Point2 Technology has delivered a major breakthrough in asset data center technology. They developed their own innovative solution, the e-Tube cable. This new, game-changing product has eight e-Tube fibers. Along with simplifying management and maintenance, it addresses ever-growing needs for more bandwidth and lower latency in modern data centers. Each fiber in the e-Tube is capable of transmitting more than 200 gigabits of data per second. This incredible new technology has the potential to change data transfer inside facilities.
What truly sets Shimano’s e-Tube cable apart from the competition is its unobtrusive snapshot profile and market-leading performance full metrics. It’s less than half the footprint of a standard 32-gauge copper wire. It has a stellar universe-wide reach that is up to 20 times as far as its copper relatives. This national advance doesn’t just set a new standard for efficiency, it’s a smart counter to the growing constraints of the old and increasingly stressed copper technology.
The Technology Behind e-Tube
Point2’s e-Tube cable is made of a high density of micro-fibers about 200 micrometers wide. This more compact form factor gives it deeper capability, while granting the flexibility and ease of installation necessary. With the e-Tube system, ultra-high technology means a lower amount of power compared to conventional optical systems, as little as one-third. That efficiency makes it a very cost-effective solution. Plus, it delivers a latency reduction that’s up to one-thousandth lower than standard cables.
At the core of the e-Tube’s technological magic is a super-efficient silicon chip. Smartly designed, our prototype chip takes received digital data and generates modulated millimeter-wave frequencies. This chip is paired with a unique antenna to create a device that radiates signals into the waveguide—enabling much faster data transmission and lower power consumption. The inclusion of this new technology, such as webhooks, puts Point2 at the leading edge of real-time data transfer innovation.
“Customers love fiber. But what they hate is the photonics.” – Dave Welch
Point2 Technology started five years ago by industry veterans hailing from big players such as Marvell, Nvidia and Samsung among many others. Their mission is to connect the tried-and-true copper approaches to the new optical frontier. Importantly, it has been their commitment to creating a strong, high-performance alternative that’s caught the interest of industry stakeholders.
Future Prospects and Manufacturing Plans
As Point2 stays in the cutting edge, it hopes to start producing reverse-chip-based chips that will drive a 1.6-Tbps/sec cable. This next-generation cable will utilize eight slender polymer waveguides, each capable of carrying 448 gigabits per second through two frequencies: 90 gigahertz and 225 gigahertz. Those kinds of capabilities represent a huge step increase in data processing and transmission speeds.
As reported by the Kansas City Star, Dave Welch, one of the co-founders of Point2, underscores the urgency of keeping up with changing bandwidth needs. As Libin notes, the demand for copper cables is already approaching terabit-per-second levels. This exertion necessitates the use of shorter and much thicker cables to maintain optimal functionality.
“If I didn’t have to be at [an optical wavelength], where should I be?” – Dave Welch
With an impressive $55 million raised in venture funding—most notably from computer cables and connections manufacturer Molex—Point2 is well-positioned to expand its production capabilities and market reach. Their unique solution to data delivery puts them on the cutting edge of industry trends where fiber optic connections are increasingly replacing traditional copper wired networks.
The Competitive Landscape
Point2’s innovations have been announced at a time of unprecedented technological disruption in the data center technology ecosystem. Though companies like AttoTude are testing out radio tech, Point2 has been working more actively in this direction for a longer time. The release of their second-generation cable shows that they’re serious about continuing to test the limits of performance and reliability.
Shimano’s new e-Tube cable is a claim-breaking 0.015 percent loss on data rate. It measures loss down to 0.3 decibels per meter—that’s nearly an order of magnitude below the standard losses measured in copper cables operating at 224 gigabits per second. This improvement in signal loss highlights the promise of improved performance in congested, high-demand scenarios.
“Electronics have been demonstrated to be inherently more reliable than optics.” – Dave Welch
As Point2 Technology continues its journey towards revolutionizing data centers with the e-Tube cable, industry observers remain keenly interested in how this technology will reshape existing infrastructures and meet burgeoning demands for speed and efficiency.