A communications technology company with a multi-card system already in the field.
Evaluate an existing backplane to determine whether it could support increased transmission speeds of at least 3.125 Gbps, without requiring hardware replacement in deployed systems.
The existing backplane design had not previously utilized its serial channels at high speed. The client wanted to upgrade performance without retrofitting or replacing installed equipment. Success required expertise in high-speed digital design and transmission line theory.
Impact ES–Rhode Island designed custom plug-in boards with SMA connectors and controlled impedance traces to interface with the backplane. Using time domain reflectometry (TDR), Impact ES –Rhode Island evaluated the serial interfaces for signal integrity. An IEEE standard for LVDS-based serial data interfaces was identified and used as the benchmark for evaluation.
The evaluation confirmed that the backplane could reliably operate at the desired 3.125 Gbps speed—allowing the client to upgrade their system without costly hardware replacements.
Strategic testing avoided the need for backplane redesign or replacement
Expertise in TDR and signal integrity was critical to success
Aligning to IEEE standards helped validate the backplane’s high-speed capabilities
Field upgrades were enabled with minimal disruption or cost
