Many more companies are doing great work pushing innovations that improve connectivity, efficiency and more. This major advancement in data center technology is helping meet the increasing demands of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Industry leaders including Nvidia, Point2 Technology and Credo are paving the way in these innovations. Their innovations hold the potential to radically change how we transmit and process data.
Nvidia, the world’s premier GPU developer, recently unveiled strategies to multiply the number of GPUs in each system by up to 25 times. By 2027, the company plans to increase this number from 72 to an astonishing 576 GPUs. This fix is urgently needed as training the next generation of large AI models increasingly depends on having strong data throughput capabilities. The mantra for this evolution can be summarized in two words: up and out.
Point2 Technology is creating a splash, best known for their e-Tube cables, which are purpose built to outperform traditional copper cables by an order of magnitude. These cables are made up of eight e-Tube fibers, each of which can carry more than 200 gigabits of information per second. The firm expects to produce chips for a record-setting 1.6-terabit-per-second cable that communicates over eight thin polymer waveguides. Further, each waveguide is capable of sending 448 gigabits per second through two frequencies, 90 gigahertz and 225 GHz.
Credo has grabbed industry attention with its innovative Active Electrical Cables (AECs). These cables positively rock, transmitting 800 Gb/s across distances of seven meters. These AECs will be key in bridging individual GPUs to network switches over the long haul of scale-out networks. This increased density and connection is expected to dramatically increase data transfer efficiency.
A New Era of Connectivity with e-Tube Cables
Point2 Technology’s e-Tube cables are designed to reduce bulk and increase the efficiency of the e-tube system. They take up half the footprint of standard 32-gauge copper cables. Simultaneously, they amplify their footprint by as much as 20 times without a drop in quality. This is an incredibly important capability as data centers are getting larger, requiring longer cable runs while maintaining high performance.
David Kuo, the vice president of product marketing and business development at Point2 Technology, emphasized the advantages of their innovative cabling solution. Shimano’s e-Tube cable system consumes just a third of the energy required by optical systems. What’s more, it costs one-third as much and can reduce latency by up to one-thousandth of what’s possible with conventional methods.
The novel design relies on one silicon chip to translate incoming digital information to modulated millimeter-wave frequencies. Another antenna then efficiently radiates these signals into the waveguide, allowing for incredibly high data throughput rates. Coupled with these achievements, Point2 Technology is set to change the industry’s expectations for data transfer speeds and efficiency.
“Customers love fiber. But what they hate is the photonics.” – David Welch
This sentiment reflects a much bigger trend in the industry. Other companies are racing to remove the arcane nature of optical technologies while increasing performance in tandem.
Nvidia’s Strategic Moves in GPU Deployment
Nvidia’s aggressive plans to increase GPU capacity could not have been better timed with this massive shift toward AI-enabled applications. The planned eightfold increase in GPUs per system underscores the urgency for faster and more reliable data connections within data centers. This strategic change has been necessitated by increased pressures for processing capacity. As AI models get larger and more complex, our strategies should evolve as well.
Don Barnetson, senior vice president and head of product at Credo, highlighted the challenges faced by many data centers today. He stated, “You start with passive copper, and you do everything you can to run in passive copper as long as you can.” This is a positive sign of a transitional state where companies still use what they have and know, but seek newer and better alternatives.
Similarly, Nvidia’s recent deployment of optical transceivers built into processor packages is a transformational technology development and system design breakthrough. This integration aims to minimize latency and improve overall performance, creating a more seamless experience for users demanding high-speed data processing capabilities.
The Future of Data Center Design
With the constant advancements in technology comes the next developments in the architecture of data centers. The demand for better, safer, more convenient ways to connect has never been greater. David Welch has noted that “electronics have been demonstrated to be inherently more reliable than optics.” Chasing tech dollars Companies prefer to invest in electronic solutions. These digital options provide high-performance imaging without the headaches often associated with optical systems.
Especially important is the distance that many data centers need for scaling effectively. Welch pointed out that certain distances “happen to be a beautiful distance for scale-up in data centers.” This finding further underscores the need to create connectivity solutions that can deliver high-bandwidth data across a wide range of distances.
Point2 Technology’s state-of-the-art systems not only address these demands but have numerous clear advantages over copper solutions. Their e-Tube cables can run 10-20 meters with little loss. This incredible versatility is precisely what makes them an attractive option for modern data center builds.