High Performance Cables and Assemblies

Wauregan, Conn. (June 29, 2006) - C&M Corporation, manufacturer of high-performance cables and assemblies for worldwide markets, has released its BluStreak™ Series of connectivity products supporting InfiniBand® architectures and many other advanced high speed datacom applications including 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Serial Attached SCSI, high density data pipeline, ultra high-speed server applications and the like.

According to Michael Karg, Applications Engineering Manager for C&M, “Our current standard cable and assembly line and our ability to provide application-specific customizations is based on a proprietary technology that was three years in the making. The technology includes a comprehensive product development methodology, advanced manufacturing capabilities and testing procedures. It provides users of BluStreak™ products with two important advantages: demonstrable assurance of compliance with InfiniBand® and other demanding specifications, and the ability to have cables and assemblies customized to exceed current specifications and achieve unique performances."

Karg concluded, “As we release this product in today’s configurations, we are already looking at the next generation in higher speeds. InfiniBand® is currently at 2.5 gigabytes per second. Users are already developing double speed InfiniBand® applications and are looking beyond to quad data rate. Our BluStreak™ technology gives us the tools that allow us to address these near future demands."

C&M now manufactures a complete line of InfiniBand® assemblies and bulk cables for value-added resellers and distributors, in addition to bulk cables for cable assemblers and subcontractors. C&M also offers standard and custom InfiniBand assemblies to OEMs such as datacom switch manufacturers.

C&M’s BluStreak™ products support 1X, 4X, and 12X link widths in 24-, 26- and 28-gauge wire. Assemblies use either HSSDC2 or MicroGigaCN™ - style connectors, depending on link width. They are capable of data transfer rates of up to 2.5 gigabits per second while supporting up to 64,000 addressable devices. All assemblies meet the InfiniBand® Trade Association standards for impedance, skew, insertion loss, eye opening and jitter.

Key features of C&M’s high performance assemblies are the use of a hybrid direct attach method for conductor termination. C&M’s hybrid direct attach method is noted for its extreme reliability, the highest mechanical strength, and highest transmission speeds for assemblies used with LFH, SCSI, MDR, and InfiniBand® applications. This method is also advantageous to be used in cable assemblies with MicroGigaCN™, HDM, and MDR interfaces.

According to Kris Nippani, C&M's Senior Applications Engineer, "These machine-based techniques produce higher quality, more repeatable bonds than conventional hand solder operations, which are very operator-dependent. As a result, C&M’s process remains within statistical control, which is critical for high-end applications that place heavy demands on reliability, repeatability, and performance”.

C&M produces its own bulk cables as well as cost-effective finished assemblies. This high degree of vertical integration makes it possible for C&M to customize products according to customer requirements. The possibilities range from nonstandard lengths to custom breakouts.