Author: Srinath Bayya
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Beyond the TDR: Why One Line Isn’t Enough for Differential Signals
In my previous deep dives, I learned how a Time Domain Reflectometer (TDR) acts like ‘radar’ for cables..sending a pulse and listening for the echo to find solder defects or impedance mismatches. But the NVL72 rack doesn’t run on single wires; it runs on Differential Pairs (Positive and Negative signals working together). My latest training,…
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The Mechanics of Signal Integrity: How Interconnect Partial Mating Destroys High-Speed Links
In the world of interconnects, we often treat connectors as binary: they are either ‘Mated’ or ‘Unmated.’ If the latch clicks, we assume the job is done. But as I continue building my Full Stack Interconnect Profile, I’ve learned that for high-speed systems like the NVL72, ‘Mated’ is a spectrum, not a switch. In my…
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The Launch Problem: Managing Impedance Mismatches in High-Speed Connector Reflow
In the world of high-performance computing, Quality Engineering has traditionally been divided into silos. There are the Physical Engineers who inspect solder joints and cable crimps using standards like IPC-610/620, and there are the Signal Integrity Engineers who analyze digital error rates and waveforms. But with the arrival of AI clusters like the NVIDIA NVL72,…
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Twinax Cable Series: Basics
By combining my IPC knowledge (physical fabrication) with Infiniband/MLX (logical/protocol), I have both ends of the spectrum covered. The missing link in the middle is the physics layer. Through next couple of trainings, I will be learning the physics of the specific cables an QE will be managing. Twinaxial cable is the superior choice for…
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NVIDIA Academy Series – MLXLink and MLXCables
Before we start this course, I would like to revisit the purpose of these series. My purpose is to build a “Full stack interconnect” profile that is rare in the industry. Most engineers reside in one silo: They are either manufacturing experts (IPC workmanship), or Signal Integrity Physicists (Lecro/Samtec) or Network Admins (Infiniband). By combining…
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NVIDIA Academy Series – InfiniBand Network Administration
The InfiniBand essentials course gave me the vocabulary, Now i’m looking to delve deep into network administration. From the IPC certification, I already know what a “bad crimp” looks like under a microscope. This course would be able to teach me what a bad crimp looks like to the subnet manager and the host channel…
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NVIDIA Academy Series – InfiniBand Essentials
I’m starting this NVIDIA Academy series, with a pursuit of deeper understanding of networking commodity within data center. These blog series will be entirely written by me, with little to no help from AI. However, I will be using AI as my learning companion. I will be primarily focusing on below topics within NVIDIA Academy:…
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“Data Center Certified Associate Exam” by Schneider Electric & My Learning Path – Part 2 : Fundamentals of Cooling and Power
As I continue my deep dive into the world of data center operations, I’ve started noticing how the foundational systems like power, cooling, and humidity control quietly work together to keep everything stable, safe, and efficient. In this blog, I’m pulling together four key chapters from the DCCA course: Fundamentals of Cooling I, Fundamentals of…
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“Data Center Certified Associate Exam” by Schneider Electric & My Learning Path – Part 1 : Availability & Cabling
Every year, I challenge myself to explore new technologies or industries that are shaping the future and 2025 is no different. With AI, cloud, and digital infrastructure evolving rapidly, this year I decided to deep-dive into one of the foundational pillars behind all of it: data center operations. To kick off my learning, I picked…
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Review of Airflow Management in Data Center and Relationship for better PUE
I was driving to work and happened to listen to this podcast hosted by Legrand – Data Center Solutions. This podcast presents latest innovations, challenges, and trends shaping the future of data center technology. The experts on the panel answer questions and share tips on how to optimize airflow, reduce cooling costs, and improve overall…
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