Intel’s state-of-the-art prototype chip known as the Optical Compute Interconnect (OCI) delivers data I/O using optical technology, linking directly to the CPU to achieve higher transmission rates compared to traditional electrical I/O methods.
The OCI chip supports 64 channels of data transmission, with a rate of 32 Gbps per channel in each direction, totaling a whopping 4 Tbps data transfer speed. Another advantage of optical data transmission is its ability to send light signals from the chip to an optical fiber over a distance of up to 100 meters, addressing the limitations of traditional electrical I/O that can only reach around 1 meter, expanding data center capabilities significantly.
Intel highlights the comparison between optical I/O and electrical I/O as a shift akin to moving from horses to cars. The groundbreaking chip integrates the OCI package directly with the CPU in a chiplet configuration, offering lower energy consumption compared to separating chips and CPUs (the new chip consumes 5 pico-Joules per bit versus 5 pico-Joules per bit when chips are separate).
This chip is a product of Intel’s Integrated Photonics Solutions (IPS) Group, currently in its prototype stage and collaborating with select partners to integrate the OCI chip into future SoC packages.
TLDR: Intel introduces the Optical Compute Interconnect (OCI) prototype chip, revolutionizing data transmission with optical technology and promising higher speeds and energy efficiency compared to traditional electrical methods.
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