1, What is CPO?
CPO, it is Co-packaged optics, also known as optical/optoelectronic co-packaging. CPO is the process of assembling switch chips and optical engines together in the same Socket, forming a co packaging of chips and modules.
The current packaging technology is to package chips separately and then connect them to optical modules, so it is called integrated circuits. In the future, the application of CPO technology can be called integrated “optical” circuits.
2, The Evolution of CPO
At present, there are three types of packaging technologies: Pluggable is the basic stage, NPO is the transitional stage, and CPO is the ultimate form!
Pluggable, a traditional connection method. The optical engine is a pluggable optical module. After the fiber is received, it is plugged into the optical module and then sent to the network switching chip (AISC) through the SerDes channel.
NPO, The full name is Near packaged optics, which separates the optical engine and switch chip and assembles them on the same PCB substrate.
CPO, It is to assemble the switching chip and the optical engine together on the same Socket, forming a co packaging of the chip and module.
3, The advantages of CPO technology
Low latency, low power consumption: Due to the fact that the optical module and switch chip are in the same package, the signal transmission path is shorter, which can achieve lower latency. In addition, optoelectronic co packaging technology can reduce the power consumption of signal transmission and improve the overall energy efficiency of the system.
High bandwidth: Optoelectronic co packaging technology supports high-speed optical communication and can provide larger data transmission bandwidth. Many ultra large and cloud data centers are expected to adopt server port speeds of 100G in the coming years. And higher server speeds (such as 800G, 1.6T) are constantly being developed and applied, which has also expanded the application scope of CPO.
Small size: Compared to the traditional method of separating and packaging optical modules and electronic chips, optoelectronic co packaging technology can achieve a more compact size, which is beneficial for applications in high-density integrated circuits.
