Rocket 1608A

Datasheet

PCIe 5.0 x16 8x M.2 NVMe Switch AIC

Key Features:

8x M.2 Ports (dedicated x4 lanes per port)

No. of Devices: Up to 8

Bus Interface: PCIe 5.0 x16

Switch AIC: Robust, Plug & Play NVMe Storage Expansion solution

Natively supported by Mainstream Operating systems

Supports x86 Intel/AMD & ARM Platforms

M.2 SSDs: 2242, 2260, 2280

Product Model	Rocket 1608A (R1608A)
Hardware Features
Bus Interface	PCIe 5.0 x16
Number of Channel / Port	8x Device Channels / 8x NVMe Ports (Dedicated PCIe 5.0 x4 per port)
Connector Type	M.2
Number of devices	8
SSD Form Factor	2242, 2260, 2280
External Power Support	Yes (uses PCIe Standard 2x3 Power Connector)
SRIS and REFCLK Support	TBA; please contact Sales for more information
Downstream port containment	Yes
Read tracking	Yes
Synthetic Hierarchy	Yes
LED Indication	Intelligent, Self-Diagnostic LEDs
FRU Support	Yes
Storage Security Suite
Hardware Secure Boot	Yes
Mechanical Specifications
Form Factor	Full-Height, Single-Width
Card Dimensions	284mm x 110mm
Card Weight
PCIe Bracket	Full-Height Ventilated Bracket
Cooling Solution	Advanced PCIe Gen5 Cooling Solution
	• Full-Length Aluminum Heatsink with Low-Decibel Cooling Fan & 2 layers of thermal padding • Copper contact for SSDs accelerates heat dissipation • Compliant with PCIe Specifications
Toolless SSD mounting system	Yes
Supported Systems
OS	Compatible with all operating systems that have native NVMe driver support
Secure Boot	Yes
Operating Environment
Working Temp.	0°C ~ + 55°C
Storage Temp.	-20°C ~ +80°C
Operating Voltage	PCIe: 12V(+/- 8%), 3.3V (+/- 8%)
Power	82.64W
MTBF (Mean Time Before Failure)	920,585 Hours
Kit Contents
Kit Contents	Rocket 1608A NVMe Switch AIC
	QIG
	0.75mm thickness Thermal PAD (K=8, Grey)
	8x additional rubber twist-pins for M.2 SSDs

Robust, Compact, All-in-one PCIe Gen5 M.2 NVMe Connectivity Solution for x86/AMD industrial and edge platforms

HighPoint's Rocket 1608A 8-Channel NVMe Switch AIC is an ultra-compact high-density, M.2 NVMe SSD connectivity solution capable of delivering up to 60GB/s of real-world transfer speed and 12 Million IOPs for Industrial and Edge computing environments. The robust, small-footprint AIC form factor directly hosts M.2 NVMe media, and can be easily integrated into any industry standard x86 Intel/AMD server or workstation with a free PCIe x16 slot, including compact industrial platforms and rackmount chassis.

The Rocket 1608A leverages Broadcom’s industry-leading PEX89048 PCIe Gen5 PCIe Switch IC to maximize the speed, reliability and scalability of M.2 storage configurations, providing a full x16 lanes of upstream bandwidth and x4 lanes to each M.2 port; ideal for performance-hungry data-intensive applications including high-speed data acquisition, virtualization services and AI/ML workflows.

Key Features:

8 Independent M.2 Ports

Wide-range of M.2 Form factor Support (2242, 2260, 2280)

Leverages Broadcom’s 48-lane PCIe Gen5 PEX89048 PCIe Switch IC:
Ensures the fastest, densest downstream connectivity possible
Optimizes signal integrity & stability, and minimizes latency

Designed to maximize performance & connectivity density per PCIe 5.0 x16 slot: nearly 60GB/s and 12 Millions IOPs

Customizable Firmware Solutions for Gen5 AICs

Natively supported by Mainstream Operating systems; delivers driverless deployment experience

Robust, flexible & scalable; Tailor speed & capacity for the deployment & infrastructure requirements of each Application/Workflow

Supports Multi-AICs Configurations: 2 or more AICs can coexist in a single workstation or server

Supports x86 Intel/AMD & ARM Platforms

Powered by Industry Proven PCIe Switching Technology

The Rocket 1608A is engineered to maximize the potential of each available PCIe x16 slot to deliver peak performance and superior storage connectivity. Each AIC leverages Broadcom’s industry-leading x48-Lane PCIe Switch ICs to optimize signal integrity, minimize latency and provide the fastest, densest downstream port connectivity possible in a single-slot device. Learn More...

Native, Driverless Mainstream OS Support delivers Seamless Deployment Experience

Rocket 1608A AICs are natively supported by all modern Linux and Windows based operating systems, and utilize Broadcom’s embedded MPT driver, and the OS’s native NVMe drivers. Administrators need only physically install the AIC – no software installation or unique management suite is required.

HighPoint PCIe/NVMe Switch storage solutions are universally compatible with all modern operating systems, including Microsoft Windows/Windows Server, Azure and Hyper-V, and Linux distributions such as RHEL, Debian, Ubuntu, & Rocky Linux.

M.2 media hosted by the AIC will be automatically recognized by these platforms, and can be formatted and partitioned using the default storage interface or SDS (software defined storage) application of choice.

In addition, native OS compatibility significantly streamlines service and maintenance sessions as support for the hardware is already embedded directly into each OS.

Advanced Field Service Feature Suite

Integrated LCD Indication Alert System.png

Intelligent Self-Diagnostic LEDs & Alarms: The Rocket 1608A features Built-In Early Warning LED Indicators and Audible Alarms. Simple color coding and light/sound patterns enable administrators to instantly asses the status of hosted NVMe media, the strength of the PCIe connection, and temperature of the PCIe switch hardware.

FRU (Field Replicable Unit) Support: The Rocket 1608A is a field replaceable unit (FRU); the VPD stored on each adapter enables customers and service providers to easily procure replacements with the correct firmware/driver combination.

HighPoint MPT Utility: HighPoint’s MPT Utility offers advanced real-time monitoring and diagnostic services for each Switch Adapter.

Advanced Cooling Solution

Rocket 1608A AICs are equipped with a powerful, ultra-efficient hardware cooling solution comprised of an anodized aluminum heatsink with an integrated low-decibel cooling fan, multiple layers of high-efficiency thermal padding, and a ventilated PCIe bracket. The solution rapidly transfers waste heat away from the hosted M.2 media and Switch chipset, and keep the performance-sapping threat of thermal throttling at bay.

Flexible Multi-AIC Configurations

Provided there are two or more free PCIe x16 slots, as many as four NVMe Switch AICs can coexist within a single platform. Operating systems will recognize each AIC as a distinct device, and is capable of operating independently. Configurable in single or multi-AIC/Adapter deployments, HighPoint NVMe Switch solutions offer unmatched flexibility in design and performance optimization.

Applications & Use Cases

The Rocket 1608A NVMe Switch AIC's state-of-the-art PCIe Gen5 Switch Architecture and eight independent M.2 ports enable customers to maximize the performance, scalability and reliability of M.2 storage configurations.

Native OS support and plug-and-play installation streamlines deployment and service workflows, enabling customers to seamlessly integrate Gen5 storage performance into any x86/AMD platform with a free PCIe 5.0 x16 slot; ideal for data-intensive, high-speed workflows including SDS, Virtualization Servers and Edge computing platforms.

This versatility makes the Rocket 1608A an ideal choice for IT environments that require rapid, flexible, and high-density storage expansion solutions.

Virtualization & Cloud Computing

Use Cases: Cloud Computing & Virtual Machine hosting

Benefits: Speeds up to 12 million IOPS, 4 to 8 independent M.2 Ports, and Native Linux & Windows support are ideal for VM platforms and Cloud Storage Services.

Edge Computing

Use Cases: Industrial Platforms, Edge Server & Workstations

Benefits: Native hardware support simplifies service & upgrade workflows, and the low-profile form-factor is ideal for compact rack-mount chassis.

PCIe Gen5 Solutions

Product	PCIe	Ports	M.2 FF	AIC FF
Rocket 1608A	PCIe 5.0 x16	8	2242 /2260/ 2280	FH-FL

PCIe Gen4 Solutions

Product	PCIe	Ports	M.2 FF	AIC FF
Rocket 1504	PCIe 4.0 x16	4	2242 /2260/ 2280 / 22110	FH-FL
Rocket 1508	PCIe 4.0 x16	8	2242 /2260/ 2280	FH-FL

PCIe Gen3 Solutions

Product	PCIe	Ports	M.2 FF	AIC FF
Rocket 1108A	PCIe 3.0 x16	8	2242 /2260/ 2280	FH-FL
Rocket 1104	PCIe 3.0 x16	4	2242 /2260/ 2280 / 22110	FH-FL
Rocket 1204	PCIe 3.0 x8	4	2242 /2260/ 2280 / 22110	FH-FL