Amphenol Military High Speed specializes in the design and manufacture of ruggedized high-speed connectors, cables, and integrated interconnect solutions for military and aerospace applications that require ultra-fast, reliable data transmission in harsh environments. Utilizing copper contacts and fiber optic termini, our high-speed solutions incorporate a large variety of protocols and standards for high-bandwidth, low-latency performance across mission-critical systems.
Explore the guide below for a closer look at the high-speed protocols supported across our portfolio. This guide highlights, though isn’t limited to, key standards commonly used throughout defense and aerospace applications, including Ethernet, DisplayPort, RapidIO, USB, PCIe, and more.
| Protocol Name | Impedance (ohms) | Data Signaling rate (Gbps) per High-Speed Data Pair | Effective High-Speed Data Pairs | High-Speed Data Pairs | Signal Pins | Power Pins | Ground/Shield Pins | Total Pins | High Speed Product |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 BASE T Ethernet | 100 | 0.25 | 4 | 4 (all bi-directional) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
|
| 1000 BASE CX Ethernet | 150 | 1.25 | 1 | 2 (1 transmit; 1 receive) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | (1) 150 Ohm Star Quadrax |
| 10G BASE T Ethernet | 100 | 2.5 | 4 | 4 (all bi-directional) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
|
| 10G BASE-CX4 | 100 | 3.125 | 4 | 8 (4 transmit; 4 receive) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
|
| XAUI, SERDES @ 3.125 Gbps only | 100 | 3.125 | 4 | 8 (4 transmit; 4 receive) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
|
| SATA Gen1 (1.5 Gbps SATA) | 100 | 1.5 | 1 | 2 (1 transmit; 1 receive) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
|
| SATA Gen2 (3 Gbps SATA) | 100 | 3 | 1 | 2 (1 transmit; 1 receive) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
|
| SATA Gen3 (6 Gbps SATA) | 100 | 6 | 1 | 2 (1 transmit; 1 receive) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
|
| DVI 1.0 (Single link) | 100 | 1.65 | 3 | 4 (3 signal; 1 clock) | 3 (digital only) 8 (digital & analog) | 1 | 5 (digital only) 6 (digital & analog) | 17 (digital only) 23 (digital & analog) |
|
| DVI 1.0 (Dual link) | 100 | 1.65 | 6 | 7 (6 signal; 1 clock) | 3 (digital only) 8 (digital & analog) | 1 | 5 (digital only) 6 (digital & analog) | 23 (digital only) 29 (digital & analog) |
|
| HDMI 1.3a, HDMI 1.4 | 100 | 3.4 | 3 | 4 (3 signal; 1 clock) | 5 | 1 | 5 | 19 |
|
| HD-SDI (SMPTE 292M) | 150 | 1.485 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 (outer body) | 2 |
|
| Protocol Name | Impedance (ohms) | Data Signaling rate (Gbps) per High-Speed Data Pair | Effective High-Speed Data Pairs | High-Speed Data Pairs | Signal Pins | Power Pins | Ground/Shield Pins | Total Pins | High Speed Product |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DisplayPort v1.0 (reduced rate) | 100 | 1.62 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 20 |
|
| DisplayPort v1.0 (full rate) | 100 | 2.7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 20 |
|
| DisplayPort v1.2 | 100 | 5.4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 20 |
|
| USB 2.0 (High-speed USB) | 90 | 0.48 | 1 | 1 (bi-directional) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
|
| USB 3.0 (SuperSpeed USB) USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps SuperSpeed) | 90 | 5 | 2 | 3 (2 USB 3.0 pairs; 1 USB 2.0 pair) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
|
| PCI Express 2.0 (x8) | 100 | 5 | 8 | 17 (16 signal; 1 clock) | 18 | 8 | 38 | 98 | OCS 23-58 arrangement |
| 6G-SDI | 150 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 (outer body) | 2 |
|
| USB 1.1 (Full-speed USB) | 90 | 0.012 | 1 | 1 (bi-directional) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | (4) 22D contacts |
| HDMI 2.0 | 100 | 6 | 3 | 4 (3 signal; 1 clock) | 5 | 1 | 5 | 19 |
|
| PCIe Gen3 (x8) | 100 | 8 | 8 | 17 (16 signal; 1 clock) | 18 | 8 | 38 | 98 | OCS 23-58 arrangement |
| RapidIO (1.25 and 2.5 Gbaud) | 100 | From 1.25 Gbps to 2.5 Gbps | 1 | 2 (1 transmit; 1 receive) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
|
| RapidIO (3.125, 5 and 6.25 Gbaud) | 100 | From 3.125 Gbps to 6.25 Gbps | 1 | 2 (1 transmit; 1 receive) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | (1) Split Pair Quadrax |
| CoaXPress | 150 | From 1.25 Gbps to 12.5 Gbps | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 (outer body) | 2 |
|
1000BASE-T Ethernet is the industry standard for Gigabit-speed networking over copper cabling. By utilizing all four wire pairs in standard Category 5e (or better) twisted-pair cables, it delivers reliable 1 Gbps (1000 Mbps) speeds - ten times faster than traditional Fast Ethernet. This technology provides a cost-effective way to upgrade network infrastructure without replacing existing cabling, making it ideal for both business and home networks. With its backward compatibility and support for Power over Ethernet (PoE), 1000BASE-T remains the most widely adopted solution for high-speed wired connections in telecom and enterprise environments.
1000BASE-CX is a Gigabit Ethernet standard that supports 1 Gbps (1000 Mbps) speeds over shielded twisted-pair (STP) copper cables. Designed for short-distance connections (up to 25 meters), it’s ideal for linking nearby devices, such as switches or servers in a data center. The name breaks down as: "1000" (speed in Mbps), "Base" (baseband transmission), and "CX" (short-haul copper). This standard is part of the IEEE 802.3z specification, which defines early Gigabit Ethernet technologies. While useful for high-speed, low-latency connections in confined spaces, it has largely been replaced by more modern copper and fiber solutions.
10GBASE-T is a 10 Gigabit Ethernet standard that runs over standard twisted-pair copper cables (Cat6/Cat6a/Cat7) using RJ-45 connectors, supporting distances up to 100 meters. Defined by IEEE 802.3an, it provides an affordable, high-speed networking solution for data centers and enterprises while maintaining backward compatibility with existing cabling infrastructure. Though more power-hungry than fiber optics, its ease of deployment makes it ideal for short-to-medium range high-bandwidth applications.
XAUI (10 Gigabit Attachment Unit Interface) is a standard for extending the 10 Gb Media Independent Interface (XGMII) between the Media Access Control (MAC) and PHY layer of 10 Gb Ethernet (10 GbE), using four 3.125 Gbps serial lanes. SERDES (Serializer/Deserializer) is a technology that converts parallel data to serial and vice versa, used in XAUI and other high-speed applications to reduce pin count and simplify interconnects.
SATA Gen1, also known as SATA 1.5Gb/s or SATA I, is the first generation of the Serial ATA interface, offering a maximum data transfer rate of 1.5 Gbps (gigabits per second). SATA Gen1 does not support NCQ, and uses 8b/10b encoding method.
SATA Gen2, also known as SATA 3Gb/s or SATA II, is a second-generation SATA interface that offers a maximum data transfer rate of 3.0 Gb/s (300 MB/s) and is backward compatible with SATA I ports.
SATA Gen3, also known as SATA 6Gb/s or SATA III, is the third-generation SATA interface that offers a maximum data transfer rate of 6.0 Gbps (600 MB/s) and is backward compatible with earlier SATA versions.
DVI 1.0 (Single Link) is the original version of the Digital Visual Interface (DVI), introduced in 1999 by the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG). It was designed to replace older analog standards like VGA by providing digital video transmission for displays. Supporting resolutions up to 1920x1200 (WUXGA) at 60Hz and bandwidth up to 3.96 Gbps.
DVI 1.0 (Dual-Link) is an enhanced version of the Digital Visual Interface (DVI) standard that provides higher bandwidth up to 7.92 Gbps and resolution 2560 × 1600 @ 60 Hz. It is used to connect high-resolution monitors, projectors, and some older GPUs.
HDMI 1.3a was a minor update to HDMI 1.3, mainly focusing on adjustments for manufacturers using CEC and Type C connectors, with no practical differences from HDMI 1.3. HDMI 1.3 is the most fundamental version carries 1080p.
HDMI 1.4, on the other hand, introduced 4K resolution support and features like the HDMI Ethernet Channel and Audio Return Channel (ARC).
HD-SDI (SMPTE 292M), standardized by SMPTE 292M, is a high-definition serial digital interface that transmits uncompressed video and audio signals at a rate of 1.485 Gbps, primarily used for 720p and 1080i video formats. It is widely used in broadcasting, professional video production, and high-end security camera systems due to its ability to transmit uncompressed HD video over long distances.
DisplayPort v1.0(reduced rate), specifically the "reduced rate" aspect, refers to a lower bandwidth option (1.62 Gbps per lane) within the DisplayPort 1.0 standard. It was designed to support lower-bandwidth applications where full DisplayPort performance wasn't necessary, often to reduce power consumption or simplify cable/connector requirements.
DisplayPort v1.0(full rate), with its "full rate" of 10.8 Gbps (8.64 Gbps data rate), is a high-performance digital display interface that supports 1080p at 144 Hz and 4K at 30 Hz. It was introduced in 2006 by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). It was designed as a high-bandwidth digital interface for transmitting uncompressed video and audio between devices like PCs, monitors, and projectors.
DisplayPort v1.2: DisplayPort version 1.2 was introduced on 7 January 2010. The most significant improvement of this version is the doubling of the data rate to 17.28 Gbit/s in High Bit Rate 2 (HBR2) mode, which allows increased resolutions, higher refresh rates, and greater color depth, such as 3840 × 2160 at 60 Hz 10 bpc RGB.
USB 2.0 (High-Speed USB), released in 2000, offers a maximum data transfer rate of 480 Mbps—40 times faster than USB 1.1 (12 Mbps). It supports a wide range of devices like keyboards, mice, flash drives, printers, and external hard drives, with backward compatibility to USB 1.1.
USB 3.0, also known as SuperSpeed USB, is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) data transfer standard that offers significantly faster speeds (up to 5 Gbps) compared to its predecessor, USB 2.0, and is backward compatible.
USB 3.1 Gen 1, also known as SuperSpeed USB, is a USB standard that supports data transfer speeds of up to 5 Gbps (5000 Megabits per second), which is the same as the original USB 3.0 standard.
PCI Express 2.0 (x8) refers to a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) connection with eight data lanes operating at a maximum speed of 5.0 Gbps per lane, resulting in a total bandwidth of 40 Gbps.
6G-SDI, or the Sixth Generation Serial Digital Interface, is an advanced standard (SMPTE ST 2081) that transmits video and embedded audio at a bitrate of 6 Gbps, supporting formats like 1080p at 120 frames per second and 2160p at 30 frames per second.
USB 1.1, also known as "Full-speed USB", is an older USB standard that offers a maximum data transfer rate of 12 Mbps, suitable for devices like keyboards, mice, and printers, and is backward compatible with USB 1.0.
HDMI 2.0 is a standard for transmitting uncompressed video and audio data, offering increased bandwidth (18 Gbps) compared to HDMI 1.4, enabling smoother 4K visuals at 60 frames per second (fps) and supporting features like 32 audio channels and HDR.
PCIe Gen3 (x8) refers to a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) connection operating at the third generation specification (Gen3) with eight data lanes (x8). This provides a bandwidth of around 8 GB/s, is often used for high-end network cards and some graphics cards.
RapidIO is a serial communication protocol designed for high-speed, low-latency data transfer between embedded devices, and 1.25 and 2.5 Gbaud represent two of its supported lane speeds, with 1.25 Gbaud corresponding to 1 Gbps and 2.5 Gbaud to 2 Gbps.
RapidIO is a high-speed, low-latency interconnect technology designed for embedded systems, telecommunications, and high-performance computing. It supports data rates of 3.125, 5, and 6.25 Gbaud, enabling fast, reliable communication between processors and devices. Unlike PCIe, RapidIO is optimized for low power, deterministic performance, and scalability, making it ideal for networking, aerospace, and military applications.
CoaXPress (CXP) is a high-speed camera interface standard used in industrial imaging, machine vision, and broadcasting. It transmits high-resolution video, control signals, and power over a single coaxial cable, supporting speeds up to 12.5 Gbps per channel. CXP offers low latency, long cable lengths (over 100m), and real-time data transmission, making it ideal for high-speed cameras and automated inspection systems.