MaxLinear Enhances Control-Plane Connectivity for AI Data Centers with New USB UART Solutions

MaxLinear, Inc. (NASDAQ: MXL) has announced the expansion of its USB UART portfolio with the introduction of the Coronado™ (MxL81424) and Laguna™ (MxL81108) families. The expanded portfolio is purpose-built to meet the rapidly scaling control-plane and console-access demands of AI Infrastructure.

As hyperscale AI data center deployments drive unprecedented rack density and system complexity, reliable out-of-band management infrastructure has become mission-critical. MaxLinear’s latest portfolio expansion directly addresses these challenges by delivering high-concurrency, space-efficient, and scalable console connectivity for next-generation AI platforms, including Universal Baseboards (UBB), multi-node systems, and rack-scale architectures. The Coronado™ and Laguna™ USB UART family of devices provide the foundational connectivity for console access, system bring‑up, monitoring, configuration, and service operations across servers, storage systems, network equipment, and rack‑level management controllers.

Optimized for Control-Plane Performance at AI Data Center Rack Scale

The new Coronado™ and Laguna™ USB UART devices support USB 2.0 and integrate enhanced multi‑channel UART functionality to support dense, high node count environments where deterministic access, operational uptime, and reliability are critical.

• High‑Concurrency Console Operation: Large 512‑byte transmit and receive FIFOs support high-throughput deterministic data paths for concurrent system access.
• Multi-Channel Scalability: Supports fan‑out console architectures and rack-level aggregation.
• Compact Integrated Clock Architecture: On‑chip programmable oscillator reduces BOM and board space while improving long-term reliability.
• Rack‑Scale Robustness: ±15 kV ESD protection without the need for external components.

With more than a decade of deployment in critical infrastructure, MaxLinear USB UART solutions are widely used across cloud, enterprise, and newly deployed AI compute environments, providing a proven foundation for control-plane connectivity.

Coronado™ (MxL81424): Ultra-Compact, High-Density Integration

The MxL81424 is engineered for next-generation AI platforms where board space and integration efficiency are paramount.

• Ultra-compact 5 × 5mm QFN package reduces board area and overall system complexity in space‑constrained AI system designs
• Integrated programmable 48MHz oscillator eliminates external clock components, including crystals or external oscillators
• Flexible internal clock is programmable to 6MHz, 12MHz, or 24MHz to support application‑specific requirements
• High-performance fractional baud‑rate generator enables accurate UART baud rates of up to 12Mbps

Laguna™ (MxL81108): Drop-In Flexibility for Scalable Deployment

The MxL81108 is designed to accelerate adoption and simplify transitions in existing designs:

• Pin‑to‑pin compatibility with widely deployed USB‑to‑UART solutions
• Seamless drop‑in replacement for rapid qualification
• Enhances supply-chain flexibility across existing and new high-volume AI platforms

Key Quotes

“AI data center deployments are pushing infrastructure to new levels of scale, density, operational complexity, and industrial-level reliability. Our expanded USB UART portfolio is designed specifically for these environments, enabling our hyperscaler customers and OEMs to deploy scalable, resilient, and flexible control-plane connectivity while maintaining performance and supply continuity,” said Amit D. Bavisi, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and General Manager, Analog Mixed‑Signal Business Unit at MaxLinear. “We believe that the market size for USB UART devices is substantial with an estimated 200M units driven by AI Data Center deployments. We are selectively sampling our latest USB UART devices now to support customer evaluation and platform development.”

Availability

• Coronado™ (MxL81424): Samples expected in June 2026, production scheduled for the second half of 2026.
• Laguna™ (MxL81108): Samples expected in Q3 2026, production scheduled by the end of 2026.

Key Link

More information about the Coronado™ (MxL81424) Enhanced 4-Ch Full-Speed USB UART

More information about the Laguna™ (MxL81108) Enhanced 4-Ch Full-Speed USB UART

More information on MaxLinear’s complete portfolio of USB UARTs and Serial transceivers