company blog about Mingjiada Supplies and Procures ASMedia ASM2824: A 24-Channel PCIe Gen3 Switch Chip for Server Storage Expansion

Against the backdrop of the growing popularity of server storage expansion and desktop-grade multi-bay NVMe SSD arrays, PCIe switch chips play a crucial role as ‘data hubs’. The ASM2824, launched by ASMedia (Xiangshuo Technology), is a 24-channel PCIe Gen3 switch chip specifically designed for high-speed I/O expansion, offering extensive application value in scenarios such as server I/O expansion, system storage and communication platforms.

For mainstream consumer-grade motherboards and certain server platforms that lack PCIe lane splitting (bifurcation) capabilities, the ASM2824’s built-in PCIe switching functionality overcomes these hardware limitations, enabling users to expand to multiple NVMe SSD bays without needing to replace their platform. Leveraging upstream PCIe Gen3×8 bandwidth, the ASM2824 enables users to build various high-speed I/O systems, with typical applications including server storage expansion, communications platforms and high-performance desktop storage workstations. Shenzhen Mingjiada Electronics Co., Ltd., as a globally renowned authorised independent distributor of electronic components, provides a long-term and stable supply of ASMedia’s full range of PCIe switch chips. The company also buys back related surplus stock globally, offering brand-new, original ASM2824 chips from stock as well as high-value buyback services.

ASM2824 Core Specifications and Technical Features

The ASM2824 is a low-latency, low-cost, low-power 24-channel packet switch chip supporting up to 12 downstream ports. The chip is housed in a 21×21 LFBGA package with 492 pins, with the package designation LFBGA492.

In terms of upstream interfaces, the ASM2824 supports 1, 2, 4 or 8-channel PCIe Gen3 connections to the root port and is capable of automatically detecting the channel configuration at boot-up. The chip supports three data rates per channel: 2.5 Gb (250 MB/s), 5 Gb (500 MB/s) and 8 Gb (1 GB/s), allowing flexible adaptation to bandwidth requirements based on the actual system architecture.

For downstream interfaces, the chip provides 16 PCIe 3.1 lanes, supporting up to 12 PCIe ports, thereby offering ample physical lane resources for the parallel expansion of multiple devices.

In terms of power management and reliability, the ASM2824 features comprehensive power-saving mechanisms, supporting L0s, L1, L23 and L3 power-saving states, as well as deep power-saving modes in L1 sub-states, and supports wake-up functionality in S3 and S4 states. The chip also supports independent port disable control, LTR (Latency Tolerance Report) and AER (Advanced Error Reporting), as well as SRIS (Separate Reference Clock Architecture) on both upstream and downstream ports, with a maximum payload of 512 bytes, and supports hot-swap and accidental removal protection.

Typical Application Solutions and Deployment Cases

The ASM2824 has been widely deployed in actual products; its flexible multi-port switching capabilities make it the chip solution of choice for multi-bay NVMe SSD expansion cards.

In the realm of desktop multi-bay NVMe SSD arrays, the OWC Accelsior 4M2 SSD utilises the ASM2824 chip to drive four PCIe 3.0×4 M.2 slots; this product delivers sustained read and write performance of up to 6,318 MB/s and 6,775 MB/s on Mac Pro and PC platforms respectively. This solution utilises the ASM2824 to flexibly allocate PCIe Gen3×8 bandwidth across four M.2 SSD slots; when combined with a RAID 0 array, it achieves unprecedented speeds exceeding 6,000 MB/s, delivering outstanding performance in large-scale video editing, VR/AR/MR environments and extreme gaming.

In terms of NAS and server storage expansion, IceWhale’s ZimaCube 2 Pro NAS utilises the ASM2824 PCIe switch chip to drive each M.2 slot, providing a full PCIe Gen3×4 connection for every M.2 bay and enabling the flexible deployment of high-density NVMe storage.

In terms of motherboard compatibility, the ASM2824’s built-in PCIe switching functionality ensures compatibility with most motherboards, including platforms lacking PCIe lane splitting capabilities. Users can install the ASM2824 expansion card into a standard PCIe x8 or x16 slot to expand the system with multiple NVMe SSD interfaces, without requiring the motherboard BIOS to support lane splitting.

Mingjiada Electronics’ Supply and Procurement Services

Established in 1996, Shenzhen Mingjiada Electronics Co., Ltd. is a globally renowned authorised independent distributor of electronic components. The company holds ISO 9001:2014 international quality management system certification and ISO 14001:2014 environmental management system certification, and operates branches in Hong Kong, Japan, Russia and Taiwan. With over 2 million SKUs in stock, the company supports ultra-fast delivery of urgent orders within 48 hours.

In terms of supply services, Mingjiada Electronics provides a long-term, stable supply of the full range of ASMedia (Xiangshuo Technology) PCIe switch chips, covering the two major product types: PCIe Gen2 and PCIe Gen3. Specific models include the ASM1184, ASM1182e, ASM1806, ASM1812, ASM1824, as well as ASM2806, ASM2812 and ASM2824. For the ASM2824—a core product in the PCIe Gen3 series—Mingjiada Electronics offers brand-new, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) stock, providing one-stop supply chain solutions for customers in sectors such as embedded systems, servers, storage and industrial control.

In terms of procurement services, Mingjiada Electronics recycles ASMedia PCIe switch chip-related surplus stock globally, offering long-term, high-value cash purchases for various forms of electronic surplus stock, including personal stock, factory stock, goods seized by customs, consignment stock, agency stock and clearance stock. Backed by strong financial resources and a solid commercial reputation, the company provides efficient and convenient recycling services to customers worldwide.

Contact Details: Mingjiada Electronics, Tel: +86 13410018555, Email: sales@hkmjd.com. The company is located at Units 1239–1241, New Asia Guoli Building, Zhenzhong Road, Futian District, Shenzhen. Please feel free to contact us at any time for the latest quotation on the ASM2824 or to discuss stock buyback arrangements.