Intel combines optics to its Tofino 2 switch chip
Thursday, March 19, 2020 at 7:03PM Part 1: Co-packaged Ethernet switch
The advent of co-packaged optics has moved a step closer with Intel’s demonstration of a 12.8-terabit Ethernet switch chip with optical input-output (I/O).
Source: Intel.
The design couples a Barefoot Tofino 2 switch chip to up to 16 optical ‘tiles’ - each tile, a 1.6-terabit silicon photonics die - for a total I/O of 25.6 terabits.
“It’s an easy upgrade to add our next-generation 25.6-terabit [switch chip] which is coming shortly,” says Ed Doe, Intel’s vice president, connectivity group, general manager, Barefoot division.
Intel acquired switch-chip maker, Barefoot, seven months ago after which it started the co-packaging optics project.
Intel also revealed that it is in the process of qualifying four new optical transceivers - a 400Gbase-DR4, a 200-gigabit FR4, a 100-gigabit FR1 and a 100Gbase-LR4 - to add to its portfolio of 100-gigabit PSM4 and CWDM4 modules.
