New PCIe switching, NVMe controller and RAID acceleration technologies target data-intensive computing, improving data movement, storage resilience, security and scalability across AI servers and enterprise infrastructure.
Microchip Technology has expanded its data centre hardware portfolio with three solutions targeting high-speed connectivity, secure solid-state drive (SSD) storage and accelerated RAID management. The additions include the Switchtec PCIe 6.0 Low-Lane-Count (LLC) switch, Flashtec NVMe 5016 PCIe Gen 5 SSD controller and Adaptec SmartRAID 300 family of NVMe RAID storage accelerators. These devices address infrastructure requirements in AI computing, hyperscale data centres and enterprise storage systems.
The Switchtec PCIe 6.0 LLC switch provides up to 64 PCIe Gen 6 lanes and 32 ports, with configurable x2, x4, x8 and x16 lane widths. Its direct memory access (DMA) capability enables peer-to-peer data transfers between connected devices, reducing host processor involvement. Hardware root of trust and secure boot strengthen protection against unauthorised access. PCIe multicast and partitioning support also help manage connected devices across complex computing platforms. Its compact, lower-power design targets space-constrained servers and intelligent edge systems.
The key features are:
- PCIe Gen 6 switching with flexible lane bifurcation.
- CNSA 2.0 support for evolving cryptographic requirements.
- Dual-port NVMe controller architecture for storage availability.
- RAID 6 and RAID 60 support for improved data protection.
- StorageCore API integration for customised management tools.
For storage devices, the updated Flashtec NVMe 5016 PCIe Gen 5 controller adds support for Commercial National Security Algorithm Suite (CNSA) 2.0, addressing preparation for emerging post-quantum cryptographic requirements. Dual-port operation supports redundant data paths and load balancing, improving storage availability. Virtualisation, Quality of Service (QoS) controls and programmability help optimise performance across enterprise SSDs, high-capacity storage systems and AI infrastructure handling intensive workloads.
The Adaptec SmartRAID 300 NVMe RAID accelerator family receives enhancements focused on data protection, compatibility and operational management. Support for self-encrypting drives with local and remote key management strengthens storage security, while RAID 6 and RAID 60 configurations improve fault tolerance. Dynamic NVMe configuration enables in-service management, and peer-to-peer rebuild operations reduce CPU overhead during recovery. Persistent event logging supports troubleshooting, while compatibility with Linux, Debian, Ubuntu and Windows 11 broadens deployment options.
StorageCore API support allows SmartRAID management to integrate with third-party applications and customised out-of-band baseboard management controller (BMC) frameworks. ChipLink software supports PCIe switch configuration, diagnostics, telemetry and debugging.
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