Renesas 89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8

Overview

89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8 from IDT is a 12-lane, 3-port PCI Express 1.1 switch IC designed for high-throughput I/O expansion in servers and storage systems. It delivers 2.5 Gbps per lane, supports x4 upstream and dual x4 downstream ports, implements cut-through switching with ≤150 ns latency, and integrates twelve embedded SerDes with on-chip packet buffering.

For engineers reviewing the 89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8 datasheet, 89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8 pinout, 89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8 application, or 89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8 equivalent, key selection criteria include PCIe 1.1 compliance, configurable link widths (x1/x2/x4), SMBus-configurable operation, RAS features (ECRC, hot-plug support), and thermal performance in 19×19 mm BGA packaging.

Technical Context

The 89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8 implements a layered PCI Express architecture compliant with Base Specification Revision 1.1, featuring separate Transaction, Data Link, and Physical layers across all three ports. Its switch core supports eight traffic classes and one virtual channel, enabling prioritized routing of memory-mapped and I/O transactions between upstream and downstream domains.

It employs a low-latency cut-through forwarding mode with internal end-to-end parity protection on all TLPs and supports native PCI Express hot-plug via SMBus-managed I/O expanders. Configuration is loaded from external serial EEPROM using its dual SMBus interface - one master for initialization, one slave for runtime register access.

Key Specifications

Pinout & Package

Packaged in a 19×19 mm, 324-ball BGA (BCG324) with 1.0 mm ball pitch. Pinout includes dedicated differential PCIe lanes (PE0/PE2/PE4 RP/TN pairs), dual SMBus interfaces (master/slave), eight GPIOs with alternate functions (e.g., P2RSTN, IOEXPINTN0), JTAG test pins, reference clock inputs (PEREFCLKP/N, REFCLKM), and five power domains (VDDCORE, VDDIO, VDDPE, VDDAPE, VTTPE).

Key Features

Applications

Equivalent & Alternatives

The following parts are listed as comparable options for similar PCI Express switching applications.

Compared with 89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8, the 89HPES12N3AG2ZBBCI8 offers identical functionality in a smaller BGA footprint, while the 89HPES8N3A2ZBBCI8 reduces lane count and buffer resources to meet entry-level expansion needs - both require distinct PCB layouts and thermal validation.

Availability

89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8 is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for server backplane design, enterprise storage subsystem integration, and communications network card development requiring stable component supply and long-term industrial temperature support.

Supply support for 89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8 includes scheduled delivery planning, volume procurement assistance, BOM continuity management, traceable sourcing, and lifecycle availability coordination for OEM customers, industrial embedded developers, connected-device designers, and electronics production programs.

Manufacturer

IDT (Integrated Device Technology, Inc.) is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in high-performance timing, memory interface, and interconnect solutions for computing and communications infrastructure.

The 89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8 belongs to IDT's PRECISE™ family of PCI Express switches, engineered specifically for low-latency, high-reliability I/O expansion in datacenter servers, storage arrays, and telecom equipment.

FAQ

What PCIe specification revision does the 89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8 implement?

The 89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8 implements PCI Express Base Specification Revision 1.1. It operates at 2.5 Gbps per lane with full compliance for transaction, data link, and physical layers - including 8B/10B encoding, ACK/NAK retry, and LTSSM state machine behavior. It does not support PCIe 2.0 or later generations.

Does the 89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8 support hot-plug functionality, and how is it implemented?

Yes, the 89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8 supports native PCI Express hot-plug on both downstream ports. It uses its master SMBus interface to communicate with external Hot-Plug I/O expanders (e.g., TI TPS2384), sending output updates and reading input status via SMBus transactions triggered by the IOEXPINTN GPIO alternate function.

What are the power supply requirements for the 89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8?

The 89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8 requires five independent supplies: VDDCORE (1.0 V ±10%), VDDIO (3.3 V ±10%), VDDPE (1.0 V ±10%), VDDAPE (1.0 V ±10%), and VTTPE (1.5 V ±5%). Power-up sequence must follow VDDIO → VDDCORE/VDDPE/VDDAPE → VTTPE to prevent latch-up; reverse order applies for power-down.

How many general-purpose I/O pins does the 89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8 provide, and what alternate functions are available?

The 89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8 provides eight GPIO pins (GPIO[0]–GPIO[7]). Alternate functions include P2RSTN and P4RSTN (downstream port reset outputs), IOEXPINTN0 and IOEXPINTN2 (Hot-Plug interrupt inputs), and GPEN (General Purpose Event output). Each pin is software-configurable as input/output or interrupt source.

Is the 89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8 pin-compatible with other members of the PES12N3A family?

No - the 89HPES12N3A2ZCBCI8 uses a 324-ball BCG324 package. While functionally identical to the 256-ball 89HPES12N3AG2ZBBCI8, it is not pin-compatible due to differing ball count, pitch, and signal mapping. Board redesign is required when substituting between these variants.