everything RF had a conversation with John Stronczer, Partner at FMAX Technology, at IMS 2026, where he discussed the company’s latest developments in extending its high-speed IC technologies beyond 60 GHz to 90 GHz and 120 GHz. He highlighted the company's ongoing work in fibre-optic designs supporting up to 112 Gbps PAM4 and multi-Gbaud data rates for data communication and data center applications.
FMAX Technology, which has operated for over two decades, began as an ASIC design services provider, developing custom semiconductor solutions for clients. About ten years ago, the company transitioned into a fabless semiconductor model, allowing it to design and commercialize its own line of high-performance integrated circuits.
A key milestone in this transition was the development of high-speed sample-and-hold devices aimed at digital sampling oscilloscopes and instrumentation markets. These early products operated at bandwidths of around 30 GHz and were subsequently adapted for data communication applications. Over time, FMAX has significantly advanced this technology, scaling performance to 60 GHz and integrating additional capabilities such as Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR), which is widely used for signal integrity testing in high-speed systems.
Stronczer highlighted that FMAX is now extending its design capabilities into the 90 GHz and 120 GHz frequency ranges. These ultra-high-frequency solutions are critical for supporting the increasing demands of modern data communication networks, particularly in hyperscale data centers and high-speed networking environments. At their booth, the company showcased its new 90 GHz sample-and-hold ICs with time-domain reflectometry (TDR), designed for high-speed measurement, data center test systems, and signal integrity applications across 30 GHz to 100+ GHz ranges.
The company’s design approach leverages advanced semiconductor technologies, particularly Silicon Germanium (SiGe), along with multiple foundry partnerships. FMAX has also invested in developing new design methodologies and tools to ensure that these highly complex circuits function correctly at such extreme frequencies on the first pass, reducing development time and improving reliability.
In addition to instrumentation and broadband testing systems, FMAX has built expertise in the fibre-optic communication space. The company has delivered custom semiconductor designs for a range of optical applications, including Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) drivers, transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs), and modulator drivers for coherent optics. These solutions support high-speed data transmission standards, including 112 Gbps PAM4 systems, which are widely used in modern data center interconnects.
Stronczer also pointed to the company’s capabilities in developing low phase-noise voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) and clock and data recovery (CDR) circuits, which are essential for maintaining signal quality and timing accuracy in high-speed communication links. FMAX’s designs span a wide frequency range from a few gigahertz up to 100 GHz and support multiple data rates, including 28, 32, and 56 Gbaud, making them suitable for a broad spectrum of networking and optical communication applications.
While the company has experience in narrowband designs, its primary focus remains on broadband, high-speed integrated circuit development. This focus aligns closely with global industry trends, particularly the rapid expansion of AI data centers and the growing need for advanced test and measurement solutions to support increasingly complex communication systems.
FMAX’s customer base is spread across key global markets, including North America, Europe, and Asia.
Click here to learn more about FMAX Technologies.
