Introduction to the Common Electrical Interface (CEI) July 2006 Introduction to the Common Electrical Interface (CEI) Graeme Boyd PMC-Sierra why@pmc-sierra.com

Agenda What is CEI? Related OIF Interfaces or Protocols CEI Electrical Interfaces Some CEI Restrictions CEI Compliance Strategy CEI Futures

What is CEI? (1 of 5) CEI A faster electrical interface is required to provide higher density and/or lower cost interfaces for payloads of 10Gbps and higher, including SERDES to Framer Interface (SFI), System Packet Interface (SPI), TDM-Fabric to Framer Interface (TFI). Electrical and jitter specifications for future interfaces including SFI, SPI and TFI for OIF as well as for other interfaces unrelated to OIF (examples could include Serial Rapid IO, SAS, Ethernet, etc). It does not contain any protocol implementations (that is contained within the OIF’s CEI-P document or within other standards). Release 2.0 is available for free download at http://www.oiforum.com/public/impagreements.html

What is CEI? (2 of 5) Jitter and interoperability Methodology OIF-CEI-02.0 is the latest publicly available version which contains: Jitter and interoperability Methodology SxI-5, SFI-4.2, SFI-5.1, SPI-5.1 & TFI-5: Compliance information only (the real specifications can be found here) CEI-6G-SR: Data lane(s) that support bit rates from 4.976 to 6.375Gbps over a 20cm link on a PCB with up to one connector CEI-6G-LR: Data lane(s) that support bit rates from 4.976 to 6.375Gbps over a 1m link on a PCB with up to two connectors CEI-11G-SR: Data lane(s) that support bit rates from 9.95 to 11.1Gbps over a 20cm link on a PCB with up to one connector CEI-11G-MR: Data lane(s) that support bit rates from 9.95 to 11.1Gbps over a 60cm link on a PCB with up to two connectors CEI-11G-LR: Data lane(s) that support bit rates from 9.95 to 11.1Gbps over a 1m link on a PCB with up to two connectors

What is CEI? (3 of 5) CEI shall define the applicable data characteristics e.g. DC balance, transition density, maximum run length CEI shall define channel models and compliance points CEI shall not: Define the pin assignments or select a specific connector Define a management interface CEI shall allow both single and multi-lane applications CEI shall support AC coupling & hot plug CEI shall achieve a BER of better than 10-15 per lane (with the test requirement of 10-12 per lane)

What is CEI? (4 of 5) Short & long reach links should interoperate under 20cm CEI-11G-SR links shall be capable of supporting SONET/SDH compliance at the optical carrier (OC) interface Also compatible with XFI links within the XFP specification CEI-6G-LR links shall accommodate legacy IEEE 802.3 XAUI and TFI-5 compliant backplanes. The primary focus of the CEI-11G-LR links will be for non-legacy applications Optimized for overall cost-effective system performance including total power dissipation

What is CEI? (5 of 5) SR: 0 – 20cm (6G & 11G) MR: 0 – 60cm (11G only) LR: 0 – 1m (6G & 11G) 6G: 4.976 – 6.375Gbps 11G: 9.95 – 11.10Gbps Does specify Channel Models Run Length Compliance points Jitter DC Balance BER Transition Density Coupling Interoperability Hot Plug Does not specify Lane Count Pinout Connector Types Protocol Management Interface Power Supplies Mechanical / Form Factor

Related OIF Interfaces or Protocols SxI-5 2.5-3.125Gbps electrical specification that uses the compliance part of CEI SFI-4.2 A multi-lane 2.5-3.125Gps link that uses the compliance part of CEI SFI-5.1 SPI-5.1 TFI-5 SFI-5.2 (In progress) A multi-lane link that uses CEI-11G-SR TDM-P (In progress) A protocol that can be used on top of CEI-6G-LR (next generation TFI-5 link) CEI-P A protocol that can be used on top of CEI-6G or CEI-11G SPI-S (In progress) A multi-lane link that can be used on top of CEI-6G or CEI-11G CEI-25G (In progress) A 25G electrical link (once done will go into OIF-CEI-03.0) SLA (Just starting)

Possible CEI Electrical Interfaces

Some CEI Restrictions (1 of 2) Average transition density and average DC balance needs to converge to over a 30,000 bit period with a probability of at least one minus the BER ratio Probability of run lengths over 10 to be proportional to 2-N for N-like bits in a row (N10). Hence, a run length of 40 bits would occur with a max probability of 2-40. If a fixed block coding scheme is used (e.g. 8B/10B), the input data must be either be scrambled before coding or the coded data must be scrambled prior to transmission This will prevent input data creating killer patterns (e.g. CJPAT patterns)

Some CEI Restrictions (2 of 2) The ground difference between the driver and the receiver shall be within ±50mV for SR links and ±100mV for MR & LR links Each connector is budgeted 50mV Both driver and receiver lane-to-lane skew are each allowed up to 500ps. Higher protocol layers must allow for this additional (1ns) skew. SR links have a standard open eye at the receiver, but for MR & LR links the eye maybe closed at the receiver hence requiring receiver equalization

CEI Compliance Strategy [1 of 3] Rather than specifying materials, channel components, or configurations, the CEI specification focuses on effective channel characteristics Hence a short length of poorer material should be equivalent to a longer length of premium material. A ‘length’ is effectively defined in terms of its attenuation rather than its physical length. CEI compliance method defines: Transmitter compliance in terms of eye masks, output jitter and certain emphasis abilities Channel compliance uses worst case transmitter design and a “ideal reference receiver” Receiver compliance must tolerate any compliant transmitter and channel

CEI Compliance Strategy [2 of 3] For SR links CEI has chosen to specify the transmitter and receiver. This then implies what are compliment channels. Similar to most other SERDES standards, except that CEI is using statistical eye’s (due to BER requirements). The Tx and channel compliance are done using a tool that OIF developed called StatEye. Open Eye at Rx pins Eye plot curtsy of Molex

CEI Compliance Strategy [3 of 3] As both MR and LR links can have a closed eye at the receiver, CEI has chosen to move the “receiver” spec point to after an “ideal receive equalizer”. Thus specifying the transmitter and compliment channels while implying the receiver spec. So however the real receiver is implemented it needs to be equivalent or better than the “ideal reference equalizer”. The Tx and channel compliance are done using a tool that OIF developed called StatEye. Eye completely closed at Rx pins Open Eye after EQ Eye plots curtsy of Molex

CEI Futures The OIF is currently working on updates for OIF-CEI-02.0 Editorial changes, clarifications, etc The OIF is also working on new clauses (for example CEI-20G) for future links.

It is the mission of the OIF to support the industry by sharing the results of its efforts with other organizations.

Thank You!