Serial Cables launches PCIe 6.0 CDFP HHHL host card with Broadcom Atlas3 switch

Serial Cables introduced a half-height PCIe 6.0 host card that moves a full x16 link over one CDFP cable and adds onboard management for link, power and thermal visibility. The card is aimed at GPU, accelerator and validation teams that need cleaner cabled PCIe 6.0 test setups before host platforms and fixtures catch up.

Why it matters: - PCIe 6.0 devices are shipping faster than host platforms and test fixtures. - The new card is meant to give engineers a repeatable cabled link with more visibility than a basic host adapter. - The onboard MCU exposes link status, voltages, fan speed, board power and error counters from one CLI.

What happened: - Serial Cables announced the PCIe 6.0 CDFP HHHL Host Card, SKU PCI6-AD-x16HE-CDFP-BG6. - The card is a half-height, half-length adapter that carries a full x16 PCIe 6.0 link over a single right-angle CDFP connector at 64 GT/s. - The product is built on the Broadcom Atlas3 PCIe 6.0 switch, PEX90032, and includes an onboard management MCU. - Serial Cables positioned the card for PCIe 6.0 GPUs, accelerators, expansion enclosures and device qualification over a cabled connection.

The details: - The HHHL form factor measures 167 × 69 × 44 mm with the heatsink included. - The Broadcom Atlas3 switch supports up to 32 lanes and up to 16 ports. - The switch can run in unmanaged mode with no firmware or managed mode with firmware. - The architecture includes flexible port configurations, FLIT and FEC support, nontransparent bridge capability, integrated DMA channels, peer-to-peer transfer and hot plug support. - The firmware path is designed for staged feature releases. - The card uses active cooling with an onboard fan. - Maximum board power is 42 W for Gen6 x32 links, fan included and excluding CDFP cable power. - The operating range is 0 °C to +40 °C. - The card has a right-angle CDFP x16 SFF-TA-1032 connector carrying the full 120-pin Gen6 x16 pinout. - The design provides dual x16 PCIe 6.0 interfaces, with 32 lanes total: x16 upstream to the host slot and x16 downstream over CDFP. - An auxiliary PCIe 6-pin connector supplies 12 V to active CDFP cables, including AEC and AOC cables. - Two USB Type-C ports handle management through an Atlas3 I²C slave and a switchable SDB / SMART UART path. - The reference clock can run in buffer mode with a common clock forwarded from the host or in local generator mode. - Software controls spread spectrum settings at CFC or SSC of −0.3% / −0.5% and allows per-connector clock output enable or disable. - The card is expected to be available in late Q3 or Q4 2026. - Serial Cables is taking demo requests, datasheet requests, pricing questions and early access inquiries at sales@serialcables.com. - The company also said the card joins a broader PCIe 6.0 host card portfolio spanning Microchip and Broadcom Atlas III silicon. - Serial Cables also listed Hydra Gen6 8-bay JBOFs, vertical and horizontal EDSFF adapters, Gen6/CXL 3.x retimers and redrivers, M.2 to E3 adapters, and validated Gen6 and Gen7 cabling in its lab acceleration lineup. - The company said it is the exclusive Quarch reseller for the U.S. and Mexico. - A LinkedIn page for Serial Cables is available as the company's social profile.

Between the lines: - The product is aimed at a gap in PCIe 6.0 development tooling, where link bring-up often exists without enough instrumentation to debug power, clocks and errors. - Adding managed switch features and onboard telemetry suggests Serial Cables is pushing its hardware beyond simple connectivity into validation workflows. - Support for multiple cable types and active cable power points to longer-reach lab and enclosure setups rather than only short bench connections.

What's next: - Serial Cables expects the card to reach market in late 2026. - The company is offering early access and demo engagements ahead of general availability. - Broader adoption will depend on how quickly PCIe 6.0 platforms, cables and downstream enclosures continue to mature.