Intel shows off 10nm 112Gbps SerDes

IAD 2018: Lets not talk about the 56Gbps SerDes

Intel LogoOne of the most important things show at Intel’s 2018 Architecture day was not a CPU but a Phy. The reasons for this aren’t obvious so let SemiAccurate dig into the details.

The device shown was an Intel Falcon Mesa 10nm FPGA with 112Gbps SerDes, something that may not seem like a big deal. If you have any doubts that they are real you can take a look at the eye below, it is much cleaner than any eyes on the 112Gbps SerDes that the author has designed. (Note: Any eye would be better than ours since we have not ever designed one, this was meant as levity) There was also a demo showing that data could be sent and received across these transceivers, it wasn’t just pretty oscilloscope data.

Intel 112Gbps SerDes demp at IAD 2018

Eye to eye to eye

So why is this important? For two reasons, the process and what wasn’t shown. The process is obviously 10nm which SemiAccurate has heard is a bit persnickety with anything even vaguely analog like, oh say, a SerDes. That said we are not trying to question this device, just pointing out what was the case. More importantly Intel did not show off 56Gbps SerDes even though they have them and are shipping them on Intel/Altera 14nm FPGAs. Here’s where things get a little funny as in the ‘ha ha’ sense, not the ‘political promises’ sense.

Note: The following is for professional and student level subscribers.

Disclosures: Charlie Demerjian and Stone Arch Networking Services, Inc. have no consulting relationships, investment relationships, or hold any investment positions with any of the companies mentioned in this report.

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Charlie Demerjian

Roving engine of chaos and snide remarks at SemiAccurate
Charlie Demerjian is the founder of Stone Arch Networking Services and SemiAccurate.com. SemiAccurate.com is a technology news site; addressing hardware design, software selection, customization, securing and maintenance, with over one million views per month. He is a technologist and analyst specializing in semiconductors, system and network architecture. As head writer of SemiAccurate.com, he regularly advises writers, analysts, and industry executives on technical matters and long lead industry trends. Charlie is also available through Guidepoint and Mosaic. FullyAccurate