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Expansion

Dolphin PCIe Passive backplanes

PCIe Passive Backplanes

Select passive PCIe backplanes by generation, uplink width and downstream slot topology for remote GPUs, FPGAs, storage and instrumentation.

Generations

PCIe Gen4 / Gen5

Layouts

2 · 3 · 5 slots

Uplink

Up to x16

Architecture

Passive · no switch

IBP-G5X16-2IBP-G5X16-3IBP-G5X16-5IBP-G4X16-2IBP-G4X16-3IBP-G4X16-5

Selection guidance: These are passive backplanes, not PCIe switches. One slot is reserved for a compatible transparent uplink/target adapter; remaining slot width, maximum generation and cable distance depend on the selected backplane, adapter and cable family. The bare board requires a compliant enclosure, power supply, airflow and EMC implementation.

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System Capabilities

Passive backplanes extend a host PCIe hierarchy without an onboard switch, preserving a direct transparent path through the installed Dolphin uplink adapter.

Direct remote I/O

Place one x16, two x8 or four x4 endpoint devices in an external powered enclosure.

Gen4 and Gen5 options

Match the backplane generation to the host/target adapter and required endpoint bandwidth.

Peer-to-peer paths

Enable endpoint-to-endpoint traffic within compatible multi-slot layouts, subject to host and endpoint support.

ATX integration

Integrate bare boards into ATX or MicroATX mechanical and power environments.

Backplane Families

Choose by endpoint count and lane allocation. Each topology reserves one slot for the Dolphin uplink/target adapter.

IBP-G5X16-2

PCIe 5.0 two-slot backplane with one x16 uplink and one x16 add-in slot.

IBP-G5X16-3

PCIe 5.0 three-slot backplane with one x16 uplink and two x8 add-in slots.

IBP-G5X16-5

PCIe 5.0 five-slot backplane with one x16 uplink and four x4 add-in slots.

IBP-G4X16-2

PCIe 4.0 two-slot backplane for one x16 endpoint behind a compatible transparent uplink adapter.

IBP-G4X16-3

PCIe 4.0 three-slot layout for two x8 endpoint positions.

IBP-G4X16-5

PCIe 4.0 five-slot layout for four x4 endpoint positions.

Specifications

Use the family matrix to select the slot topology, then confirm board revision, uplink adapter, power budget and regulatory integration.

Dolphin passive PCIe backplane family matrix
Model	Generation	Slot topology / description
PCIe 5.0 PASSIVE BACKPLANES
IBP-G5X16-2	Gen5	One x16 uplink slot plus one x16 add-in slot; ATX/MicroATX mounting.
IBP-G5X16-3	Gen5	One x16 uplink slot plus two x8 add-in slots.
IBP-G5X16-5	Gen5	One x16 uplink slot plus four x4 add-in slots.
PCIe 4.0 PASSIVE BACKPLANES
IBP-G4X16-2	Gen4	One uplink position plus one x16 add-in slot.
IBP-G4X16-3	Gen4	One uplink position plus two x8 add-in slots.
IBP-G4X16-5	Gen4	One x16 uplink position plus four x4 add-in slots.
INTEGRATION
Active components	—	None; lane routing is passive and maximum speed depends on the complete link.
Supported uplinks	—	Model/revision-specific Dolphin transparent target adapters, including selected MXH932/MXH942/MXH952 and Gen5 MXH532/MXH572 families.
Enclosure responsibility	—	Integrator supplies compliant enclosure, ATX power, airflow, grounding and EMC protection.

Applications

Passive backplanes suit transparent expansion where direct slot topology is preferred over an onboard switched fabric.

Remote GPU or FPGA

Expose a full x16 endpoint through a two-slot backplane and compatible target adapter.

Dual x8 acquisition

Connect two digitizers, frame grabbers or accelerators through a three-slot layout.

Four-device x4 expansion

Add four storage, networking or instrumentation cards using the five-slot layout.

Custom OEM chassis

Integrate the bare backplane into a purpose-designed powered and cooled enclosure.

Peer-to-peer processing

Support endpoint traffic inside compatible multi-slot topologies when the platform permits it.

Remote laboratory I/O

Locate PCIe cards near instruments while keeping the controlling workstation separate.

Dolphin engineering reference

Technical reading for this system decision

Open the original Dolphin or Dolphin-partner document directly. Confirm current model and software compatibility separately for the selected configuration.

PCIe over optics in embedded applicationsExample transparent expansion topologies using passive backplanes and optical links.Open PDF ↗

System design guidance

Recommended System Architectures

See how this product family fits into transparent expansion, multi-host fabrics and managed-resource systems.

System topologyTransparent PCIe ExpansionView topology, component roles and design constraints →System topologyPeer-to-Peer PCIe Data PathsView topology, component roles and design constraints →System topologyShared PCIe Device AccessView topology, component roles and design constraints →