Descrizione del progetto
Ricetrasmettitori ad alta velocità per le interconnessioni Terabit Ethernet nei centri di elaborazione dati
L’Ethernet a 400 gigabit (400G) ha tracciato il percorso verso velocità di trasferimento dati più elevate, soddisfacendo le crescenti richieste di larghezza di banda dei centri di elaborazione dati in cloud. Se da un lato i ricetrasmettitori ottici a 400G sono straordinari, dall’altro il calcolo ad alte prestazioni e l’intelligenza artificiale avranno bisogno di velocità più elevate. Il progetto TERIPHIC, finanziato dall’UE, punta allo sviluppo di una nuova generazione di moduli ricetrasmettitori integrabili e a scheda intermedia con velocità che vanno da 800 Gbit/s a 1,6 Tbit/s. L’accento sarà posto sulla semplificazione del modello del ricetrasmettitore riducendo il numero di interfacce integrate e sullo sviluppo dell’hardware necessario per automatizzare il processo di assemblaggio. Rispetto alle loro controparti 400G, i moduli ottici 800G abbasseranno del 50 % il consumo energetico per Gbit/s.
Obiettivo
Efforts to develop optical interfaces with Terabit capacity for datacom applications have kicked off. A practical path to the Terabit regime is to scale the current 400G modules, which are based (in the most forward looking version of the standards) on 4 parallel lanes, each operating with PAM-4 at 53 Gbaud. Scaling these modules by adding lanes looks simple, but entails challenges with respect to the fabrication and assembly complexity that can critically affect their manufacturability and cost. TERIPHIC aims to address these challenges by leveraging photonic integration concepts and developing a seamless chain of component fabrication, assembly automation and module characterization processes as the basis for high-volume production lines of Terabit modules. TERIPHIC will bring together EML arrays in the O-band, PD arrays and a polymer chip that will act as the host platform for the integration of the arrays and the wavelength mux-demux of the lanes. The integration will rely on butt-end-coupling steps, which will be automated via the development of module specific alignment and attachment processes on commercial equipment. The optical subassembly will be mounted on the mainboard of the module together with linear driver and TIA arrays. The assembly process will be based on the standard methodologies of MLNX and the use of polymer FlexLines for the interconnection of the optical subassembly with the drivers and the TIAs. Using these methods, TERIPHIC will develop pluggable modules with 8 lanes (800G capacity) and mid-board modules with 16 lanes (1.6T capacity) having a reach of at least 2 km. Compared to the 400G standards, the modules will reduce by 50% the power consumption per Gb/s, and will have a cost of 0.3 Euro/Gb/s. After assembly, the modules will be mounted on the line cards of MLNX switches, and will be tested in real settings. A study for the consolidation of the methods and the set up of a pilot assembly line in the post-project era will be also made.
Campo scientifico
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
IA - Innovation actionCoordinatore
106 82 ATHINA
Grecia