Optical PCBs: fiberless CPO driving datacenter scale-up for AI applications PDF Free Download
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vario-optics ag| Date: 30.06.2025 1
Nikolaus Flöry, CTO
Optical PCBs: fiberless CPO driving
datacenter scale-up for AI applications
Date: 30.06.2025
Disclaimer: This information is confidential and is not to be copied or forwarded to any third party
without our prior written consent.
vario-optics ag| Date: 30.06.2025 2
Today’s data centers and AI infrastructure
face several technical limiting factors
Global demand for datacenter capacity could more
than triple by 2030
Compute is scaling exponentially, but copper
interconnects are hitting physical and economic
limits:
high power consumption
costly, complex (electrical) architectures
limited shoreline/memory capacity; hitting
performance barrier (compute density, scaling BW)
Source: McKinsey
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-
insights/ai-power-expanding-data-center-capacity-to-meet-growing-demand
vario-optics ag| Date: 30.06.2025 3
Trends & Limitations of Existing Optical
Interconnects
Silicon CPO system launching
(Q3/2025?)
Full access to benefits of optical
interconnects
Fiber may hit a wall:
•Mechanical fragility; difficult to
automate and scale
•Complex assembly
•Thermal & density bottlenecks
•Cost
vario-optics ag| Date: 30.06.2025 4
Optical PCBs
Differences & Benefits
1. All Optical Benefits
2. Fully integrated, seamless design
higher Bandwidth Density
3. Designed for Volume: compatible with
standard PCB & packaging processes
Fiberless-CPO
Future-ready interconnects for data centers
driving AI, cloud, and edge performance.
vario-optics ag| Date: 30.06.2025 5
Use-cases in AI Systems
https://blog.publiccomps.com/a-primer-on-data-centers/
vario-optics ag| Date: 30.06.2025 6
Use-cases in AI Systems
https://blog.publiccomps.com/a-primer-on-data-centers/
vario-optics ag| Date: 30.06.2025 7
Use-cases in AI Systems
https://blog.publiccomps.com/a-primer-on-data-centers/
Interface /
Link
Type/
Length
Est.
Savings w/
Optics
Typical
Bandwidth
Potential
Bandwidth
(Optical)
Notes
NVLink
3.0
(
Copper
30cm))
~20
–30 W
saved per
GPU (50%)
600
GB/s
total
Up to
2.4
TB/s
12 links per
GPU max
PCIe
Gen4/5
(x16
) Copper
30cm)
~2
–3W
saved
per
link (50%)
32
GB/s
per link
Up
to 64 /
128
GB/s
Optical
PCIe
or
CXL
Switch GPU GPU
vario-optics ag| Date: 30.06.2025 8
PCIE-WES:
High Speed optical Chip –Chip Communication using PCIe Gen 6.0
•Optical RF-PCB
–6 electrical RF Layers
–1 integrated optical layer (8 optical multimode
channels, ~40cm, 0.05 dB/cm)
–Light turning devices for vertical coupling
•High-speed optical vertical transceivers
–4 channels x 100 Gbit/s (850nm VCSEL)
•Automated, industry standard SMD assembly of electrical
and optical components (Variosystems)
vario-optics ag| Date: 30.06.2025 9
50 µm Waveguide Cores
PCIE-WES:
High Speed optical Chip –Chip Communication using PCIe Gen 6.0
vario-optics ag| Date: 30.06.2025 10
• Increase Compute
Density per Rack
• Reduce I/O Power by
Up to 50%
• Simplify High-Speed
Interconnect Design
• Enable Future-Proof
Scaling beyond 224Gb/s
Deliver more performance per watt, per rack, per dollar.
With our optical PCB technology, you’re not just upgrading links — you're unlocking a
new class of high-density, high-efficiency compute infrastructure.
vario-optics ag| Date: 30.06.2025 11
Enabling Scalable Embedded Optics Together: CPO 2.0
Join us in building the optical interconnect backbone for next-generation AI and
cloud infrastructure.
1. Purpose-Built for AI Infrastructure
Engineered for GPUs, switches & high-
density interconnects
2.Fiberless, Scalable, Reliable
Get rid of patch cords, simplify your
system
3.Join our Ecosystem
Partners already integrating –early
access available
4.Engange with us
Functional Demo ready for evaluation
Custom designs possible for your use-
case
vario-optics ag| Date: 30.06.2025 12
Booth 134, A2
n.floery@vario-optics.ch
Web: https://www.vario-optics.ch
Let´s get started
