemi's groundbreaking SAS-4 DCM technology in our Sierra T244 analyzer." 

The SXP24G family includes an enhanced firmware development framework that enables customers to preserve their firmware investment in prior generations of Microsemi's SAS expanders, enabling faster time to market. The devices also feature Trusted Platform support, a new level of platform security which includes hardware root of trust which are aligned with initiatives like the Open Compute Security Project.

"24G SAS will dramatically improve the instantaneous bandwidth available to the drives in cloud storage deployments," said Simon Hwang, vice president of MiTAC Computing Technology Corporation's Enterprise business unit. "MiTAC is excited to see Microsemi paving the way at 24G SAS and believes technology such as DCM will enable data centers to take full advantage of 24G SAS, even when using SATA or SAS-3 drives."

SXP 24G series solution highlights:

  • Multiple device variants ranging from 28 ports to 100 ports per device
  • Innovative Dynamic Channel Multiplexing (DCM) provides full utilization of 24G SAS bandwidth uplinks when aggregating 24G SAS, SAS-3, SAS-2 or SATA drives
  • Significant power reduction compared to prior generations
  • Firmware development framework backwards-compatible with existing SXP products

The SmartROC 3200 and SmartIOC 2200 are part of a full end-to-end solution of storage infrastructure and endpoint solutions for PCIe Gen 4 and 24G SAS.

Product Availability
SXP 24G SAS expanders will sample to select customers in 2018. For additional information, visit www.microsemi.com/smartstoragewww.microsemi.com/smartstorage/pcieg4 and www.microsemi.com/smartstorage/24gsas. For details on SXP 24G prototype availability, contact sales.support@microsemi.com.

About Microsemi
Microsemi Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Microchip Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MCHP), offers a comprehensive portfolio of semiconductor and system solutions for aerospace & defense, communications, data center and industrial markets. Products include high-performance and radiation-hardened analog mixed-signal integrated circuits, FPGAs, SoCs and ASICs; power management products; timing and synchronization devices and precise time solutions, setting the world's standard for time; voice processing devices; RF solutions; discrete components; enterprise storage and communication solutions, security technologies and scalable anti-tamper products; Ethernet solutions; Power-over-Ethernet ICs and midspans; as well as custom design capabilities and services. Microsemi is headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California. Learn more at www.microsemi.com.

CONTACT: Beth P. Quezada, Director, Corporate Communications, 949-380-6102, press@microsemi.com

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