Semtech Makes A Strategic Investment In MultiPhy

Semtech Corporation and MultiPhy Ltd announced that they have entered into a strategic agreement aimed at accelerating the introduction of a 100Gbps single wavelength optical module solution. As part of the agreement, Semtech is now one of the largest shareholders of MultiPhy. With MultiPhy’s advanced-node CMOS DSP and Semtech’s state of the art PMD (laser driver and TIA), the companies plan to offer a complete PHY and PMD solution to enable 100G modules requiring only single lane optics setting a new benchmark for cost and performance of 100G links and emerging 400G applications.

“Hyperscale datacenters are widely expected to begin build-outs of their datacenters with 100G interconnects, based on 4x28G NRZ technology optical modules, in 2016,” said Daryl Inniss, VP and Practice Leader of the global analyst firm Ovum. “Since these datacenters can house up to hundreds of thousands of servers that must each be interconnected using 100G optical modules, reducing the cost of these modules represents a large cost savings opportunity for datacenter customers as they expand their networks.”

The Semtech/MultiPhy 100Gbps per wavelength technology is expected to drive significant cost reductions for datacenters by reducing the number of components inside 100G optical modules. The new 100Gbps per wavelength PAM4 technology should enable the elimination of parallel optical solutions and MUX and DEMUX components used in duplex fiber solutions, requiring just a single laser and optical receiver for each optical module. In addition to substantially reducing the BOM cost, this solution should reduce the manufacturing complexity and enable smaller module form factors, which are essential for enabling increased port density in datacenters. In contrast, current PAM4 solutions in the industry are based on 50Gbps per wavelength technology, which still requires two lasers and optical MUX and DEMUX components to build a 100G optical module.

“We are pleased to be working with MultiPhy to support our customers’ needs for cost-effective solutions,” said Mohan Maheswaran, President and Chief Executive Officer of Semtech. “Semtech is a market leader for 4x28G CDRs for current 100G optical modules, and with the integration of MultiPhy’s innovative technology, we intend to be the leading supplier of solutions based on a single laser architecture. We believe this architecture will enable our customers to build lower power and lower cost 100G modules for the high volume phase of 100G datacenter interconnect build-outs. Furthermore, with MultiPhy’s unique DSP technology, we expect the same 100Gbps per wavelength technology can be leveraged for both short reach intra-datacenter links and longer reach inter-datacenter links.”

“We are excited about this relationship with Semtech, we expect it will enable us to deliver a complete IC solution for 100Gbps wavelength applications and help significantly drive down the cost of datacenter build-outs,” said Avi Shabtai, Chief Executive Officer of MultiPhy. “Furthermore, with Semtech’s global customer relationships and support infrastructure, we are expanding the customer base that we can serve with our industry leading technology.”