Semtech introduced its new DirectEdge™ portfolio of 100G/channel analog optical components at OFC 2025, targeting low-power Linear Pluggable Optics (LPO) for 400G and 800G AI data center networks. Designed to eliminate digital signal processors (DSPs), these Physical Medium Dependent (PMD) solutions reduce power consumption and help hyperscalers allocate more energy to compute-intensive workloads like AI model training and inference.
As AI infrastructure rapidly scales, data center operators face tight power budgets. Semtech’s DirectEdge portfolio delivers high-performance transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs) and laser drivers that are more than 50% more power efficient than comparable DSP-based optics. The new LPO products support both single-mode and multimode fiber deployments and come in a variety of pitch sizes and configurations to meet diverse layout needs.
The DirectEdge LPO suite includes multiple 56GBd PAM4 TIAs—GN1854, GN1856, GN1857 and their polarity-inverting variants—as well as 56GBd PAM4 laser drivers such as the GN1871 and GN1858 series. This comprehensive offering enables hyperscale operators to deploy high-throughput, low-latency optical links while minimizing energy use, a key requirement as global AI infrastructure spending accelerates toward $200 billion by 2028.
• 100G/channel DirectEdge components enable 400G and 800G LPO modules.
• Eliminates DSPs for >50% lower power consumption in optical interconnects.
• TIAs: GN1854, GN1856, GN1857 (all with polarity-invert options).
• Laser Drivers: GN1871 (MZM), GN1858 (VCSEL, with polarity-invert option).
• Supports both single-mode and multimode fiber implementations.
“Our DirectEdge portfolio benefits hyperscalers by bringing our industry-leading PMDs to successfully deploy LPO, while also addressing the power imperative by eliminating power-hungry DSPs,” said Weiliang Deng, director of signal integrity product marketing at Semtech.
