Molex First to Offer High Speed Interconnect Solutions to Support the New SAS and SATA Standards

The storage industry is in the midst of a technological overhaul that is requiring applications to handle higher speeds and increased bandwidths. As a result, interconnect companies are challenged to develop connector and cable solutions that not only meet these requirements, but also are designed smaller to enable higher port densities both internally and externally. To meet this need, Molex Incorporated is the first interconnect company to develop a full line of high-speed serial interconnects, guide frames and cable assemblies that provide internal and external storage solutions for the new Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) and Serial ATA (SATA) standards.

Applications for SAS interconnects are found in mainstream data centers and storage sub systems that require scalability, performance, reliability and manageability. Molex’s solutions support bandwidths up to 3.0 Gbps for Generation I specifications and up to 6.0 Gbps for Generation II SAS specifications. These same products also serve the desktop market where SATA is the dominant protocol. The products connect storage devices inside these enclosures and also connect the host system to peripherals, such as hard drives, optical drives and removable magnetic media devices. Molex’s solutions support 1.5 Gbps for Generation I specifications and up to 3.0 Gbps for Generation II SATA specifications.

Molex’s suite of products for the new standards includes the iPass™ interconnect system, LaneLink™, x4 Internal Multi-Lane connectors and cable assemblies and x1 SATA connectors.

The iPass™ interconnect system offers solutions for both internal and external applications. The external 4x product offering includes an SMT host connector, EMI guide frame assembly and a 4x external cable assembly. Adapter cables are available for connecting iPass to LaneLink implementations. The internal 4x product offerings feature right-angle and vertical SMT host connectors with hood kits and internal cable assemblies with both straight and right-angle cable exit options. The internal products can also accommodate sideband signals. Adapter cable assemblies are available for connecting iPass (Mini Multi-Lane) to LaneLink (Multi-Lane) implementations.

LaneLink™ is designed for use with external 4x Multi-Lane applications only and features cable assemblies, a jackscrew receptacle and a jackscrew plug kit. The Multi-Lane LaneLink board-mount receptacle products incorporate two features not offered in competitive products: two or four solder post options; and staggered shell dimples to provide improved plug retention and EMI.

The x4 Internal Multi-Lane connectors and cable assemblies offer both traditional straight cable exit assemblies and "side" exit on the four-lane cables to provide options for internal applications with a tight fit and where a vertical exit is not an option. Additionally, custom cable solutions are available.

x1 SATA connectors for internal and external applications offer the broadest SATA signal connectors on the market. Both the power and signal cable options feature a latch design to prevent accidental un-mating during shipment, as well as a latching shroud for superior physical strength.

These products will be sold directly to Molex customers, as well as through the distributor and VAR channels.