Point2 Technology has achieved phenomenal success in advancing access to data center interconnectivity. The launch e-Tube cable represents the latest innovation from the brand. This advanced cable features eight thin polymer waveguides. That’s each waveguide — just one of them can transmit data at a whopping rate of 448 gigabits per second! The e-Tube is the world’s fastest fiber optic network, with a capacity of 1.6 terabits per second. It is set to transform how data is transmitted within today’s data centers.
The e-Tube cable has an ultra-compact design and minimalistic appearance. It uses only 50% of the volume of conventional Active Electrical Cables (AEC). It claims a reach that is as much as 20 times farther than similar copper cables. This offers network engineers an interesting opportunity to have a flexible solution to rapidly growing demands for bandwidth and speed.
Technical Specifications and Advantages
Point2’s e-Tube cable uses millimeter-wave frequencies enabled by a terahertz-frequency generator. Manifold’s distinct approach doesn’t just make anything work better—it cuts power consumption in half. Point2’s technology can be powered at one-third the energy usage of existing optical systems. It’s competitively priced at a third of the cost. It shows an incredibly high throughput, achieving latencies even one-thousandth that of typical optical wire.
This progress arrives just in time. This has increasingly led data centers to rely on high-speed network interconnects to connect individual GPUs (or other accelerators) to network fabric switches. The e-Tube is powered by one silicon chip at each end. These chips transform incoming digital data into modulated millimeter-wave frequencies. A four-foot long integrated antenna radiates these frequencies into the waveguide, allowing for continuous and comprehensive data flow.
“Electronics have been demonstrated to be inherently more reliable than optics.” – Dave Welch
Company Background and Funding
Point2 Technology, founded by industry veterans from Marvell, Nvidia and Samsung. 1 container ship Since then, it has quickly established itself as a hub of innovation for high-speed data transmission. The company has successfully secured $55 million in venture funding, with significant investment from Molex, a well-known manufacturer of computer cables and connections.
Meanwhile, Point2 is preparing to begin manufacturing the chips for the first of those 1.6-terabit-per-second cables later this year. According to industry experts, this cutting-edge technology will provide unprecedented advantage compared to established optical technologies, particularly in transceiver-processor packages.
“Customers love fiber. But what they hate is the photonics.” – Dave Welch
This sentiment is representative of the reality many data center operators are currently grappling with as they find themselves needing to optimize for performance without compromising on reliability.
Industry Implications
Point2’s e-Tube cable couldn’t have come at a better time for data centers. These facilities are under growing pressure to prepare and process data faster and in more efficient manners. Networking architectures have been changing faster than ever before. Consequently, there’s a growing demand for alternatives that deliver superior performance with none of the drawbacks of traditional optical technologies.
Don Barnetson, an industry expert, highlights a common practice within the sector: “You start with passive copper, and you do everything you can to run in passive copper as long as you can.” This quote highlights the dangers of a continued dependency on copper-based solutions, which are too slow and don’t reach enough locations.
To avoid further layover, Barnetson urges prioritizing reduction of “link flap.” This is a well-known phenomenon in optical networks that can severely damage data delivery. Point2’s e-Tube technology is designed specifically to be a more reliable, efficient solution to such challenges.
“It’s the only nonredundant hop in the network.” – Don Barnetson
At the same time, data centers are increasingly adopting more scalable, modular solutions. Point2’s bold new model could provide these innovative infrastructural improvements essential for a world of next-gen computing.