Framework serves as foundation for industry consensus on co-packaging with ASICs

OIF, the global industry forum accelerating market adoption of advanced interoperable optical networking solutions, today announced the release of a framework Implementation Agreement (IA) for co-packaging, identifying the critical co-packaged applications and their requirements and charting a path for interoperability standards.

OIF’s leadership in driving interoperability in co-packaging technologies began in 2020 when it was clear the industry needed to achieve consensus on standards. Since then, OIF members have engaged in an umbrella project to study the application spaces and relevant technology considerations for co-packaging of communication and computing interfaces with one or more ASICs.

The Co-Packaging track of OIF’s Physical & Link Layer (PLL) Working Group began by studying the application spaces contributed by the end-users. Then, it examined various related topics, including electrical and optical interfaces, thermal and mechanical considerations, reliability, safety, environmental and management interfaces. The findings of the work are summarized in the Framework Document IA.

This work also guided OIF to initiate two follow-on co-packaging projects: External Laser Small Form Factor Pluggable (ELSFP) Project, announced in May 2021, and the 3.2T Module Project, announced in March 2021.

“OIF is leading industry discussion on this critical dense integration technology,” said Jeff Hutchins, Ranovus and OIF Board Member and PLL Working Group – Co-Packaging Vice Chair. “This framework IA provides the industry with a foundation for developing interoperable energy efficient co-packaged solutions.”

“Co-packaging represents a significant change to the way high-performance communications ASICs are packaged today,” said Technical Editor of the Co-Packaging Framework IA, Kenneth Jackson, Sumitomo Electric. “This Framework document addresses many of the issues that initially challenged this new architecture and narrows the scope of achievable solutions. This is precisely what OIF excels at…identifying a gap and collaborating on a path forward towards interoperability.”

Earlier this month, OIF experts led a public webinar, “Co-Packaging Standardization Progress,” discussing the co-packaging standardization efforts that are in progress and addressing implementation challenges, including electrical channels, external lasers, optical connectivity, packaging, etc. In partnership with Lightwave, the event featured talks from industry-leading experts at Intel, Cisco, Ranovus, Sumitomo Electric and TE Connectivity. Click here for free on-demand viewing of this webinar.

About OIF

OIF is where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done. Building on more than 20 years of effecting forward change in the industry, OIF represents the dynamic ecosystem of 130+ industry leading network operators, system vendors, component vendors and test equipment vendors collaborating to develop interoperable electrical, optical and control solutions that directly impact the industry’s ecosystem and facilitate global connectivity in the open network world. Connect with OIF at @OIForum, on LinkedIn and at http://www.oiforum.com.

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