Intel Corporation has made a significant breakthrough in integrated photonics technology with the introduction of the industry’s first fully integrated optical computing interconnect (OCI) chiplet. This OCI chiplet, demonstrated at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference (OFC) 2024, was co-packaged with an Intel CPU and showcased live data transmission, marking a milestone in high-bandwidth interconnect technology. The development of the OCI chiplet addresses the increasing demands for high-speed data transmission in artificial intelligence infrastructure within data centers and high-performance computing applications.
The integration of packaged silicon photonics interconnect solutions into next-generation computing systems allows for increased bandwidth, reduced power consumption, and extended reach, ultimately enhancing machine learning workload acceleration in AI infrastructure. The OCI chiplet supports 64 channels of 32 gigabits per second (Gbps) data transmission in each direction over optical fiber, addressing the need for higher bandwidth, lower power consumption, and greater scope in AI infrastructure. It enables the scalability of CPU/GPU cluster connectivity and the development of new compute architectures.
The growing deployment of AI-based applications and advances in large language models necessitate larger and more efficient machine learning models to meet the evolving demands of AI acceleration workloads. The OCI chiplet leverages Intel’s silicon photonics technology, integrating a silicon photonics integrated circuit (PIC) with on-chip lasers and optical amplifiers, along with a power IC. This integrated solution offers higher bandwidth, improved power efficiency, low latency, and extended reach, meeting the scaling requirements of AI/ML infrastructure.
The live demonstration of the OCI chiplet showcased bidirectional data transfers of up to 4 terabits per second (Tbps), supporting Gen5 PCIe. The chiplet supports 64 32Gbps data channels in each direction over optical fiber, with power-efficient performance critical for data centers and HPC environments. Intel’s expertise in silicon photonics, built on more than 25 years of research, has established the company as a market leader in delivering reliable connectivity products to major cloud service providers.
Intel is continuously advancing its silicon photonics fab process node to improve device performance, density, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. The company’s focus on innovation and collaboration with select customers to integrate OCI with their SoCs positions Intel at the forefront of the evolving AI infrastructure landscape.
In conclusion, Intel’s development of the OCI chiplet represents a significant advancement in integrated photonics technology, enhancing high-speed data transmission capabilities for AI infrastructure. The integration of the OCI chiplet into next-generation computing systems offers increased bandwidth, reduced power consumption, and extended reach, addressing the growing demands of AI acceleration workloads. Intel’s ongoing innovations in silicon photonics technology demonstrate the company’s commitment to driving connectivity advancements and shaping the future of AI infrastructure.
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