FRANKFURT--During this week’s ECOC 2024 tradeshow, optical vendors are showing off wares that offer lower power and greater capacity to accommodate the growth of hyperscale data center operators delivering AI services and traditional providers expanding broadband services.
On day two of our ECOC product showcase, we are looking at new products from Fujitsu, Jabil, Molex and TiniFiber.
Once again, a key theme with these new products is to accomodate the growth of data centers due to the growing demand for AI/ML applications.
Fujitsu introduces intelligent Virtuora OLS-Designer
Fujitsu is serving its Virtuora® OLS-Designer, an intelligent network tool to plan and design open optical networks. OLS-Designer uses machine learning (ML) to generate digital twin models from real-time optical network data and speeds up, simplifies, and optimizes the process of multivendor network planning, design, and testing. Available in early 2025 as part of Virtuora PD, OLS-Designer develops a digital twin of the optical line system based on real-time data, transponder configurations, and ROADM topology. OLS-Designer enables network planning with transponder reachability assessments, modulation format, and data rate recommendations for peak network performance and scalability. The tool employs ML insights to train and continuously improve the accuracy of OLS network designs. It eliminates the need for manual field calculations, reducing operational costs while speeding up service delivery. Fujitsu is showcasing the new product at Stand IF6 / MR D during the ECOC Exhibition 2024 in Frankfurt, September 23-25, and in Booth 2450 / M86 during SCTE TechExpo24 in Atlanta, September 24-26.
Jabil expands silicon photonics capabilities for AI and data center technologies
Jabil is set to roll out additional capabilities at its Ottawa, Canada, site in the fourth quarter of 2024 to support customers’ advanced photonics packaging new product introductions (NPIs). The latest product introduction (NPI) line will feature capabilities such as fluxless flip-chip, fiber attachment, precise die bonding, and wire bonding. These advancements will support silicon photonics chip packaging, particularly in high-speed connectivity applications such as co-packaged optics (CPO) and high-speed on-board connections. Jabil is hosting live demos of their 800G LPO/LRO transceivers and showcasing their in-progress 1.6T module at Booth B101 and Meeting Room M on the ECOC 2024 show floor.
Molex unveils VaporConnect optical feedthrough modules
Molex introduced a thermal management solution that claims to reduce the time and cost of deploying and upgrading high-performance data centers to meet the unrelenting demand for generative AI and machine learning workflows. The VaporConnect™ Optical Feedthrough Modules for two-phase immersion cooling address constant increases in data center speed and capacity by leveraging a cassette-based design that bolts directly onto immersion tanks and enables optical transceivers and network cabling infrastructure to be swapped out without changing mechanical interfaces or impacting immersion tank architecture. Reference designs for the new modules will be available commercially in the first quarter of 2025. Designed for plug-and-play deployment to enable easier and faster hyperscale data center upgrades, the VaporConnect Optical Feedthrough Module is a cassette-based solution for two-phase immersion cooling. As a participating member in OIF, Molex is part of an interoperability demonstration, which takes place at Booth B83, to spotlight optical networking innovations and solutions for data centers, AI/ML technologies and disaggregated systems.
TiniFiber simplifies data center cabling installation with MPO pre-term cable assemblies
TiniFiber has begun in-house production of pre-terminated MPO (multi-fiber push-on) cable assemblies, which simplify and speed the installation of the manufacturer’s crush-proof fiber optic cable in data centers. MPO connectors incorporate multiple optical fibers and enable data centers that require high-density data, including AI and crypto data centers. They support parallel optics, an application that transmits and receives signals over multiple fibers to achieve higher speeds. Micro Armor is pre-terminated MPO cable assemblies are tested and verified to meet international standards, including IEC 61754-7 and EIA/TIA-604-5 (FOCIS 5), which specify a connector’s physical attributes as well as performance and ensure intermating across all complying cables and connectors. TiniFiber’s Micro Armor cable with pre-terminated MPO assemblies, alongside Senko MPO connectors, is available immediately in North America, with stock available to EMEA and APAC markets later this year.
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