Exablaze's ExaNIC X40 is a high density network interface card featuring incredibly low latency: 800ns application to application for small Ethernet frames (using the native API) and under a microsecond for small TCP and UDP payloads (using the transparent socket acceleration library).

The ExaNIC X40 ships with firmware providing eight 10GbE interfaces on a host, and through the use of QSFP+ breakout cables can connect to eight SFP+ ports. This enables a range of high performance applications such as packet capture across multiple connections, or market data line arbitration across many different feeds.

An alternate firmware image is available for download that provides two 40GbE interfaces. Users are free to switch between firmware images depending on their requirements.

As with our other NICs, the ExaNIC X40 provides hardware-based time stamping to a resolution of 6.2 nanoseconds. The card features an SMA connector which can accept a pulse-per-second (PPS) in or drive PPS out to further improve the accuracy of timestamps taken throughout the system.

Performance:

Typical latency, raw frames:

- 60 bytes: 800ns

- 300 bytes: 1µs

Typical latency, raw frames with pre-loaded TX buffer:

- 60 bytes: 730ns

- 300 bytes: 950ns

Typical latency, UDP (using ExaSOCK sockets acceleration).:

- 14 bytes: 880ns

- 300 bytes: 1.2µs

Typical latency, TCP (using ExaSOCK sockets acceleration).:

- 14 bytes: 930n

- 300 bytes: 1.2µs

Timestamping:

Timestamp resolution:

- 6.2ns

Timestamp availability:

- All received (RX) frames

- Most recent transmitted (TX) frame

Time synchronization:

- Host clock synchronization

- PTP (IEEE1588) (+/-10ns)

- PPS in/out

Time synchronization software:

- Linux PTP (PTP4L)

- PTPD (hardware timestamp branch)

- exanic-clock-sync

- Solarflare PTPD (SFPTP)

Other features:

Flow steering and flow hashing:

- 128 IP rules per port

- 64 MAC rules per port

High rate packet capture:

- Using free and open source Exact Capture software

- Best paired with ExaDISK high rate capture NVMe drives

FPGA Customization:

- JTAG header on board (via apater cable)

- Low-latency optimized Firmware Development Kit available

Specifications:

Form factor:

- Low profile (half-height) PCI Express card

Host Interface:

- PCIe Gen 3 x8 @ 8.0 GT/s per lane

Ports:

- 2x QSFP+

- 3.3V PPS in/out, software-selectable 50 ohm termination

Data rates / Supported Media:

- 40 Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, 1 Gigabit Ethernet, 100M Ethernet

- Fiber (40GBASE-SR4, 10GBASE-SR, 40GBASE-LR4, 10GBASE-LR)

- QSFP+ Direct Attach / breakout

- For best compatibility and performance, use genuine optical modules and cables from Exablaze.

Operating systems:

- Linux (any distribution)

- Windows (via 3rd party drivers)