PCI Express Retimers vs. Redrivers: An Eye-Popping Difference (2019)

Re:PCI Express Retimers vs. Redrivers: An Eye-Popping Differ... by willis936 on Wednesday August 26, 2020 @01:30AM (#24279432)

I worked in a test house for seven years. The last thing I did before I left is automate PAM4 25GBaud transmitter and receiver testing. I am intimately familiar with the costs. I am also familiar with how necessary it is for every player to have access to this equipment.

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Re:PCI Express Retimers vs. Redrivers: An Eye-Popping Differ... by kingosticks on Wednesday August 26, 2020 @05:24AM (#24280691)

And so if there is a need to increase bandwidth there could be an engineering decision to either go with faster links or more links at the existing speed. Faster links has the extra cost of involving more expensive test equipment, more links does not. Strictly speaking perhaps engineering decisions should not consider cost and that's one for the bean counters, but I don't think that's the reality for smaller teams where those two worlds merge.

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Re:PCI Express Retimers vs. Redrivers: An Eye-Popping Differ... by toast0 on Wednesday August 26, 2020 @11:37AM (#24283415)

Engineering decisions absolutely include cost. It's part of the classic triangle: Cheap, Fast, Good; pick two (or one).

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Re:PCI Express Retimers vs. Redrivers: An Eye-Popping Differ... by willis936 on Wednesday August 26, 2020 @12:37PM (#24284149)

Yes but if cost is dictating the quality spec then you aren’t accomplishing anything of value.

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