May 24, 2013 – Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB, Country Manager In-gyu Kim), a global leader in high-performance analog-intensive mixed-signal ICs, announced the expansion of its industry-leading PCIe timing solution portfolio with the launch of single-output or dual-output PCIe (PCI Express) clock generators featuring the industry's smallest footprint and lowest power consumption. The newly released clock generator ICs, the Si52111 and Si52112, are designed to comply with the stringent specifications of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation PCIe and target mass-production consumer, embedded, communications, and enterprise application markets. For these applications, board space, power consumption, and system cost are critical considerations.

Silicon Labs' Si5211x clock generator is ideal for space-constrained and power-sensitive consumer electronics, such as digital cameras, where industry-standard PCIe connectivity is essential. To meet the small form factor requirements of these consumer electronics, the Si5211x is available in a 3 mm x 3 mm 10-pin TDFN package, the smallest package in the PCIe timing market. Because this ultra-low-power clock generator consumes eight times less current (less than 15mA) than competitor products, designers can easily meet eco-friendly regulations while enhancing system stability. These devices further improve reliability by meeting PCIe jitter requirements with a margin of up to 50%, thereby lowering the bit error rate.

In addition to power savings and improved jitter margins, the Si5211x clock generator utilizes innovative push-pull output buffer technology. Compared to existing commercially available solutions, the Si5211x PCIe clock generator integrates all termination and reference registers on-chip, eliminating the need for additional external components. This high-density device feature allows system designers to reduce the Bill of Materials (BoM), required board area, and design complexity. Directly competing solutions require up to four registers per output clock, including a current source reference register. By integrating these registers on-chip, designers can create clean transmission lines from the output of the Si5211x IC to the receiver's input, simplifying board design and eliminating discontinuities in the clock transmission line that compromise output signal integrity.

Mike Petrowski, Vice President and Head of Timing Products at Silicon Labs,

"As the PCIe interface standard is adopted for applications beyond network storage and servers, there is a growing need for miniaturization, high integration, and ultra-low power consumption in PCIe clock solutions," he said. "Silicon Labs will meet these application requirements by providing the industry's smallest and lowest-power PCIe clock generator. Despite its compact size, Silicon Labs' PCI clock generator integrates many functions into a single-chip solution, significantly enhancing signal integrity."

Silicon Labs, an industry-leading “one-stop shop” supplier of timing ICs, provides the industry’s widest range of PCIe-compliant clocking solutions. Silicon Labs’ expanded PCIe timing portfolio includes web-based custom clock generators and buffers for FPGA and SoC-based designs requiring various clock formats while complying with PCIe standards, as well as standard clock generators and clock buffers for power and cost-sensitive PCIe applications.

Price and supply

Silicon Labs' Si5211x PCIe clock generator is currently available in mass production quantities with selectable single or dual PCIe outputs. Pricing ranges from $0.53 to $0.91 per unit in 10,000-unit quantities. Silicon Labs provides an easy-to-use evaluation platform to support rapid PCIe application development. The Si52112-B4-EVB dual-output PCIe clock generator evaluation board is available for $100 (U.S. Recommended Market Price).

For more information on Silicon Labs' PCIe clock generator and buffer portfolio, and to inquire about ordering samples and evaluation boards, please visit www.silabs.com/pci-express-clocks .