MaxLinear Unveils Annapurna Retimer Delivering 1.6Tbps and 224Gbps per Lane
MaxLinear unveiled its Annapurna 224G scale-up retimer delivering up to 1.6Tbps and supporting 224Gbps per lane over copper backplanes, offering ultra-low latency and high power efficiency for GPU fabrics. The device, in eight- and sixteen-lane variants, targets a 30 million-unit market and ships Q2 2026.
1. Product Launch and Specifications
MaxLinear introduced the Annapurna scale-up retimer with 224Gbps per lane PAM4 signaling, delivering aggregated bandwidths of 1.6Tbps in eight-lane and 3.2Tbps in sixteen-lane configurations. This device extends copper backplane and Active Electrical Cable connectivity to AI training clusters requiring high throughput over short distances.
2. Technical Advantages for AI Fabrics
The Annapurna retimer employs advanced adaptive equalization, transmit pre-emphasis and proprietary DSP algorithms to overcome attenuation, return loss and inter-symbol interference at 224G per lane. Its ultra-low latency design and high power efficiency enhance GPU-to-GPU synchronization while reducing overall system complexity compared to optical transceivers.
3. Market Opportunity and Availability
Electrical backplane and AEC retimers are forecast to reach 30 million units by 2029, positioning MaxLinear to capture increased revenue from AI data center deployments. The Annapurna Scale-Up Retimer is slated for volume availability in Q2 2026, complementing the company’s optical DSP portfolio for hybrid interconnect architectures.