Serial Cables launches Gen6 host adapter with Broadcom Atlas3 B0 silicon

By AI, Created 11:15 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – Serial Cables introduced a PCIe Gen6 host adapter card built around Broadcom’s Atlas3 PEX90080 switch, giving engineers a way to test and integrate Gen6 devices in existing Gen5 systems. The card is available now and is scheduled to begin shipping in May 2026.

Why it matters: - The card gives engineers a way to validate PCIe Gen6 devices without waiting for Gen6-capable servers or motherboards. - Serial Cables is targeting storage, GPU, accelerator and compliance testing workflows that need Gen6 connectivity now. - The launch adds another option for labs and system integrators working on next-generation data center hardware.

What happened: - Serial Cables announced the PCIe Gen6 Host Adapter Card, model PCI6-AD-x16HI-BG6-80-B0. - The card uses production B0 Broadcom Atlas3 PEX90080 switch silicon with 80 lanes of Gen6 connectivity. - The company said the product is available for order now and will begin shipping in May 2026.

The details: - The host adapter provides 64 lanes of Gen6 traffic downstream to connected devices. - The design includes four right-angle MCIO x8 connectors based on the SFF-TA-1016 standard. - The card also includes a Gen6 x16 straddle-mount connector for edge-based solutions. - Dual USB Type-C ports handle switch management and diagnostics. - An integrated mCPU provides CLI control for real-time monitoring and switch configuration. - The switch uses Broadcom Talon 5 SerDes technology with PAM-4 encoding. - The card supports managed and unmanaged firmware modes. - Advanced Gen6 features include FLIT and FEC, non-transparent port capability, DMA channels, true peer-to-peer transfer and hot-plug support. - Power options include PCIe slot power and an external 12V 2x6 PCIe power connector. - LED indicators show link speed, link width, system health and heartbeat status. - The straddle-mount connector supports up to 75W power delivery. - Each MCIO x8 port includes dedicated reference clocks, I2C interfaces and PERST# signals. - Serial Cables says the switch supports up to 40 ports of PCIe Gen6 connectivity. - The company says the card can be installed in existing Gen5 systems to provide Gen6 connectivity downstream. - Serial Cables directed customers to sales@serialcables.com for availability, pricing and technical specifications.

Between the lines: - The product is aimed at lowering the barrier to Gen6 development by decoupling device testing from the arrival of Gen6 host platforms. - The feature set points to lab and validation use cases rather than general-purpose server deployment. - Broadcom’s B0 production silicon suggests the platform is moving beyond early prototype hardware.

What’s next: - Serial Cables plans to start shipments in May 2026. - Engineers and buyers seeking details can contact the company for pricing and technical specifications. - The card will likely be used in validation pipelines for Gen6 storage arrays, NVMe drives, GPU and accelerator systems, and compliance testing.

The bottom line: - Serial Cables is bringing Gen6 test infrastructure to existing Gen5 environments ahead of broader Gen6 server adoption.