The ICY DOCK EXLink MB308A5 is a PCIe 5.0 x16 NVMe host adapter card with dual MCIO 8i (SFF-TA-1016) connectivity, designed for next-generation high-speed NVMe cabling. With an integrated PCIe Gen 5 redriver and 100 MHz clock buffering, it helps maintain signal integrity for 32 GT/s links across longer trace and cable routing commonly found in servers, workstations, and validation platforms.
With a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface delivering up to 512 Gbps of total bandwidth, the MB308A5 is designed for platforms that support PCIe lane bifurcation (x4 / x4 / x4 / x4). When enabled, the PCIe x16 interface can be allocated into four independent NVMe x4 links, allowing up to four NVMe SSDs to be addressed through MCIO cabling.
The MB308A5 integrates a PCIe Gen 5 redriver to equalize and restore high-speed signals, helping preserve stable throughput in demanding configurations such as AI/ML, validation labs, and high-I/O workstation builds. It also includes a built-in 100 MHz PCIe clock buffer, SMBus switching, and out-of-band reset management for stable operation in enterprise system designs.
The MB308A5 has been validated with ICY DOCK MCIO-based NVMe mobile racks, enclosures, and cables to reduce integration risk and shorten system bring-up time for OEMs and system integrators building high-speed removable NVMe storage solutions.
Source: TechPowerUp News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing