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PEX 8616

16-Lane, 4-Port PCI Express Gen 2 (5.0 GT/s) Switch, 19 x 19mm FCBGA
The ExpressLane™ PEX 8616 device offers 16 PCI Express Gen 2 (5.0 GT/s) lanes, capable of configuring up to 4 flexible ports. The switch conforms to the PCI Express Base Specification, rev 2.0. The 16-lane switch enables users to add scalable, high bandwidth, non-blocking interconnection to a wide variety of applications including workstations, communications, storage, and embedded systems as well as intelligent I/O modules and add-in cards. The PEX 8616 boasts the industry’s lowest 16-lane PCIe Gen 2 latency at 150ns and unsurpassed performance with its non-blocking architecture, capable of supporting both host-centric as well as true peer-to-peer traffic. The PEX 8616 also features an on-chip Non-Transparent port for dual-host and failover applications, as well as two on-chip Hot-Plug controllers, allowing users to implement single-chip solutions. The device is hardware configurable and software programmable, allowing users to tailor their port configurations and QoS operating characteristics to suit their application requirements. The PEX 8616 is offered in a 19 x 19mm 324-ball FCBGA. This device is available in lead-free packaging.
Page Index
Related Gen 1 Devices
Related Gen 2 Devices
Supporting Documentation
- PCIe Technical Info & White Papers
- General PLX Product Documentation
- Support Documentation (Quality, FAQs, RoHS...)
Hot Applications
Usage Models
Suitable for host-centric as well as Intelligent I/O applications

PEX 8616 Technical Documentation
| Document/Resources | Everyone Access | Requires Membership | Requires NDA | Description | Version | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product Brief | Download | Product Overview | 0.96 | 10/08 | ||
| Part Numbers Listing | View HTML | Part Number, Listing and Compliance | -- | 09/06 | ||
| Data Book | Download | Detailed Technical Specifications | 0.97 | 10/08 | ||
| Design Notes | Download | Quick Start Hardware Design Guide | 1.1 | 10/07 | ||
| Download | Hardware Design Checklist | 1.0 | 10/08 | |||
| Download | Power Management Modes, PEX 8600 Products (White Paper) | 1.0 | 04/08 | |||
| Download | Dual Cast, 8600 family feature (white paper) | 1.0 | 10/07 | |||
| Download | Read Pacing, 8600 family feature (white paper) | 1.0 | 10/07 | |||
| Download | Dynamic Buffer Pool, 8600 family feature (white paper) | 1.0 | 10/07 | |||
| Download | Error Recovery and Fencing Mechanisms (white paper) | 1.0 | 01/08 | |||
| Errata | Download | Silicon Errata List | 0.92 | 11/08 | ||
| Interoperability | Download | Interoperability Report | 1.0 | 05/08 | ||
| Application Notes | Download | Using Dual Cast feature of Gen 2 switches | 1.0 | 05/08 | ||
| Download | Gen 2 switch compatibility with Gen 1 devices | 1.0 | 05/08 |
PEX 8616 Development Tools
| Document/Resources | Everyone Access | Requires Membership | Requires NDA | Description | Version | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid Development Kit (RDK) | Download | RDK Schematic | 1.0 | 03/08 | ||
| Download | Hardware Reference Manual | 1.0 | 04/08 | |||
| Software Development Kit (SDK) | View HTML | Software Development Kit | -- | -- | ||
| BSDL | Download | Preliminary Boundary Scan Description Language files | 0.9 | 08/08 | ||
| HSPICE Model | Download | Preliminary HSPICE Model | 0.9 | 07/08 | ||
| OrCAD | Download | OrCAD Library | 1.0 | 04/08 | ||
| GERBER | Download | Preliminary RDK Gerber files | 0.83 | 02/08 |
PEX 8616 Applications
| Application | Description | Document | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage | SAN | Host Bus Adapters - High Performance Fan-Out | ExpressApps#56 (PDF) |