3M provides the latest in high-speed solutions to meet demanding system performance and packaging challenges with the 3M PCI Express Extender Assemblies for PCI Express 2.0 and 3.0.

We have incorporated our award winning 3M™ High-Routability Twin Axial Cable into an assembly that plugs into a PCIe card slot and replicates that slot at the opposite end of the assembly. The ribbonized format of the 3M cable provides a dense and flexible solution, and is available in X16, X8 and X4 standard channel sizes. As with other 3M Twin Axial Cable, SL8800 Series, based products, these assemblies can be folded to provide unique and specific geometries, maximizing the use of space and reducing obstruction to airflow. These mechanical benefits are provided along with the extremely low loss, and excellent signal integrity customers have come to expect from 3M Twin Axial Cable, SL8800 Series.

Industry standard PCIe peripheral cards can be placed in virtually any orientation within a system chassis. The 3M PCI Express Extender Assemblies can be folded or simply routed to the peripheral card, providing a low loss extension from the motherboard. Up to now, choices have been short assemblies, rigid PCB assemblies, or high-loss flex circuit assemblies. Higher channel loss solutions may require the use of PCI Express retimer chips. Another cost and design impact.

3M PCI Express Extender Assemblies are available in PCIe X4, x8 and X16 sizes, utilizing PCIe standard motherboard interfaces. A short PCB blade is at one end of the assembly, and a PCB with a PCI Express connector, is on the other. The boards have been designed with very short trace lengths. The connector PCB has mounting holes, allowing it to be secured within a system.

Common applications for these assemblies are for flexible system packaging, airflow optimization, or as extender cables for benchtop development. Rigid riser cards are limited to a simple offset (up and over), while 3M PCI Express Extender Assemblies can be configured to virtually any orientation within the cable length (up, over, forward, backward, around, under, etc.). A single 3M assembly may fit multiple offset designs.

Another application is for systems where long PCB traces consume too much of the signal loss budget. Using 3M PCI Express Extender Assemblies, customers may be able to eliminate the requirement for re-timers when implementing long electrical lengths. Similarly, the assemblies can help to avoid expensive low-loss laminate layers that may have been necessary to handle the PCI Express signals across the required distance. Reducing layer count or avoiding high-performance laminates may contribute to system design cost savings.

System density, performance enhancement and cost savings. Anything is possible.

PCI Express provides a powerful high bandwidth architecture for today's microprocessor based systems. Rather than let this high-speed architecture overload design budgets, offload the signals on to 3M PCI Express Extender Assemblies. Our standardized solution allows you to customize. And if these PCI Express configurations do not meet your specific requirements, please contact your local 3M Sales Representative and discuss the possibility of a fully customized solution.

3M PCI Express Extender Assemblies are being installed into the latest Enterprise Computing equipment, by some of the biggest names in the business. These assemblies are supporting PCI Express 2.0 and 3.0 applications.

Part Number	View Inventory
PCIe X4 Extender Assy, 250mm
PCIe X4 Extender Assy, 500 mm
PCIe X8 Extender Assy, 250mm
PCIe X8 Extender Assy, 500 mm
PCIe X16 Extender Assy, 250mm
PCIe X16 Extender Assy, 500 mm