AttoTude and Point2 Technology are at the forefront of a technological revolution in data transmission. They have only recently begun to look toward the terahertz regime, between 300 to 3,000 GHz works. This new collaboration is all about accelerating data center efficiency. We’ll create the next generation of smart systems employing high-frequency signals for unparalleled data transmission speeds. These improvements will address the increasingly problematic, well-known, and oft-dubbed “copper cliff” that comes from older, traditional copper cables. They offer improved redundancy and longer range.
Dave Welch, the founder and CEO of AttoTude, has dedicated his expertise to photonics, culminating in a system that integrates a digital component with a terahertz-frequency generator and mixer. This ground-breaking technology was created to enable super-fast data transfer, meeting the overwhelming requirements of today’s state-of-the-art data centers.
The Terahertz Regime: A New Frontier in Data Transmission
The terahertz regime is becoming increasingly important with the development of high-speed data transmission. AttoTude’s research uses this frequency range to create devices that can function without mechanical components with just electronics. Welch emphasizes the reliability of electronics over optics, stating, “Electronics have been demonstrated to be inherently more reliable than optics.” This claim is particularly important because the industry is shifting focus to solving the problems that come with optical fiber technologies.
Point2 Technology matches these efforts with its revolutionary e-Tube cable, which transmit data using millimeter-wave frequencies. This fiber optic cable has an incredible distance of 20 meters, easily surpassing standard copper cables on the market. e-Tube cable with its eight fiber optic. Each individual fiber is capable of carrying more than 200 gigabits worth of information every second, making for a truly staggering aggregate throughput, perfect for today’s data centers.
Welch further explores the need for innovation, stating, “If I didn’t have to be at [an optical wavelength], where should I be?” The importance of this question highlights the push toward investigating uncharted frequency worlds that promise efficiency through scalability.
Advancements in Cable Technology
Point2 Technology’s e-Tube cable is an exciting breakthrough in cable technology. As a result, its design allows them to be slimmer than legacy 32-gauge copper cables. This creates the potential to reach as much as 20 times greater. Such innovations will be increasingly important as data centers continue to scale and need to move massive amounts of data with greater efficiency and interconnectivity.
The e-Tube cable’s capacity to transmit high data rates over long distances is a major turning point in the industry. At Credo, we’re proud to announce that Don Barnetson, our senior vice president and head of product, is one of only 555. His company has developed an Active Electrical Cable (AEC) that transmits 800 Gb/s over a seven-meter length. This highlights the uphill competitive advantage that new technologies always have to carry compared to conventional approaches.
Barnetson articulates the industry’s current state, stating, “You start with passive copper, and you do everything you can to run in passive copper as long as you can.” His remarks exemplify a common practice in the pipeline industry. It’s understandable, of course, that companies want to get the best out of existing technologies before taking the plunge to solutions.
The Future of Data Centers
The integration of terahertz technologies into data centers could lead to transformative changes in how data is transmitted and processed. AttoTude’s current emphasis is on producing high end, single parts. These are fully-digital data chips and terahertz-signal generators engineered to dovetail fluidly into traditional silicon foundries. This conserves bandwidth while making scaling easier, and adoption is simpler within the existing infrastructure.
Companies like Nvidia and Broadcom have begun deploying optical transceivers housed within processors, exemplifying the trend toward compact and efficient solutions in data handling.
Our demand for access to data—the new currency— is soaring. Advances such as AttoTude’s photonic integrated circuit waveguide will transmit massive amounts of data over tens of meters. This capability will provide the future-proofing that data centers will need to stay ahead of future bandwidth demands.