Samtec Demonstrates 224 Gbps Co-Packaged and Backplane Systems at DesignCon 2026
At DesignCon 2026, Samtec showcased active demonstrations of high-speed interconnects across two generations, with working silicon at 224 Gbps and a prototype pushing toward 448 Gbps .
Si-Fly HD Co-Packaged Copper (CPC) Family:
Samtec developed both on-package and near-package versions of the Si-Fly HD CPC connector family simultaneously, anticipating stronger interest in the near-package option. The market pushed back: at 224 Gbps, even a short transmission line between connector and chip introduces too much loss, so designers pushed for on-package placement. The result was broad adoption of the co-packaged version .
224 Gbps Backplane System:
Active demos at the show included the Si-Fly HD CPC connectors operating at 224 Gbps alongside a new 224 Gbps Si-Fly HD backplane system and Flyover OSFP Cable System, with partner silicon from Cadence, Broadcom, and Synopsys .
448 Gbps Prototype:
The 448 Gbps work is still in prototype stage. The industry hasn’t settled on a modulation scheme yet, creating the familiar chicken-and-egg problem: connectors and cables can’t be fully developed without test equipment, and test equipment development requires the connectors and cables. Samtec’s approach has leaned on its RF product expertise. The company developed the Bulls Eye ISI board platform, and the new BE71A and BE130A test assemblies support measurements from 112 to 448 Gbps and are already being embedded by some test equipment vendors directly into instrument front panels .
