Optical Fiber Interconnection Solutions for Co-packaged Optics (CPO)

SHENZHEN, China - Jan. 2, 2025 - PRLog -- The co-packaged optics (CPO) market is experiencing rapid growth, driven by the increasing demand for high-speed data transmission and the exponential expansion of data centers and cloud services. According to data from LightCounting, the demand for network speeds driven by artificial intelligence is more than ten times higher than current levels. LightCounting expects that shipments of CPO technology will begin with 800G and 1.6T ports, with commercialization starting between 2024 and 2025 and large-scale deployment occurring between 2026 and 2027. This technology will be primarily applied in short-distance data communication scenarios for hyperscale cloud service providers.

High-speed CPO switches are projected to require thousands of internal fiber connections. Managing the routing of these fibers within the switch's compact structure poses multiple challenges, including maintaining uniform fiber lengths despite varying distances between optical engines and the front panel, as well as preventing excessive bending that could lead to signal degradation. To overcome these obstacles, advanced solutions such as flexible optical backplane shuffle technology are employed. When paired with high-density connectors and adapters, this approach effectively minimizes length variations and ensures robust, high-performance signal transmission.

Fiber flexible circuit products enable higher-density optical routing solutions. Conventional 1U optical patch panels typically support up to 24 fiber connections for splicing and distribution. In a 40U cabinet (with a height of 2 meters), this results in a total fiber capacity of just 960 fibers. By integrating optical fiber flex circuits with high-density MT connectors, a 1U optical panel can accommodate up to 600 fibers (12*50).  When scaled to a 40U cabinet, the total fiber capacity increases dramatically to 24,000 fibers—representing a 20-fold increase in density compared to conventional solutions. This significant improvement in density is a key advantage for high-speed, high-capacity data centers and networking systems.

The shuffle box utilizes high-density connectors, such as MPO and MMC connectors, to enable high-speed, high-density signal connections and transmissions, meeting the demands for network performance and equipment integration in data center applications. CPO switches require extensive fiber deployment internally, and using high-fiber-count MPO connectors can significantly reduce the number of ports needed on the front panel.
For example, a 51.2T CPO switch may require 1,152 optical fibers, including 1,024 standard single-mode fibers and 128 polarization-maintaining fibers. By utilizing 16-fiber MPO connectors, 64 MPO adapter ports (16 × 64 = 1,024) are needed, streamlining deployment and improving integration efficiency.

For more information, https://www.hyc-system.com