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PCIe x8 Signal Breakout to U.FL/UMCC Connectors

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mwrnd/PCIe_x8_Breakout

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PCIe_x8_Breakout

PCIe x8 Signal Breakout to U.FL/UMCC Connectors.

PCIEX1-SMA is a similar project that is PCIe x1 and uses SMA connectors.

The board requires up to 34 U.FL/UMCC Surface Mount Receptacles and a 16-Pin 2.54mm Header or Socket.

PCIe x8 Breakout PCB

Related Projects: OpenCAPI_Breakout, OpenCAPI-to-PCIe, OpenCAPI-to-PCIe_x4_Host_and_Endpoint

Testing and Use Example

The board is currently being used along with an OpenCAPI_Breakout board to test OpenCAPI-to-PCIe on the Innova-2 SmartNIC. PCIe 3.0 x4 at 8.0GT/s is currently working. Standard 0.1" M-F Jumpers are used for the PCIe Reset Signal (nPERST) and its GND.

With cables shorter than 4"~=100mm the adapters work. Note the RX U.FL-to-U.FL cables are all the same length as each other and likewise all TX cables are the same length but RX and TX are different lengths as that is what I had access to. RX on the PCIe board connects to RX on the OpenCAPI board as it uses the OpenCAPI Host pinout.

PCIe x8 Breakout and OpenCAPI Breakout

PCIe x4 In-system:

PCIe x8 Breakout and OpenCAPI Breakout In System

However, using 250mm IPEX cables the adapters fail for PCIe x8:

PCIe x8 Breakout and OpenCAPI Breakout All Connections

Adapters Close-up

PCIe x8 In-system:

OpenCAPI to PCIe x8 In-System

PCB Layout

PCIe x8 Breakout PCB Layout

All signals are length-matched to within 1mm both inter-pair and intra-pair.

Resistor footprint R1 connects PRSNT1 to PRSNT2_x8. The R1 trace can be cut and PRSNT1 can be connected to a different PRSNT2 to reduce the PCIe lane width.

R1 Connects PRSNT1 to PRSNT2_x8

Wire jumpers can then be used to connect PRSNT1 to any of the PRSNT2.

PRSNT1 and PRSNT2 Jumpers

Schematic

PCIe x8 Breakout Schematic

PCB Layer Stackup

4-Layer PCB stackup taken from JLCPCB.

PCB Layer Stackup

Differential Impedance parameters were calculated using the DigiKey Online Calculator.

PCB Differential Impedance Calculation