Ahead of the 2024 Optical Fiber Communication Conference (OFC), MediaTek (last week) announced it is launching a next-generation custom ASIC design platform that includes the heterogeneous integration of both high-speed electrical and optical I/Os in the same ASIC implementation. MediaTek will be demonstrating a serviceable socketed implementation that combines 8x800G electrical links and 8x800G optical links for a more flexible deployment. It integrates both MediaTek's in-house SerDes for electrical I/O as well as co-packaged Odin optical engines from Ranovus for optical I/O. Leveraging the heterogeneous solution that includes both 112G LR SerDes and optical modules, this CPO demonstration delivers reduced board space and device costs, boosts bandwidth density, and lowers system power by up to 50% compared to existing solutions.

Additionally, Ranovus' Odin optical engine has the option to provide either internal or external laser optical modules to better align with practical usage scenarios. MediaTek's ASIC experience and capabilities in the 3 nm advanced process, 2.5D and 3D advanced packaging, thermal management, and reliability, combined with optical experience, makes it possible for customers to access the latest technology for high-performance computing (HPC), AI/ML and data center networking."The emergence of Generative AI has resulted in significant demand not only for higher memory bandwidth and capacity, but also for higher I/O density and speeds," said Jerry Yu, Senior Vice President at MediaTek. "Integration of electrical and optical I/O is the latest technology that allows MediaTek to deliver the most flexible leading edge data center ASIC solutions."

MediaTek's overall ASIC design platform solution is a complete solution from design to production with industry's latest technologies including die-to-die interfaces (MLink, UCIe), packaging technologies (InFO, CoWoS, Hybrid CoWoS, etc.), high-speed interfaces (PCIe, HBM), integration of thermal and mechanical designs, and more to meet the most stringent customers' needs.

MediaTek will be demonstrating its new co-packaged optics solution for the AI/ML and HPC markets together with Ranovus at OFC 2024 at Booth 5744 in San Diego, March 26-28.