Press release

Etters, PA
February 6, 2008
IMMEDIATE RELEASE, FC617

FCI Announces TwinMezz(TM) Mezzanine Connectors

ETTERS, PA. (February 6, 2008) -- FCI, one of the leading suppliers of connectors and interconnect systems, is introducing the TwinMezz(TM) board-stacking connector, bringing ultra-high density to mezzanine applications while exhibiting next-generation, high-speed electrical performance. The TwinMezz system packs 25 high-speed differential signal pairs in a square centimeter, or 161 signal pairs in a square inch, of board area.

A hermaphroditic design allows the TwinMezz connector to mate to itself, significantly reducing the number of part variations needed to accomplish a range of different stack heights. Current plans are to support 6 different connector heights to offer 20 different stack heights in the range of 12mm to 40 mm. Planned options for 2, 4, or 6 differential signal pairs per column will provide capability for circuit counts ranging from 80 to 800 contact positions and to tailor the connector width to fit available board space.

The TwinMezz connectors exhibit very well-matched impedance, low insertion loss, and low crosstalk, which make them well-suited for applications in very high speed environments. The open pin field structure, building on the same edge-coupled technology used in FCI's successful AirMax VS® high-speed connector system, allows for custom pin assignments so speed and signal density can be optimized. With optimized wiring patterns, transmission rates of 25 Gb/s or higher are achievable.

TwinMezz connectors also feature FCI's patented BGA connector termination for easy attachment to printed circuit boards using conventional reflow soldering processes.

The TwinMezz connector system will be further developed during the 1st half of 2008 and, when in production, the product line will be part of FCI's MezzSelect(TM) product portfolio.

About FCI's MezzSelect(TM) Product Portfolio:
Today, eight of FCI's product families are part of the MezzSelect(TM) product portfolio. With a number of developments currently on going, the MezzSelect(TM) product range will be expanded with high-speed, high-density and fine-pitch mezzanine connectors.

Based on mechanical and electrical selection criteria, the MezzSelect(TM) product selector allows for quick and easy selection of the board-stacking connectors that best suit an application.

###