Point2 Technology has launched a groundbreaking new cable, e-Tube, with the ambition of making data transmission in data centers truly revolutionary. The e-Tube is capable of moving information at a blazing 1.6 terabits per second. It is purpose-built to address today’s insatiable demands for bandwidth in a new technology-enabled fabric. The company’s newfangled cable relies on eight thin polymer waveguides, each independently sending 448 gigabits per second.
About nine years ago, industry veterans from Marvell, Nvidia, and Samsung founded Point2 Technology. The company went on to raise $55 million in venture capital, drawing big-name investors such as computer cables and connectors leader Molex. However, data centers are increasing and changing extremely quickly. This rapid growth reminds us that high-quality, efficient, and dependable connections are more critical than ever.
Shimano’s e-Tube cable has a low-profile, high-tech design that occupies only half the volume of a comparable 32-gauge copper wire. It equally provides a phenomenal reach, going up to 20 times farther than typical copper alternatives. Using Point2 Technology, data can be transmitted through the interference up to 20 meters with no loss. This technology will fundamentally change how data center operators conduct operations today.
Advanced Technology and Design
The e-Tube cable uses two frequencies, 90 gigahertz and 225 GHz, to accomplish its stunning data transfer abilities. At the ends of the cable, one single silicon chip works all that magic. It changes incoming digital data into modulated millimeter-wave frequencies. This digital-to-waveguide conversion process is accompanied by a compact antenna that emits the signals into the waveguide.
David Kuo is the vice president of product marketing and business development at Point2 Technology. He describes how their technology stacks up against state-of-the-art. Indeed, he argues that Point2’s alternative e-Tube cable beats copper and fiber solutions in distance. It can transmit over distances of 10 to 20 meters with little signal degradation.
“We call it the copper cliff,” – David Kuo, Point2 Technology
This creative strategy goes a long way in overcoming obstacles brought about by the “copper cliff,” as Kuo describes the situation. This term serves to emphasize the insufficiency of traditional copper solutions in modern high-bandwidth scenarios. Through smart use of advanced materials and design, Point2 Technology looks to increase performance and reliability while maximizing efficiency in data centers.
Market Demand and Industry Response
Now that nearly all businesses depend on internet access and cloud services, the need to quickly move data has created a higher demand. The e-Tube cable answers this call, dropping the weight of traditional copper cables while punching above their class’ power output. With performance and scalability like e-Tube, copper can’t compete.
Dave Welch from AttoTude comments on this phenomenon:
“Customers love fiber. But what they hate is the photonics.” – Dave Welch, AttoTude
“Electronics have been demonstrated to be inherently more reliable than optics.” – Dave Welch, AttoTude
Solver Point2 Technology has launched e-Tube to fill that data center solution gap. This cutting-edge product delivers consistent security, performance and media integrity to meet the mounting demands of today’s data centers.
Future Prospects
Point2 Technology expects to start producing those chips needed for the 1.6-terabit-per-second cable later this year. This smart play places them in a powerful position to benefit from the urgent demand for ever-more-capacious data transmission offerings. The company’s technology would offer major benefits compared to today’s optical technologies, particularly inside transceiver-processor packages.
Data centers have changed dramatically in the last few years. The return on investment from integrating e-Tube cables cannot be overstated in terms of efficiency and reliability.
Welch remarks on the optimal distance that Point2’s technology can cover:
“It happens to be a beautiful distance for scale-up in data centers,” – Dave Welch, AttoTude
e-Tube’s features include high-speed and high-volume, compact design. In addition, with its reliable and high-quality performance, it could indeed prove to be revolutionary in the way we transmit valuable data.