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PEX 8648

48-Lane, 12-Port PCI Express Gen 2 (5.0 GT/s) Switch, 27 x 27mm FCBGA
The ExpressLane™ PEX 8648 device offers 48 PCI Express Gen 2 (5.0 GT/s) lanes, capable of configuring up to 12 flexible ports. The switch conforms to the PCI Express Base Specification, rev 2.0. The 48-lane switch enables users to add scalable, high bandwidth, non-blocking interconnection to a wide variety of applications including servers, communications, storage, blade servers, and embedded systems. The PEX 8648 boasts the industry’s lowest PCIe Gen 2 latency at 140ns and unsurpassed performance with its non-blocking architecture, capable of supporting both host-centric as well as true peer-to-peer traffic. The PEX 8648 also features an on-chip Non-Transparent port for dual-host and failover applications, as well as three 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 8648 is offered in a 27 x 27mm 676-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 8648 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 | 1.2 | 11/08 | ||
| 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 | 08/08 | ||
| 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 8648 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 | RDK Hardware Reference Manual | 1.1 | 11/08 | |||
| Software Development Kit (SDK) | View HTML | Software Development Kit | -- | -- | ||
| BSDL | Download | Preliminary Boundary Scan Description Language files | 0.91 | 10/08 | ||
| HSPICE Model | Download | HSPICE Model | 0.9 | 07/08 | ||
| OrCAD | Download | Preliminary OrCAD Library | 0.82 | 01/08 | ||
| GERBER | Download | RDK Gerber Files | 1.0 | 02/08 |
PEX 8648 Applications
| Application | Description | Document | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Servers | Blade | Create Low-Cost Backplane/Fabric | ExpressApps #57 (PDF) |