Dell'Oro: Campus switch backlog normalizes

In 4Q 2023 worldwide Campus Switch sales declined by 4 percent year-over-year (Y/Y), marking the first quarter of decline since 4Q 2020 and signaling the onset of a multi-quarter digestion cycle in the market, according to a new report from Dell'Oro Group.

Vendor performance was uneven during the quarter. Among the top five vendors, Cisco declined the most and was responsible for the bulk of the market decline. Huawei and Juniper declined modestly, while HPE and H3C grew by double digits.

“The revenue decline is mostly reflective of a digestion cycle that seems to be affecting vendors, products, and speeds to varying degrees and on different timelines,” said Sameh Boujelbene, Vice President at Dell’Oro Group. “Put simply, customers that received their orders early and vendors that were faster in fulfilling their backlogs will be the first to enter the digestion cycle. For that reason, vendor performance, regional performance, and even port speed performance was uneven during the quarter,” added Boujelbene.

Additional highlights from the 4Q 2023 Ethernet Switch – Campus Report:

• Regionally, we observed a reversal of the trend seen over the last year. Regions such as North America (NA), Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and Asia Pacific (APAC) Excluding China, grew robustly in the prior quarters but saw a significant deceleration and, in some cases, a decline, in 4Q 2023. Meanwhile, China, which experienced sluggish sales in the past few quarters, showed some signs of recovery in the quarter.
• 5/5.0 Gbps ports were up more than 60 percent, marking the seventh consecutive quarter of strong double-digit growth. This ongoing growth underscores significant improvements in supply, coupled with rising demand stimulated by the increasing adoption of Wi-Fi 6E Access Points (APs).

https://www.delloro.com/news/campus-switch-market-declines-4-percent-as-backlog-normalizes/

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Lumentum demos 200G per Lane InP Components

Lumentum is extending its indium phosphide (InP) transceiver component leadership with its new 200G Lens Integrated Photodiode (LIPD) that supports operation up to 200 Gbps per lane, enabling next-generation 800G and 1.6T optical transceivers for large-scale AI and ML applications. Featuring high responsivity and bandwidth, the 200G LIPD is designed for seamless integration with flip-chip bonding techniques and is now available for sampling. 

The 200G LIPD complements Lumentum’s high-volume, production ready 200G externally modulated lasers (EMLs).

 Lumentum says the 200G Lens Integrated Photodiode could be used by optical transceiver manufacturers for best-in-class transmit and receive components for their next-generation 800G and 1.6T solutions.

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Adtran shows ultra-low-power 100G PAM4 single-mode VCSEL

Adtran teamed up with Vertilas to develop a 100Gbit/s PAM4 single-mode vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) with capabilities up to 1.6Tbit/s. 

The new VCSEL technology leverages a short-cavity single-mode design and is based on indium phosphide semiconductor material. This enables it to operate across both O-band and C-band wavelengths, delivering 100Gbit/s per channel. By stacking multiple single-mode lasers into arrays, this approach achieves throughput of 800Gbit/s and 1.6Tbit/s, ensuring superior performance with a significant reduction in power consumption and costs. This enhanced energy efficiency presents a major advantage for IP router and Ethernet switch faceplate density. 

Adtrans says the technology could be extended to support other applications from DR4/8/16 to various FR4 links within optical engines, all while maintaining power consumption below 200mW per lane.

The companies cite up to 80% reduction in power on the transmit optics compared to conventional solutions, with the new module consuming less than 2pJ/bit, including the laser driver. This significantly undercuts current industry standards, including those cited by co-packaged optics. 

“As the importance of data volume and speed escalates, the demand for increased bandwidth and enhanced energy efficiency accelerates. Our introduction of the market’s first 100Gbit/s PAM4 single-mode VCSEL technology, scalable to 1.6Tbit/s, epitomizes our proactive approach to tackling these emerging requirements. By pushing the limits of speed and significantly reducing power consumption, we’re creating tomorrow’s benchmarks,” said Ross Saunders, GM of optical engines at Adtran. “Our new technology promises to significantly improve intra-data center connectivity and AI application efficiencies, merging high performance with long-term sustainability. As we prepare for the leap towards 800Gbit/s and 1.6Tbit/s applications, we’re enhancing the foundations of efficient, high-capacity data ecosystems worldwide.”

"As applications such as generative AI proliferate and enterprises expand their AI clusters, the need for advanced optical interconnects capable of supporting Terabit connectivity has reached a critical juncture. Our 100Gbit/s PAM4 single-mode VCSEL technology meets this challenge head-on. It enables energy efficiency and the capacity for higher-density deployments while at the same time addressing manufacturing, testing and assembly costs,” commented Christoph Glingener, CTO of Adtran. “This technology supports throughput of up to 800Gbit/s and 1.6Tbit/s, significantly reducing operational expenses while enhancing network capabilities. Our approach underscores a commitment to delivering sustainable, high-capacity networking solutions that break through existing barriers, readying networks for the next wave of AI infrastructure development.”

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AOI releases 400G, 800G Active Optical Cables based on Credo

Applied Optoelectronics, Inc (AOI) released two new multimode designs including a 400G QSFP-DD and an 800G OSFP. Both designs offers lower power consumption compared to previous generation solutions. 

• 
  The 400G design is available as either an Active Optical Cable (AOC) or 400GBASE-SR8 transceiver based on the Credo Seagull 452, an 8 x 50Gbps PAM4 DSP with integrated VCSEL drivers. 
• The 800G design is available as either an Active Optical Cable (AOC) or 800GBASE-SR8 transceiver based on the Credo Dove 800, an 8 x 100Gbps PAM4 DSP. 

“AOCs and multimode transceivers are an integral part of AI and Ethernet networks, as an interconnect between the GPU server, and leaf and spine switches,” said Dr. Fred Chang, SVP and GM from AOI. “With the rapid build-out of greenfield AI networks and the expansion of existing infrastructure, there is an urgent need to reduce network power dissipation and cost of ownership, while ensuring overall network robustness. AOI’s new 400G and 800G designs, featuring the Credo Seagull 452 and Dove 800 DSPs, take advantage of the latest technologies available on the market to address these challenges.”

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Zayo launches Waves on Demand across Europe with Ciena

Zayo is launching a new Waves on Demand service leveraging its 400G fully enabled lit-fibre network in Europe. This allows customers to turn up services across Europe within just five working days, significantly reducing service delivery intervals from the industry standard of 30+ days.

Zayo’s Waves on Demand, powered by Ciena’s WaveLogic 5 technology, enables customers to efficiently scale bandwidth on dedicated, pre-provisioned circuits, reaching up to 800G line side capacity. With Zayo’s Wavelength offering, customers can access industry-leading speed and pricing, including the best available in high capacity services, with service activation in just five working days. This rapid implementation model has been deployed on key connectivity corridors between Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux, and Dusseldorf. Coupled with Zayo’s metro network, this capability can be extended to key access locations across Western Europe. Zayo expects to expand this capability to Dublin, Manchester, and Milan by the end of this year.

Michael Katz, VP for Product & Technology at Zayo Europe, said: “At Zayo, we’re focused on addressing our customers’ needs now and into the future by connecting what’s next. We know that turning up Wave capacity can be a long and tedious process, leaving businesses with subpar services that impact their ability to deliver for their customers. Our new Waves on Demand offering will provide our customers with seamless service that is efficient, scalable, and cost-effective, meaning they can react in a matter of days to their business and customers’ needs.”

Will Rhodes, Director EMEA Carrier Managed Service Partners at Ciena, said: “The industry is crying out for faster turn-up of services. Getting high-capacity connectivity in several days will help to improve Zayo’s wholesale and enterprise customers’ agility and efficiency. This step-change will align better with end-user needs and digital experience.”

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Dell'Oro: Explosive growth for AI servers

Strong demand for AI servers drove the revenues for GPU and custom accelerators by 224 percent in 2023, according to a new report from Dell'Oro Group. In 2024, in addition to continued growth momentum for AI infrastructure, we expect a broad recovery for the server and storage system component market as some of the hyperscale cloud service providers enter an expansion cycle, and enterprise IT spending gradually unfreezes.

"The accelerator market is set to maintain strong growth momentum as the hyperscale cloud service providers deploy next-generation AI infrastructure for larger training models and increasing inferencing demands," stated Baron Fung, Senior Research Director at Dell'Oro Group. "Enterprise adoption of AI applications is rising, driving the need for infrastructure in both public cloud and private data centers. With major product updates every two years, this market demands frequent infrastructure replacements, leading to higher capital investments. Furthermore, the recovery in the general-purpose computing and storage component market is underway after an extended correction. Fourth-generation CPUs from Intel and AMD, expected to ship in high volumes this year, will enable end-users to realize benefits in server efficiency and footprint optimizations. Pricing for commodities such as memory and storage drives will also rise this year, as supplies normalize, and from the deployment of new server architectures," explained Fung.

Additional highlights from the 4Q 2023 Data Center IT Semiconductors and Components Quarterly Report:

• NVIDIA led in server and storage system component revenues in 2023, driven by GPU accelerators, followed by Intel and Samsung. Accelerator revenues surpassed CPU revenues for the first time in 2023, reflecting a shift towards accelerated computing.
• GPU revenue is forecasted to achieve strong double-digit growth in 2024. Although NVIDIA currently dominates this market, potential challenges arise from new competitive offerings by AMD and Intel, coupled with the emergence of custom accelerators by major cloud service providers.
• Smart NIC revenues grew more than 50 percent in 2023, driven by strong hyperscale adoption for both AI and non-AI use cases.

https://www.delloro.com/news/ai-server-explosion-drove-accelerator-revenues-by-224-percent-in-2023/

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Coherent, Juniper and Marvell team on 800ZR

Juniper Networks is collaborating with Coherent Corp. and Marvellfo demo 800ZR.

The set-up features the Juniper Networks PTX10002-36QDD Packet Transport Router, Coherent Corporation’s 800ZR transceiver and the 800G Marvell Orion coherent digital signal processor (DSP).

• Marvell Orion is an 800G coherent digital signal processor (DSP) for small form factor pluggable modules, delivering up to 800 Gbps of bandwidth for optical connections up to 1,000km and 400Gbps of bandwidth at up to 2,000km. The solution reduces cost per bit and power per bit by 30 percent compared to previous generation pluggable modules, while providing operators a path to substantially reduced capital and operational expenses.
• Coherent Corporation’s 800G Digital Coherent Optics (DCO) transceiver utilizes its own integrated coherent transmitter and receiver Optical Sub-Assembly (IC-TROSA), enabling transmit optical output power of 0dBm in the dense QSFP-DD form-factor. The high optical output power enables IP-over-DWDM in DCI and metro/regional networks with transmission distances up to 1000 km at 800G.
• The Juniper Networks 800G PTX10002-36QDD Packet Transport Router represents a next-generation, cloud-optimized routing platform, built upon Juniper's Express 5 ASIC. It offers unmatched operational simplicity, power efficiencies and enhanced performance, supporting dense 100GbE, 400GbE and 800GbE for scalability across various WAN and data center use cases, particularly in anticipation of significant capacity expansion driven by the rapid deployment of AI/ML clusters. It boasts 28.8 Tbps capacity.

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Alphawave Semi and InnoLight collaborate on LPO + PCIe 6.0

Alphawave Semi and InnoLight Technology are demonstrating low power, low latency linear pluggable optics (LPO).

Operating at 64 Gbps per lane, this demonstration showcases Alphawave Semi’s PCIe 6.0 subsystem (Controller + PHY) with InnoLight’s LPO OSFP optics.

The Alphawave Semi PCIe Controller + PHY subsystem is an extremely power-efficient, low-latency, and highly reliable interface IP, having been built off PAM4 SerDes IP. It is available on the most advanced technology nodes. In AI and high-performance computing (HPC) systems where memory performance is key, the Alphawave Semi PCIe 6.0 Subsystem can be expanded to support CXL 3.0 with a PCIe and CXL Controller and enable memory coherency at the data center level.

Osa Mok, Chief Marketing Officer at InnoLight, said, “We are pleased with the collaboration between Alphawave Semi and InnoLight, which demonstrates PCIe 6.0 optical connectivity that offers both low power consumption and low latency, tailored to meet the demanding requirements of high-bandwidth and high-density AI networks. Alphawave Semi’s PAM4 DSP physical layer technology, leveraged with InnoLight’s LPO OSFP, empowers hyperscalers to implement next-generation disaggregated, composable networks.“

Tony Chan Carusone, CTO at Alphawave Semi, said, “We see our collaboration with InnoLight as a significant driver for accelerating the adoption of PCIe technology over optics. The combination of InnoLight’s market-leading optical solution with Alphawave Semi’s robust DSP technology showcases how PCIe technology over optics can enable our customers to massively scale connectivity for their compute and data processing AI workloads.”

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Nokia tunes its WaveSuite optical network automation platform

Nokia has enhanced WaveSuite optical network automation platform by providing insight into and control of customer networks with a growing roster of applications targeting specific use cases to help them optimize their network and operations, scale network capacity and monetize network assets.

Key enhancements:

• New support within the Service Enablement application for network operators to better integrate BSS (business support systems) billing with optical network functions. Network operators will be able to fulfill optical service requests to wholesale partners and their end subscribers, and provide them with individualized, real-time KPI assurance metrics. It enables them to offer differentiated services, such as latency-aware layer one services and spectrum-as-a-service, creating new revenue opportunities in a formerly untapped market. 
• Machine learning into the Health and Analytics application to use network intelligence to support optical fiber sensing, which will help network operators detect disturbances to the fiber optic cable within their networks that may produce outages. Unlike other approaches that require additional hardware, the innovative WaveSuite solution takes advantage of polarization data provided by the coherent digital signal processor at the heart of Nokia Photonic Service Engines, such as PSE-6s. It allows network operators to proactively identify, prepare for and respond to events in the network that may affect network performance before they occur, decreasing down time and promoting better adherence to service level agreements with customers. 
• Combining network planning with network provisioning, significantly reducing the effort required to scale network capacity by 33%. This enables automated flow-through provisioning by synchronizing between existing physical networks and planned network designs, eliminates errors in the transition between planning and provisioning, and significantly reduces the time and human resources network operators need to dedicate to scaling their optical networks. This enhancement was analyzed in a Jan 2024 Analysys Mason report where the research firm quantified the benefits of optical network automation. 

Ravi Parmasad, Optical Network Automation Leader at Nokia, said: "We continue to work with leading service providers to help them transform their optical networks with automation. Nokia's WaveSuite platform enables our customers to leverage data-driven insights and intelligent actions to optimize their network performance, reduce operational costs and accelerate service delivery. With WaveSuite, we are bringing the benefits of automation to the optical domain and empowering our customers to build more agile and resilient networks for the future.”

www.nokia.com

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Cisco appoints Martin Lund as EVP, Common Hardware Group

Martin Lund has joined Cisco as EVP, Common Hardware Group, reporting to Chuck Robbins.

Previously, Lund was Corporate Vice President of Microsoft’s Azure for Operators, where he was responsible for delivering Azure-based solutions for public and private 5G, packet core, voice, and AI operations. Before being acquired by Microsoft, Martin was Chief Executive Officer of Metaswitch Networks, a cloud native communications software company. In addition to his 12 years at Broadcom, where he was instrumental in building the Network Switching brand and growing the business to more than $1 billion, Martin has also held leadership positions at companies such as Cadence Design Systems and Intel.

In addition, Eyal Dagan, who has previously led Cisco's Common Hardware Group since 2020, will now serve as EVP, Strategic Projects, also reporting to Chuck Robbins.

Cisco noted that Eyal and Martin have a friendship and partnership going back 20 years. In 2009, as the SVP and GM of Broadcom’s Network Switching business, Martin helped acquire Dune Networks, a company co-founded by Eyal.

https://blogs.cisco.com/news/martin-lund-joining-ciscos-executive-leadership-team

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Linear Pluggable Optics Consortium gets underway

A new Linear Pluggable Optics Multi-Source Agreement (LPO MSA) is underway to develop the specifications for networking equipment and optical modules.

The founding participants of the LPO MSA encompass a notable array of companies such as Accelink, AMD, Arista, Broadcom, Cisco, Eoptolink, Hisense, Innolight, Intel, MACOM, NVIDIA, and Semtech Corporation.

The initial target of the MSA is an optimized optical interconnect with LPO modules on both ends of the link. The LPO MSA specifications will define the electrical and optical requirements to ensure interoperability between multiple vendors of networking equipment and optics modules.

“There is an urgent need to reduce the network power consumption for AI and other high-performance applications,” said Mark Nowell, LPO MSA Chair. “LPO materially reduces power consumption both for the module and the system while maintaining a pluggable interface, providing the economics and flexibility that customers need for high-volume deployments.”

“The LPO MSA will enable a multi-source ecosystem for LPO optics modules which is essential for wide industry adoption,” said Andreas Bechtolsheim, Co-Chair LPO MSA. “We look forward to supporting the LPO MSA specifications.”

https://www.lpo-msa.org/

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Marvell demos 3D Silicon Photonics (SiPho) Engine

Marvell is demonstrating a 3D Silicon Photonics Engine designed for next-generation AI clusters and cloud data centers. The new device packs 32 channels of 200G electrical and optical interfaces for connecting next-generation AI clusters and cloud data centers at multi-terabit speeds. 

The 200 Gbps device delivers 2x the bandwidth, 2x the input / output (I/O) bandwidth density, and 30% lower power per bit compared to comparable devices with 100 Gbps electrical and optical interfaces.

“Advances in optical interconnect technology are necessary to realize the promise of AI and accelerated infrastructure,” said Dr. Loi Nguyen, executive vice president and general manager of Cloud Optics at Marvell. “Our 3D SiPho engine is designed to enable higher bandwidth, higher I/O density, and lower power optical interconnects that scale cloud service providers’ infrastructure to meet the growing bandwidth needs of emerging AI services and applications.”

https://www.marvell.com/ 

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TeraSignal intros CMOS Re-Driver for 800G LPO

TeraSignal has begun sampling a novel intelligent 400G (4x100G) PAM4 modulator driver with digital link training and link monitoring for 800G linear pluggable optical (LPO) modules. 

TeraSignal’s new TS8401/02 intelligent modulator driver addresses the limitations of traditional LPO modules, which unlike DSP-based re-timers, have lacked the capabilities for automatic adaptation, digital link monitoring and link training, making them challenging to integrate, interoperate, and deploy efficiently. By leveraging the existing microcontroller (MCU) in the LPO module, the TS8401/02 automates essential adjustments and introduces link diagnostics and link accountability, transforming LPO modules into adaptive link optimizing systems.

TeraSignal says its re-timer facilitates a closed-loop system that not only identifies but also rectifies link issues in real time, ensuring uninterrupted, high-quality data transmission across the board. The advanced CMOS implementation reduces power consumption by as much as 50% compared to existing Silicon Germanium (SiGe) solutions and significantly boosts link reliability and performance through statistical link monitoring and adaptive control capabilities.

“TeraSignal’s intelligent CMOS solution for LPO modules redefines high-speed interconnects, merging low latency and power efficiency with unmatched link performance measurement capabilities, diagnostics, and quick time to market,” said Dr. Armond Hairapetian, founder and CEO of TeraSignal. “We are committed to delivering IRD solutions with superior performance over both fiber and copper interconnects. By incorporating intelligence within the re-driver, we have introduced a new class of AI-centric CMOS devices that offer DSP-like features with significantly lower power and the lowest possible latency, setting a new industry standard for high-speed interconnects.”

Product Highlights

• Intelligent 400G (4x100G) PAM4 modulator driver with integrated digital eye monitoring and link training.
• Fully programmable linear output driver and equalizer for unparalleled signal integrity.
• Automatic gain control supporting a wide range of input and output voltages.
• More than 50% lower power consumption compared to non-CMOS drivers, significantly reducing operating costs and environmental impact.
• Compact form factor and integration-ready design for seamless deployment in QSFP-DD/OSFP optical modules.

Additional TS8401/02 Benefits

• Lower Power Consumption: Leveraging advanced design techniques in CMOS, the TS8401/02 operates at significantly lower power levels than existing DSP and SiGe-based solutions, marking a new standard in energy efficiency.
• Reduced Latency: Due to their discrete-time nature, DSP-based re-timers must slow down the data traffic to perform the required data conversion, serialization/deserialization, and filtering functions. By eliminating the latency-causing building blocks in the continuous-time signal path, TS8401/02 significantly reduces data transmission latency.
• Digital Eye Monitor: The on-board digital sampling scope in the TS8401/02 provides unparalleled flexibility and real-time insights into link performance, ensuring optimal signal integrity and reliability.
• Link Training with Host SerDes: The TS8401/02 supports seamless integration and automatic configuration with host systems, further streamlining the deployment and operation of high-speed optical links.


The TS8401 features wire bond pads, while the TS8402 offers the same capabilities in a flip-chip version.

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New Photonics debuts Transmitter-on-Chip PIC

NewPhotonics introduced its second generation photonic integrated circuit with integrated optical equalizer for high-throughput optical interconnects. The enhanced transmitter-optimized chip offers breakthrough minimal latency and power performance at 800 GBps and 1.6 TBps for linear receive optics (LRO) and linear drive pluggable optics (LPO) applications in the data center.

The NewPhotonics NPG102 PIC is an octal and quad parallel single mode (PSM) transmitter for 8x and 4x 200G PAM4 transceivers. The silicon photonics chips monolithically integrate elements of the transmitter including laser, modulator and an optical equalizer enabling consistent optical link performance and extended distance. The best-in-class transmitter design simplifies system integration and improves OEM manufacturing yield and transceiver reliability.

The optical equalizer located closest to TP2 facilitates signal dispersion compensation that enables consistent optical link performance and interoperability. Optical signal processing enables >1000x lower latency resulting in lower system pJ/bit.

Key Highlights:

• Performance consistency, improved distance, lower latency and power
• Improved transceiver yields and extended reliability
• 3.9W low power consumption
• Simplifies system assembly with flip-chip package

"AI continues to drive data center processing needs of large language models (LLMs) ramping requirements for low power and low latency fiber connectivity," said Doron Tal, SVP and GM Optical Connectivity at NewPhotonics. "The differentiating utility of linear drive and optical equalization technology enables LPO modules to operate in all ports with different insertion losses ensuring interoperability between different host vendors and enabling a low power, low latency DSP-free alternative."

https://www.newphotonics.com/post/introducing-our-new-transmitter-on-chip-pic-with-integrated-equalizer

Intel integrates 224Gbps SerDes with NewPhotonics' Engine

Wednesday, December 06, 2023    

Intel and NewPhotonics announced a milestone achievement: the integration of Intel new 224Gbps electrical SerDes design with NewPhotonics' Photonics Engine, resulting in an end-to-end direct modulation electrical-to-optical link utilizing PAM4 modulation.The electrical-to-optical link incorporates a wide bandwidth photodetector (PD) and Modulator, supporting the end-to-end 224Gbps data transfer."We are thrilled to have achieved the successful integration...

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Corning intros Multifiber Pushlok connectors

Corning introduced its Multifiber Pushlok Technology for simplifying and accelerating fiber deployments.

Multifiber Pushlok is a “stick-and-click” connector technology thatallows operators to deploy more fiber in tighter spaces – an essential consideration for increasing data usage. It is a key feature in a new line of Evolv solutions, which take complicated splicing tasks out of the field to help installers connect homes and businesses more efficiently.

The technology enhances three new Corning Evolv solutions:

• Evolve Assemblies with Multifiber Pushlok Technology add flexibility to network architecture with a variety of sizes and density options. Multifiber Pushlok’s tactile and audible feedback simplifies the cable assemblies’ installation.
• Evolve Terminals with Multifiber Pushlok Technology include a new “stubless” version that reduces packaging material by up to 30% per assembly, allowing for up to 45% more product per shipping pallet.  
• Evolv FlexNAP with Multifiber Pushlok Technology is “preconnectorized” to fit operators’ customer-specific locations, reducing their reliance on skilled labor and delivering cost savings of at least $25 per home, compared to traditional splice methods. The new system on RPX cable fits into 1.25-inch ducts, surpassing legacy solutions constrained to 2-inch ducts. This results in up to a 50% reduction in carbon footprint through minimized duct material usage.* The system also features a new built-in, locatable dust cap, which allows operators to swiftly locate the system for buried deployments and simplify network-troubleshooting efforts.

“We’re working alongside our customers to address new and ongoing challenges, such as cost constraints, labor shortages, and aggressive deployment timelines,” said Bob Whitman, vice president of market development, Carrier Networks, Corning Optical Communications. “Our Multifiber Pushlok Technology will help network operators bring the benefits of high-speed connectivity to more lives around the world – faster and more easily.”

https://www.corning.com/worldwide/en/about-us/news-events/news-releases/2024/03/corning-advances-its-evolv-portfolio-of-connectivity-solutions-to-help-network-operators-connect-the-unconnected.html

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Coherent opens 6-inch indium phosphide (InP) wafer fabrication

Coherent has established the world’s first capability for 6-inch indium phosphide (InP) wafer fabrication, in the company’s Sherman, Texas, and Järfälla, Sweden, wafer fabs. 

Coherent is in the process of qualifying several existing products on its 6-inch InP platform, including a 200G electro-absorption modulated laser (EML), 200G distributed-feedback laser and Mach-Zehnder modulator (DFB-MZ), 100G EML, high-speed photodetectors, and high-power CW lasers for silicon photonics applications. The company expects to transition the bulk of its production from 3-inch InP to 6-inch InP in the next few years to fully leverage the benefits of larger wafer size, higher yield, and improved performance that will be required to provide a sustainable competitive advantage in its communications and sensing markets.

“We are very excited to announce our 6-inch indium phosphide wafer fabrication capability in both our Sherman and Järfälla fabs, which is a result of our continuous investment in innovation and technology development, and our years of investment and operating experience in high-volume VCSEL array manufacturing for mobile handsets,” said Dr. Giovanni Barbarossa, Chief Strategy Officer and President, Materials Segment.  “Vertical integration at scale is a core strategy that we have been relying upon in several of our markets, and it has enabled our optoelectronics products to win in the marketplace by delivering world-class quality, performance, time-to-market, and cost advantage.”

“Moving to 6-inch wafers will enable us to continue to deliver massive productivity improvements, including manufacturing 4x the number of devices per wafer, achieve a greater than 60% reduction in die cost, and allow us to transition our fabs to higher-capacity, more-efficient automated process tools,” said Dr. Beck Mason, Executive Vice President, Telecommunications. “This capability will allow us to meet the growing demand for our indium phosphide products in several of our core markets, while enhancing our competitiveness and profitability.”

https://www.coherent.com/news/press-releases/worlds-first-6-inch-inp-scalable-wafer-fabs-paving-the-way-for-the-next-generation-of-lasers-for-ai-transceivers-and-6g-wireless-networks

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Avicena's Sub-pJ/bit LightBundle Chiplet Interconnect covers 10m

Avicena unveiled its new scalable LightBundle chiplet interconnect for extending ultra-high density die-to-die (D2D) connections up to 10m at multi-Tbps/mm shoreline bandwidth density and sub-pJ/bit energy efficiency. 

The new chiplet interconnect, which is based on Avicena’s LightBundle platform, supports unprecedented shoreline density and energy efficiency for HPC and AI cluster architectures.

Currently, High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) modules must be located within a few millimeters of a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), limiting accessible memory bandwidth and capacity based on GPU shoreline. 

Avicena says its LightBundle chiplet interconnect extends HBM and other ultra-high performance D2D connections up to 10m while dissipating < 1pJ/bit for the optical interconnect and supporting multi-Tbps/mm beachfront density. This enables GPUs and other high-performance ICs to greatly increase their total IO bandwidth, accessing vastly more HBM and relieving inter-processor bottlenecks. The LightBundle chiplet is compatible with standard multichip packaging and supports a wide range of D2D interfaces including standard and advanced versions of UCIe and BOW. Avicena is working with selected partners on different implementations. Initial prototypes will be available in the second half of 2025.

“At Avicena, we are excited to announce our ultra-low power scalable chiplet interconnect based on our LightBundle platform,” says Bardia Pezeshki, Founder and CEO of Avicena. “The first D2D implementation will be an 8Tbps UCIe advanced interconnect with a total chiplet footprint of 4mm x 7mm, beachfront density of 2Tbps/mm and power consumption of < 12W.”

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NLM Photonics Names Brad Booth as New CEO

NLM Photonics, a start-up based in Seattle, named current board member Brad Booth as its new CEO, replacing co-founder Gerard Zytnicki, who will stay in a leadership role as Chief Operating Officer and continue serving on the Board of Directors as Chairperson. 

Booth previously served at Meta Platforms and Microsoft Azure, where he focused on developing next-generation optical connectivity solutions for Cloud and AI data centers. Previously, he worked at Dell, Intel, and Bell-Northern Research. Booth led the formation of the Ultra Ethernet Consortium, the Ethernet Technology Consortium, the Consortium for On-Board Optics, and the Ethernet Alliance

“We are excited about the places Brad can take NLM,” says Zytnicki. “His years of expertise in cloud and AI/ML couldn’t come at a better time as we propel NLM’s high-efficiency modulator technology toward commercialization.”

https://www.nlmphotonics.com/2024/03/25/brad-booth-new-ceo/

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Ericsson to cut 1,200 jobs in Sweden

Ericsson plans to cut approximately 1,200 jobs in Sweden. The company confirmed that it has opened negotiations with the unions.

In addition to the headcount reduction, the cost saving initiatives cover various areas such as reduction of consultants, streamlining of processes, and reduced facilities.

https://www.ericsson.com

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Pilot Photonics targets CPO, secure EIC award

Pilot Photonics, a start-up based in Dublin, Ireland, secured €2.5M from the European Innovation Council (EIC) to develop, integrate and commercialize key technology blocks relevant to a coherent co-packaged optics (CPO) solution.

Pilot Photonics said it continues to develop a number of its patented technologies including comb lasers, ring resonator IQ modulators and comb-enhanced DSP algorithms. These innovations are relevant to both pluggable and CPO architectures today and can help unlock coherent communication inside the datacentre. They enable datacentre switches at 204.8T and beyond as well as longer reach CPO systems at 10km (LR) distances or more.

The funding is provided through the EIC’s Transition programme and involved a rigorous evaluation process consisting of a highly competitive written proposal stage, followed by an interview stage with a 7-person panel of experts.

“The low-hanging fruit for scaling CPO, namely power splits and coarse wavelength multiplexing is already taken” said Dr. Frank Smyth, founder, and CTO at Pilot Photonics, “This project recognises that continued densification of the interconnects is required for future cloud and AI/ML network scaling. It develops key enabling technologies such as comb laser technology to densify the wavelength grid and ring resonator IQ modulators to increase the information spectral density. We’re excited to get it underway”.

https://www.pilotphotonics.com

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