Marvell introduces 1.6 Tbps LPO Chipset
Marvell Technology has introduced a 200G per lane optimized transimpedance amplifier (TIA) and laser driver chipset, enabling 800 Gbps and 1.6 Tbps linear-drive pluggable optics (LPO).
Designed to address next-generation short-reach, scale-up compute fabric connectivity requirements, LPO modules enabled by the chipset overcome the reach limitations of passive, DAC cable interconnects. The LPO chipset expands the industry-leading interconnect portfolio from Marvell, which includes PAM4 optical DSPs, coherent DSPs, data center interconnects, Alaska® A active electrical cable (AEC) DSPs and Alaska P PCIe retimers, delivering an optimized optical solution for short-reach compute fabric connections, delivering an optimized optical solution for short-reach compute fabric connections.
As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies advance, the demand for higher-bandwidth interconnects in data center networks is accelerating rapidly. This is particularly evident in compute fabric networks, which connect XPUs within and across racks. The next generation of XPU compute fabric networks will transition to data rates of 200 Gbps per lane, where passive DACs fall short of meeting speed and distance requirements.
To address this, cloud data centers will transition to a new type of interconnect that meets their specific requirements. Marvell introduced Alaska A for customers looking to extend copper capabilities using AECs, while others can leverage specialized LPO modules featuring the Marvell TIA and driver chipset. Designed for short and predictable host channels, these LPO modules enable longer reach, higher bandwidth and improved performance compared to copper interconnects.
“Marvell 1.6 Tbps LPO TIA and laser driver chipset is designed to address the growing demand for short-reach, high-bandwidth interconnect solutions, where passive copper cables are hitting a wall,” said Xi Wang, vice president of product marketing for Optical Connectivity at Marvell. “As AI-driven data centers continue to scale, optimizing interconnect solutions across each layer of the network is becoming increasingly critical. The new LPO chipset complements and expands our industry-leading 1.6 Tbps connectivity portfolio, to address the growing spectrum of interconnects that cloud operators are seeking to optimize.”
“LPO has been a technology in search of the right solution. By optimizing chipsets for short, inside-the-rack connections, Marvell brings clarity and focus to LPO, delivering it in a more compelling and scalable manner,” said Alan Weckel, co-founder of 650 Group. “Marvell’s innovative approach to achieving performance gains helps drive better AI cluster TCO and highlights the industry’s direction in optimizing networking links.”
The 1.6 Tbps LPO chipset, one of the latest additions to the Marvell interconnect portfolio, is optimized for specific use cases to help data centers maximize infrastructure utilization and performance while reducing overall cost and power per bit. This extensive portfolio spanning optical and copper interconnects includes Ara, the industry’s first 3nm PAM4 interconnect platform; Aquila, the industry’s first O-band-optimized coherent-lite DSP platform; Nova family of PAM4 DSPs featuring 200 Gbps electrical and optical interfaces; and Alaska A PAM4 DSP for active electrical cables.
LPO Chipset Key Features
TIA provides best-in-class linearity, power and BER for AI applications.
Laser driver to improve module performance margin while reducing overall transceiver module design complexity, power consumption, and TCO.
TIA and laser driver chipset provide adjustable equalization to compensate for channel loss.
