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                      RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

                                       OF

                                VIXEL CORPORATION


VIXEL CORPORATION, a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of
the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, DOES HEREBY CERTIFY:

        1. The name of the corporation is Vixel Corporation. The date of filing
of its original Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State was
February 13, 1995.

        2. This Restated Certificate of Incorporation has been duly adopted in
accordance with Sections 228, 242 and 245 of the Delaware General Corporation
Law, the Board of Directors of the corporation having adopted resolutions
setting forth the proposed Restated Certificate of Incorporation, declaring its
advisability and directing that it be submitted to the stockholders of the
corporation for their approval; the holders of outstanding stock having not less
than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take
such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were
present and voted having consented in writing to the adoption thereof; and
written notice of such adoption by the stockholders without a meeting by less
than unanimous written consent having been given to those stockholders from whom
such written consent was not received.

        3. This Restated Certificate of Incorporation restates and integrates
and further amends the Certificate of Incorporation of this corporation by
restating the text of the original Certificate of Incorporation in full to read
as follows:

                                       I.

        The name of this corporation is Vixel Corporation.

                                       II.

        The address of the registered office of the corporation in the State of
Delaware is 1209 Orange Street, City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, and
the name of the registered agent of the corporation in the State of Delaware at
such address is the Corporation Trust Company.

                                      III.

        The purpose of this corporation is to engage in any lawful act or
activity for which a corporation may be organized under the General Corporation
Law of the State of Delaware.


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                                       IV.

        A. This corporation is authorized to issue two classes of stock to be
designated, respectively, "Common Stock" and "Preferred Stock." The total number
of shares which the corporation is authorized to issue is sixty-five million
(65,000,000) shares. Sixty million (60,000,000) shares shall be Common Stock,
each having a par value of fifteen one-hundredths of one cent ($.0015). Five
million (5,000,000) shares shall be Preferred Stock, each having a par value of
one-tenth of one cent ($.001).

        B. The Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in one or more
series. The Board of Directors is hereby authorized, by filing a certificate (a
"Preferred Stock Designation") pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law
("DGCL"), to fix or alter from time to time the designation, powers, preferences
and rights of the shares of each such series and the qualifications, limitations
or restrictions of any wholly unissued series of Preferred Stock, and to
establish from time to time the number of shares constituting any such series or
any of them; and to increase or decrease the number of shares of any series
subsequent to the issuance of shares of that series, but not below the number of
shares of such series then outstanding. In case the number of shares of any
series shall be decreased in accordance with the foregoing sentence, the shares
constituting such decrease shall resume the status that they had prior to the
adoption of the resolution originally fixing the number of shares of such
series.

                                       V.

        For the management of the business and for the conduct of the affairs of
the corporation, and in further definition, limitation and regulation of the
powers of the corporation, of its directors and of its stockholders or any class
thereof, as the case may be, it is further provided that:

        A.

               1. BOARD OF DIRECTORS. The management of the business and the
conduct of the affairs of the corporation shall be vested in its Board of
Directors. The number of directors which shall constitute the whole Board of
Directors shall be fixed exclusively by one or more resolutions adopted by the
Board of Directors.

               2. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of
Preferred Stock to elect additional directors under specified circumstances,
following the closing of the initial public offering pursuant to an effective
registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933
Act"), covering the offer and sale of Common Stock to the public (the "Initial
Public Offering"), the directors shall be divided into three classes designated
as Class I, Class II and Class III, respectively. Directors shall be assigned to
each class in accordance with a resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board
of Directors. At the first annual meeting of stockholders following the closing
of the Initial Public Offering, the term of office of the Class I directors
shall expire and Class I directors shall be elected for a full term of three
years. At the second annual meeting of stockholders following the closing of the
Initial Public Offering, the term of office of the Class II directors shall
expire and Class II directors shall be elected for a full

                                       2.

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term of three years. At the third annual meeting of stockholders following the
closing of the Initial Public Offering, the term of office of the Class III
directors shall expire and Class III directors shall be elected for a full term
of three years. At each succeeding annual meeting of stockholders, directors
shall be elected for a full term of three years to succeed the directors of the
class whose terms expire at such annual meeting. Notwithstanding the foregoing
provisions of this section, each director shall serve until his successor is
duly elected and qualified or until his death, resignation or removal. No
decrease in the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors shall
shorten the term of any incumbent director. Notwithstanding the foregoing
provisions of this section, each director shall serve until his successor is
duly elected and qualified or until his death, resignation or removal. No
decrease in the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors shall
shorten the term of any incumbent director.

               3. REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS.

                        a. Neither the Board of Directors nor any individual
director may be removed without cause.

                        b. Subject to any limitation imposed by law, any
individual director or directors may be removed with cause by the holders of a
majority of the voting power of the corporation entitled to vote at an election
of directors.

               4. VACANCIES.

                        a. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of
Preferred Stock, any vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from death,
resignation, disqualification, removal or other causes and any newly created
directorships resulting from any increase in the number of directors, shall,
unless the Board of Directors determines by resolution that any such vacancies
or newly created directorships shall be filled by the stockholders, except as
otherwise provided by law, be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority
of the directors then in office, even though less than a quorum of the Board of
Directors, and not by the stockholders. Any director elected in accordance with
the preceding sentence shall hold office for the remainder of the full term of
the director for which the vacancy was created or occurred and until such
director's successor shall have been elected and qualified.

                        b. If at the time of filling any vacancy or any newly
created directorship, the directors then in office shall constitute less than a
majority of the whole board (as constituted immediately prior to any such
increase), the Delaware Court of Chancery may, upon application of any
stockholder or stockholders holding at least ten percent (10%) of the total
number of the shares at the time outstanding having the right to vote for such
directors, summarily order an election to be held to fill any such vacancies or
newly created directorships, or to replace the directors chosen by the directors
then in offices as aforesaid, which election shall be governed by Section 211 of
the DGCL.


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        B.

               1. Subject to paragraph (h) of Section 43 of the Bylaws, the
Bylaws may be altered or amended or new Bylaws adopted by the affirmative vote
of at least sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66-2/3%) of the voting power of
all of the then-outstanding shares of the voting stock of the corporation
entitled to vote. The Board of Directors shall also have the power to adopt,
amend or repeal Bylaws.

               2. The directors of the corporation need not be elected by
written ballot unless the Bylaws so provide.

               3. No action shall be taken by the stockholders of the
corporation except at an annual or special meeting of stockholders called in
accordance with the Bylaws or by written consent of stockholders in accordance
with the Bylaws prior to the closing of the Initial Public Offering and
following the closing of the Initial Public Offering no action shall be taken by
the stockholders by written consent.

               4. Advance notice of stockholder nominations for the election of
directors and of business to be brought by stockholders before any meeting of
the stockholders of the corporation shall be given in the manner provided in the
Bylaws of the corporation.

                                       VI.

        A. The liability of the directors for monetary damages shall be
eliminated to the fullest extent under applicable law.

        B. Any repeal or modification of this Article VI shall be prospective
and shall not affect the rights under this Article VI in effect at the time of
the alleged occurrence of any act or omission to act giving rise to liability or
indemnification.

                                      VII.

        A. The corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal
any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now
or hereafter prescribed by statute, except as provided in paragraph B. of this
Article VII, and all rights conferred upon the stockholders herein are granted
subject to this reservation.

        B. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Certificate of
Incorporation or any provision of law which might otherwise permit a lesser vote
or no vote, but in addition to any affirmative vote of the holders of any
particular class or series of the voting stock required by law, this Certificate
of Incorporation or any Preferred Stock Designation, the affirmative vote of the
holders of at least sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66-2/3%) of the voting
power of all of the then-outstanding shares of the voting stock, voting together
as a single class, shall be required to alter, amend or repeal Articles V, VI
and VII.


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        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate has been subscribed this ____ day
of __________, 1999 by the undersigned who affirms that the statements made
herein are true and correct.


                                      By:
                                         -------------------------------
                                      Name:
                                          ------------------------------
                                      Title:
                                            ----------------------------


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