Point2 Technology has had a lot of success increasing efficiency in the data transfer process. Now their e-Tube cable is groundbreaking in its transmission of data at astonishing rate of 1.6 terabits per second. This innovation delivers a timely solution as need for faster bandwidth grows exponentially, stretching the capabilities of conventional copper cables. The e-Tube cable has eight thin polymer waveguides. Each one is designed to transport a jaw-dropping 448 gigabits per second, further making it an ideal solution for data connectivity.
Point 2 Technology Industry veterans from Marvell, Nvidia and Samsung created Point 2 Technology nine years ago. Since then, the lofty company has courted heaps of interest—and financial support. The startup has raised a whopping $55 million in venture capital. Of interest, computer cables and connections manufacturer Molex was a huge financial player in this financing. The new e-Tube cable provides more speed and a smaller, more discreet design. This reduces both the cost and complexity of installing advanced optical networks at new development areas.
As data demands escalate, Point2 Technology’s e-Tube cable emerges as a timely solution to the limitations posed by conventional copper cables. According to David Kuo, vice president of product marketing and business development at Point2 Technology, copper’s worst enemy. Nowhere is this more apparent than as our bandwidth heads towards that terabit-per-second wall. He notes that “physics demands that they be made shorter and thicker.” This announcement highlights the urgent demand for new approaches to moving data.
Technical Specifications of e-Tube Cable
Shimano’s e-Tube cable is actually a proprietary communication line made up of eight individual fibers. Each fiber has the capability to carry over 200 gigabits of data a second! This tapestry weave presents engineers latitude to let large amounts of data flow while reducing the normal loss you get when you go longer with a cable. Distance The cable can support distances ranging from 10 meters to around 20 meters with full bandwidth performance.
Point2 Technology’s system provides a safer, faster, and more cost-effective solution than any other technology currently available. What’s more, it uses just a third of the energy required by optical systems. Plus, it doesn’t cost you a penny compared to what typical solutions would cost you. In addition, it provides latency that is one-thousandth as much as its competitors. The e-Tube cable works are fast, efficient and cost-effective benefits. That intelligent powerful trio combined is what makes it a leading front-runner in the competitive field of smart data communication technology.
Don Barnetson, senior vice president and head of product at Credo, emphasizes the importance of maintaining reliability and performance standards in this evolving landscape. He remarks, “You start with passive copper, and you do everything you can to run in passive copper as long as you can.” This sentiment is a microcosm of the greater industry mentality when it comes to transitioning off expensive copper, and onto future enabling technologies such as Point2’s e-Tube.
Moving Beyond Traditional Technologies
Point2 Technology is not alone in looking for new communications solutions to transmit ever increasing amounts of data. Joining them is AttoTude, a Wilmington, Massachusetts-based startup founded by CEO Dave Welch, who has traveled far and wide through the world of photonics. AttoTude’s breakthrough components have included a digital data chip and a terahertz-signal generator. In addition, they’ve built a circuit that ties all of these groundbreaking technologies together. Welch imagines a day when waveguide technology will allow data transmission distances to be increased by orders of magnitude.
Customers love fiber. As Welch explained, the hardest part for users is the culture change that comes with switching to new technology. What they don’t like, he contends, is the photonics. His quote points to a key challenge in the uptake of more innovative solutions—distrust from the customer about whether it will work or fit into their operations. Welch further asserts that “electronics have been demonstrated to be inherently more reliable than optics,” underlining the ongoing debate concerning the durability and effectiveness of various data transmission methods.
As Point2 Technology prepares to commence manufacturing chips for their 1.6-terabit-per-second cable later this year, they are actively advocating for a solution that occupies a middle ground between existing technologies. Their vision combines traditional wire with new, innovative radio frequency technology. They work hard to develop a special product that adds to the quality of the connectivity, never an alternative.
The Future of Data Transmission
The ongoing development in the data transfer technology is an indication of the exciting potential that awaits sectors dependent on fast, single-digit latency connectivity. Both Point2 Technology and AttoTude are examples of thinking ahead, breaking the mold, and adapting to new realities while meeting growing expectations.
Welch’s inquiry into optimal wavelengths—”If I didn’t have to be at [an optical wavelength], where should I be?”—captures the essence of innovation in this field. It challenges researchers to look further outside today’s constraints and motivates the next breakthroughs that may change what we can transmit through a fiber.