At next week’s ECOC 2024 in Frankfurt, the Linear Pluggable Optics Multi-Source Agreement (LPO MSA) Group will demonstrate interoperability testing of network equipment using LPO links.
Linear Pluggable Optics (LPO) is an emerging optical interconnect technology designed to address the growing demands for higher bandwidth, lower power consumption, and reduced latency in data-intensive applications, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Unlike traditional optical solutions that rely on digital signal processing (DSP) to manage signal integrity, LPO uses simpler, more power-efficient linear optics, which transmit and receive signals in a less complex manner, minimizing power usage and costs. LPO transmits signals using linear modulation techniques, meaning the optical signal remains closer to its original form. This allows for direct detection without the need for complex DSP-based compensation of impairments like dispersion and nois
The testing at ECOC24 will focus on 400 Gbps and 800 Gbps parallel single-mode links. The interoperability event, hosted by MultiLane and Keysight Technologies, aim to validate the LPO MSA draft specification and confirm that the equipment achieves margins above link budget requirements while interfacing with an ecosystem of link partners. The event will include test point validation and full link testing, showing significant system margin.
Building on industry standards such as IEEE 802.3 and OIF, the LPO MSA has drafted component, module, and system-level interoperability requirements for electrical and optical interfaces operating at 100 Gbps per lane. The group is also now open to new members, aiming to further refine the specification and expand the ecosystem for 100G/lane LPO solutions. Future specifications will include multi-mode optics, Linear Receive Optics (LRO), and 200G/lane solutions. Additionally, the LPO MSA has developed diagnostics to enable comprehensive link monitoring and analysis.
Mark Nowell, LPO MSA Chair, highlighted the importance of the interoperability achievement: “This result, coupled with the LPO value proposition, opens a path for reduced power, cost, and latency for the communications industry without sacrificing interoperability.” Andreas Bechtolsheim, LPO MSA Co-Chair, noted that the industry is on track for the production of LPO systems and modules by 2025.
• Successful interoperability testing of 400 Gbps and 800 Gbps LPO links
• Event hosted by MultiLane and Keysight Technologies at ECOC 2024
• LPO MSA specification targets power, cost, and latency reductions for AI/ML applications
• New members invited to join the LPO MSA to help refine and expand the specification
• Future plans for multi-mode optics, Linear Receive Optics (LRO), and 200G/lane solutions
• Ramp production of LPO systems expected by 2025
LPO MSA members: Accelink, AMD, Arista, Broadcom, Bytedance, Cisco, Eoptolink, Hisense, Intel, Keysight Technologies, MACOM, MultiLane, NVIDIA, Semtech Corporation
“Demonstrating multi-party link interoperability is a material achievement for the LPO MSA,” said Mark Nowell, LPO MSA Chair. “This result, coupled with the LPO value proposition, opens a path for reduced power, cost, and latency for the communications industry without sacrificing interoperability.”
“We are very happy with the progress the LPO MSA has made since its founding in March,” said Andreas Bechtolsheim, LPO MSA Co-Chair. “The industry is well on the way to ramp production of LPO systems and modules in 2025.”
“Linear optics is an important tool for increasing the performance of AI training and inference systems, while simultaneously decreasing TCO,” said Peter Del Vecchio, LPO MSA Co-Chair. “The successful multi-party interoperability test, based on the draft LPO MSA specification, is an important step in demonstrating to the industry that LPO can be deployed at scale with a broad ecosystem of optical modules and networking components.”
