PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFCE - PCIe Gen3 24-Lane Packet Switch | Diodes Inc.
MPN: PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFCE ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
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| 1 | $0 | $0.00 |
| 10 | $0 | $0.00 |
| 100 | $0 | $0.00 |
| 500 | $0 | $0.00 |
| 1,000 | $0 | $0.00 |
PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFCE Overview
A PCIe packet switch is a bridge device in the PCI Express hierarchy that sits between a root complex and multiple endpoints, expanding a single upstream root port into several downstream switch ports. In the system hierarchy, a packet switch is a key element of the PCIe interconnect family: root complex, switch, and endpoint. Switches route Transaction Layer Packets (TLPs) between ports, enabling lane expansion, peer-to-peer DMA, and host connection of multiple NVMe SSDs, NICs, or GPU devices beyond the root complex's native lane count.
Key features include support for 24 lanes of PCIe 3.0 SERDES at 8 GT/s, flexible port configuration from 3 to 12 ports, and a tile-based switching architecture in which each tile consists of 8 ports and 16 lanes (Tile 0) with additional tiles providing the remaining ports. The flexible lane allocation allows designers to size each downstream port to the endpoint it serves, for example x4 links to NVMe devices and x2 links to lower-bandwidth peripherals.
Technically, the architecture allows flexible port configuration by allocating variable lane width for each port, as described on the official Diodes Incorporated product page. The switch handles store-and-forward cut-through packet routing, link training to Gen3 rates, and standard PCIe power management, supporting designs that must comply with the PCI Express Base Specification for Gen3 operation.
Typical applications include NVMe SSD storage enclosures and JBOD controllers, server and workstation expansion backplanes, industrial and networking fan-out systems, and any design where a host with limited lanes must drive multiple high-bandwidth endpoints with peer-to-peer traffic isolation.
A key design consideration is SERDES signal integrity: at 8 GT/s, the 19x19 mm H-FCBGA package demands careful PCB stackup and reference-plane discipline; high-speed diff pairs should be length-matched and routed over continuous ground planes with controlled impedance.
This page synthesizes distributor availability data, drop-in alternative strategy, and practical design notes not consolidated in the manufacturer datasheet, with pricing references as of 2026-10-19.
Drop-in alternatives for PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFCE — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFCE (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Architecture, Interface Standard, Package, Packaging, SERDES Data Rate.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFBE
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PI7C9X3G1224GP
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFCG
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFCE Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Interface Standard | PCI Express Gen3 (PCIe 3.0) |
| Function | Packet Switch |
| Number of Ports | 3 to 12 (flexible configuration) |
| Number of Lanes | 24 |
| Architecture | Tile-based switching fabric |
| SERDES Data Rate | 8 GT/s (Gen3) |
| Package | 324-HFCBGA (19x19 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Packaging | Tray, 84 pcs per tray |
| Lane Width per Port | Variable (allocated per port) |
| Supported Topologies | Fan-out and aggregation (port bifurcation) |
PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFCE 324-hfcbga (19x19 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFCE (324-hfcbga (19x19 mm) package). This power device features gate, drain, and source terminals. For non-polarized packages, refer to the manufacturer datasheet for exact pin 1 orientation and footprint details. Common applications include power supply design, motor driving, and load switching.
No detailed pinout data available for PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFCE.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFCE is suitable for 6 applications: NVMe SSD Storage Expansion, Server and Workstation Backplanes, Networking and Communication Fan-Out, Industrial and Embedded Expansion, GPU and Accelerator Aggregation, Storage JBOD and Enclosure Controllers.
NVMe SSD Storage Expansion
The PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFCE fits NVMe storage fan-out perfectly: its 24 PCIe Gen3 lanes at 8 GT/s can be split into six x4 downstream ports, each directly serving one NVMe M.2 or U.2 SSD at roughly 4 GB/s per port. The tile-based switch fabric enables peer-to-peer transfers between SSDs without host CPU involvement, improving RAID and cache-tiering performance. Because lane width is allocated per port, mixed SSD generations with x4, x2, or x1 links coexist on one switch. Place the switch on short, length-matched traces to the SSD connectors and follow the datasheet reference-clock tree to meet Gen3 eye diagrams across all six ports.
Recommended
Server and Workstation Backplanes
In server and workstation backplanes, the PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFCE expands a single host root-port link into multiple slot links, with 24 Gen3 lanes supporting six x4 slots or a mix of x4/x2/x1 widths allocated per port. The 8 GT/s SERDES rate delivers about 1 GB/s per lane, enough for add-in cards such as NICs, HBAs, and accelerators. The 19x19 mm 324-ball HFCBGA concentrates all SERDES pairs in one footprint, minimizing backplane routing length. Designers should maintain continuous ground reference under slot diff pairs and implement the standard PCIe reset and power-good sequencing across downstream slots as described in the PI7C9X3G1224GP datasheet.
Recommended
Networking and Communication Fan-Out
Networking line cards and aggregation appliances use the PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFCE to connect multiple MAC, FPGA, or accelerator endpoints to a host CPU. The flexible 3-port to 12-port configuration matches topologies with one upstream x4/x8 link and several narrow downstream links, and variable lane-width allocation avoids wasting SERDES resources on low-bandwidth management devices. Gen3 8 GT/s operation provides deterministic latency through the tile-based fabric for peer-to-peer traffic between ports. In these designs, verify the reference clock topology (common clock or SRIS) against datasheet recommendations and budget insertion loss for backplane-scale traces at 8 GT/s.
Recommended
Industrial and Embedded Expansion
Industrial controllers and embedded systems benefit from the PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFCE when an embedded CPU with a single PCIe root port must drive multiple frame grabbers, motion-control cards, or FPGA coprocessors. The switch presents a standard PCIe hierarchy, so unmodified drivers enumerate downstream endpoints transparently. Its 24-lane Gen3 fabric offers roughly four times the bandwidth of Gen1 switching at the same lane count, supporting machine-vision and real-time control data streams. Industrial designs should review the datasheet power-management features for low-idle modes and validate operation across the specified temperature envelope before committing the 324-ball HFCBGA to a conformally coated board.
Recommended
GPU and Accelerator Aggregation
The PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFCE aggregates GPU or AI-accelerator endpoints behind a host link, using its 24 Gen3 lanes as three x8 downstream ports or six x4 ports depending on accelerator form factor. The tile-based fabric supports peer-to-peer DMA between accelerators, a key pattern for distributed inference pipelines that exchange tensors directly. Gen3 8 GT/s yields about 8 GB/s per x8 link, adequate for many accelerator families although not for full Gen4-class throughput. Route each accelerator pair over controlled-impedance 100-ohm diff pairs and consult the PI7C9X3G1224GP datasheet application section for equalization and receiver-detection settings at these link widths.
Recommended
Storage JBOD and Enclosure Controllers
JBOD and storage-enclosure controllers use the PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFCE to fan a SAS/SATA-adapter or NVMe-bridge upstream link out to multiple drive slots. With 24 Gen3 lanes configured as six x4 ports, the switch directly hosts six NVMe drive positions, and per-port lane-width allocation accommodates SATA-over-PCIe bridge devices running narrower links. Peer-to-peer capability lets drives communicate with the bridge chip without host mediation, reducing latency in caching tiers. Enclosure designs should allocate switch placement centrally among drive backplane connectors to keep 8 GT/s trace lengths balanced, and follow datasheet guidance on hot-plug reset and surprise-removal handling.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFCE — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFBE | PI7C9X3G1224GP | PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFCG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 324-HFCBGA (19x19 mm) | 324-HFCBGA (19x19 mm) - same | 324-HFCBGA (19x19 mm) - same | 324-HFCBGA (19x19 mm) - same |
| Brand | Diodes Incorporated | Diodes Incorporated | Diodes Incorporated | Diodes Incorporated |
| PCIe Generation | Gen3 (8 GT/s) | Gen3 (8 GT/s) | Gen3 (8 GT/s) | Gen3 (8 GT/s) |
| Lanes | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Ports | 3 to 12 (flexible) | 3 to 12 (flexible) | 3 to 12 (flexible) | 3 to 12 (flexible) |
| Architecture | Tile-based (Tile 0: 8 ports / 16 lanes) | Tile-based (identical die) | Tile-based (identical die) | Tile-based (identical die) |
Key Differentiators
- Flexible port-to-lane allocation (vs PI7C9X3G1224GP (base ordering code))
- High lane density per footprint (vs Broader-market 24-lane Gen3 switches (cross-brand))
- Authorized distributor availability (vs PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFCG / PI7C9X3G1224GPBHFBE suffix variants)
Design Notes
Route all 24 Gen3 SERDES pairs as 100-ohm differential pairs with a continuous reference plane; avoid plane splits under high-speed traces. Keep intra-pair skew minimal and length-match pairs within a group per the PI7C9X3G1224GP datasheet layout guidelines. At 8 GT/s, insertion-loss budget matters: pre-layout simulation of the longest backplane-scale links is strongly recommended, and AC-coupling capacitors should be placed per the datasheet recommendation near the transmitter side.
The 19x19 mm 324-ball HFCBGA requires an exact land pattern and controlled escape routing; via-in-pad or doghouse fanout keeps inner ball rows routable on a 6-8 layer stack. Provide a solid, low-inductance ground ball field and follow the datasheet power-plane recommendations for the core and IO rails. Do not omit the reference-clock termination and decoupling specified in the PI7C9X3G1224GP application section - reference jitter directly affects Gen3 eye margin.
Confirm the exact ordering-code suffix before PCB release: the PI7C9X3G1224GP family uses suffix qualifiers for package finish, packing (tray 84 pcs vs reel), and temperature options, and mixing suffixes can change the delivered packing format. Also verify power-up sequencing of the switch rails against the datasheet before first bring-up, and validate the downstream reset (PERST#) distribution so all switch ports train correctly during host enumeration.
Compliance Information
Compliance status not stated in the captured distributor snippets. Diodes Incorporated product pages typically publish RoHS/REACH status per ordering code - verify on the official diodes.com PI7C9X3G1224GP product page.
