Setting a new milestone in optical silicon, TeraSignal intelligent re-driver technology addresses the evolving needs for scaling AI bandwidth in data centers. The TS8401/02 intelligent 400G (4x100G) PAM-4 modulator driver is the industry’s first CMOS solution with digital link training and link monitoring for 800G linear pluggable optical (LPO) modules. This re-driver innovation is poised to set new optical interconnect standards in power efficiency, low latency and reliability for self-optimizing intelligent components for AI deployments in data centers.
TeraSignal’s new TS8401/02 modulator driver represents a leap forward in Intelligent Re-Driver (IRD) technology, combining electronics with photonics to accelerate the burgeoning AI re-timer market, which is projected to reach $1.23 billion by 2024. This new IRD technology transcends the limitations of traditional LPO modules, which unlike DSP-based retimers, 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.
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By leveraging the Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS), TSLink automatically characterizes the host to module channel and provides the optimum settings for the DSP-based transmitter in the host.
TSLink includes features like digital eye monitoring and bit error rate (BER) reporting, allowing users to easily monitor channel conditions and ensure optimal performance in the link.
By using existing microcontroller resources and eliminating the need for additional DSPs, TSLink reduces power consumption by at least 50%, making it a more sustainable solution for high-density AI deployments.
TSLink eliminates the quantization noise introduced by analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) in DSP-based re- timers, significantly improving the BER in the link.
TSLink removes the high latency caused by DSP processing, enabling shorter transmission time, which is critical for high-performance, compute-intensive AI applications.
The advanced link training process shapes the transmit signal based on the characteristics of each individual channel, ensuring maximum signal to noise ratio at the receiver.
Eliminating the need for DSPs results in at least a 50% reduction in silicon die size, contributing to lower production costs and higher density linear optics.
TeraSignal is now shipping samples of the TS8401 and TS8402 re-drivers to early access customers and partners. The company is working closely with leading module vendors that are integrating the TS8401/02 into their LPO solutions. The TS8401 features wire bond pads, while the TS8402 offers the same capabilities in a flip-chip version. Both devices are designed with TeraSignal’s lowest-power CMOS technology.
The TeraSignal TS8401/02 is the industry’s lowest power 4x100G PAM-4 linear modulator driver capable of directly driving four lanes of 106-Gb/s PAM-4 at 53 Gbaud, while supporting DR4/FR4/LR4 as well as 2xDR4/2xFR4/2xLR4 optical links. The device offers a fully programmable linear output driver to set the output voltage amplitudes of the PAM-4 signal as well as a fully programmable linear equalizer for electrical channel loss compensation. The device integrates a digital eye monitoring (DEM) block, providing link training and performance/accountability monitoring features that are required by data center operators.
Intelligent linear pluggable optical (LPO) modules, as pioneered by TeraSignal, represent a significant advancement in the field of AI and compute interconnects. These modules, powered by the intelligent TS8401/02 product series, are equipped with TeraSignal’s CMOS-based IRD technology, revolutionizing the way data centers operate. Unlike traditional LPO modules, intelligent LPOs are designed with embedded microcontrollers that automate critical adjustments, providing automatic adaptation, digital link monitoring, and training capabilities. This not only simplifies the integration, interoperability, and deployment processes but also enhances the performance and reliability of data center connectivity. The incorporation of digital eye monitor diagnostics and link accountability features transforms these modules into self-optimizing systems, capable of addressing the complex requirements of AI and compute-intensive applications inside data centers with unprecedented efficiency and lower latency.
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