First 10 Gbps NRZ backplane

Winchester Electronics, Interconnect Technologies, and Xilinx demonstrate first 10 Gbps NRZ backplane reference design

At DesignCon 2004, Winchester Electronics and Interconnect Technologies, business units of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC), and Xilinx, Inc. (Nasdaq: XLNX) demonstrated the world's first implementation of a fully functioning 10 Gbps backplane reference design, manufactured using Winchester's SIP1000 I-Platform(TM) Passive Interconnect Technology, Interconnect Technologies' printed circuit board design and fabrication expertise, along with Xilinx® Virtex-II Pro(TM) X FPGAs, and tested using Agilent 10 Gbps test and measurement equipment. Consistent with the I/O technology detailed in the UXPi standard, the companies demonstrated that 10 Gbps backplanes can be manufactured with off-the-shelf products and services available today from Winchester Electronics, Interconnect Technologies, and Xilinx.

"The inherent scalability and cost advantages of high-speed serial make this technology imperative for current and next-generation telecommunications, networking, and storage applications," said Erich Goetting, vice president and general manager of the Advanced Product Group at Xilinx. "Today's demonstration proves that Xilinx RocketIO technology continues to push the envelope; backplanes can be built today that support 5G, 6.25G and 10G serial rates, allowing tomorrow's backplanes to be built and deployed today."

"At DesignCon 2003, Winchester demonstrated SIP1000 I-Platform(TM) passive interconnect technology to prove that 10 Gbps backplane transmission in copper is possible," said Michael P. Driscoll, president, Winchester Electronics. "The passive channel technology we are demonstrating at DesignCon 2004 will serve as a solid base upon which transceiver technologies for data rates of 20 Gbps and beyond will be built. Northrop Grumman has raised the bar for interconnect technology companies, which will have to deliver performance along the whole channel through the PCB interface. The days of just selling connectors and printed circuit boards are gone and the days of selling channels have arrived. The reference design demonstrated in concert with Xilinx® Virtex-II Pro(TM) X FPGAs proves that 10 Gbps in copper is a reality today."

About SIP1000 I-Platform(TM) Passive Interconnect Technology

SIP1000 I-Platform(TM) is the world's first true interconnect platform designed to enable 10 Gbps+ serial data transmission in copper backplanes without the need for active equalization techniques. Conceived as a passive system-level interconnect, the SIP1000 I-Platform(TM) seeks to reset the balance between the passive and active elements in what have become known as "active interconnect systems" by delivering a revolutionary new interconnect technology architecture that provides solutions for ultra high-speed, high-density differential applications. This architecture enables solutions to challenges faced by high-speed design for data transmission over copper, by greatly reducing channel impedance and cross talk, and elimination of differential skew.

About Northrop Grumman Winchester Electronics

Northrop Grumman Winchester Electronics is a premier provider of high-speed, high-bandwidth interconnect products, including board-to-board connectors, RF connectors, cable assemblies, and power interconnects to the telecommunications, electronics and information technology industries. Winchester supports the specific needs of its customers globally with technical Centers of Excellence in Connecticut, Mexico, China and Malaysia. For more information, visit www.winchesterelectronics.com.

About Northrop Grumman Interconnect Technologies

Northrop Grumman Interconnect Technologies designs and manufactures complex, technology-driven, high-performance electrical and electro-optical printed circuit boards and backpanel assemblies through cabinet-level integration to the world's leaders in the electronics industry. Headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, it has operations in Scotland, China, and Malaysia. For more information, visit www.littoninterconnect.com.