IBM, TE Connectivity, Senko Advanced Components join with Ranovus for co-packaged optics development
Ranovus Inc., which recently revealed work on the Odin 32, a silicon photonics engine for co-packaged optics applications (see "Ranovus announces single chip Odin silicon photonic engines for pluggable optical transceivers, co-packaged optics"), says it has created an ecosystem to aid its ambitions in the space. IBM Inc., TE Connectivity, and Senko Advanced Components, Inc. will collaborate with Ranovus for the design and manufacture of multi-vendor technology for co-packaged optics.
In addition to Ranovus’s contribution of the silicon photonics engine, the ecosystem will include:
- IBM’s fiber V-groove interconnect packaging technology that interfaces fibers to silicon photonics devices. The automated process leverages passive alignment and achieves low insertion loss across a wide spectral range in both the O-Band and C-Band, says Ranovus.
- TE’s co-packaged (CP) fine-pitch socket interposer technology, which enables integration of small chipset and optical engine component technologies into co-packaged assemblies with reworkable and interoperable interfaces. TE also will offer its thermal bridge technology, which offers thermal management of the switch, SerDes, and optical components.
- SENKO’s connectivity expertise for optical coupling, onboard/mid-board, and faceplate to support 100G per lane and greater co-packaged optics designs. The options available include low-profile, precision fiber coupler assemblies, micro sized on/mid-board connectors, reflow-compatible connector assemblies, and space saving connector technology for faceplate use.
Ranovus sees the transition of Ethernet switch IC SerDes from 50 Gbps to 100Gbps, in 25.6-Tbps and 51.2-Tbps switch configurations, as a catalyst for interest in co-packaged approaches. “Ranovus’s Odin platform was conceived with miniaturized components such as micro ring resonators in a monolithic electronic and photonic integrated circuit to deliver highly scalable solutions in support of single- and multi-wavelength applications,” said Georg Roell, CTO at the company. “We are delighted to contribute our IP and create an ecosystem to remove a major hurdle for the adoption of co-packaged optics solutions for data centers.”
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About the Author
Stephen Hardy
Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
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