In a significant move into the Heterogeneous Integration Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) field, Taiwanese chip firm MediaTek has partnered with optical communications company Ranovus to launch a customised Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) design platform for CPO. This strategic collaboration aims to provide groundbreaking solutions for high-speed electronic and optical signal transmission interfaces (I/O).
The partnership between MediaTek and Ranovus represents a step forward in addressing the increasing demand generated by the rise of GenAI, which necessitates higher memory bandwidth, greater I/O density, and accelerated speeds. CPO offers an effective solution by shortening the electrical link length through advanced packaging and the co-optimization of electronics and photonics.
MediaTek's CPO solution will incorporate its in-house SerDes product with Ranovus's packaged Odin optical engines. The combined offering is projected to significantly reduce board space and lower system power consumption by up to 50% compared to existing solutions. Jerry Yu, Senior Vice President at MediaTek, emphasized the impact of Generative AI's emergence, stating, "The 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."
On March 20, 2024, Ranovus, a Canadian tech startup specializing in cutting-edge silicon photonics solutions, revealed this transformative collaboration with MediaTek. The companies introduced a remarkable Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) solution boasting unparalleled speed capabilities of 6.4Tbps, incorporating integrated lasers aimed at revolutionizing operations in AI-centric data centers.
Hamid Arabzadeh, the visionary behind Ranovus, emphasized the quantum leap achieved in developing silicon photonics chip technology tailored for MediaTek's specific applications. The new ODIN® chip, set to debut at the OFC 2024 conference in San Diego, promises to empower MediaTek with a capacity eight times greater than their prior collaborative solution with AMD/Xilinx from 2023.
Guided by Arabzadeh's wealth of experience in optical networking and his tenure at Nortel and CoreOptics (later acquired by Cisco), Ranovus adopts a customer-centric approach anchored in system specifications provided by its clientele. The company designs products under the "Application Specific Optical Engine" strategy, aligning with the tailored nature of ASICs to deliver custom-made ASEs that cater to the precise compute and optical networking requirements of its partners, shoring up advanced manufacturing and assembly capabilities alongside the partners and OSATs.
Ranovus, which boasts strategic partnerships with industry giants and a prudent funding strategy prioritizing IP development and tangible solutions, is primed for robust growth amidst the burgeoning AI landscape. Positioned to seize the momentum of the AI revolution, Ranovus stands at the vanguard of technology innovation, poised to reshape the contours of data center evolution in collaboration with MediaTek.
