Marvell Extends 1.6T Connectivity Leadership With Industry's First PAM4 Optical DSP Integrating 200 Gbps Electrical and Optical Interfaces
- Marvell introduces Nova 2, the industry's first 1.6 Tbps PAM4 optical DSP with 200 Gbps interfaces for accelerated infrastructure and AI demands.
- The Nova optical DSP, offering 100 Gbps electrical and 200 Gbps optical interfaces, is now available and will be showcased at OFC 2024.
- 1.6T Nova optical DSPs enable module manufacturers to develop optical modules with 2x more bandwidth than current 800 Gbps modules.
- The Nova 2 device features eight 200 Gbps electrical and optical lanes, supporting 1.6T total bandwidth and backward compatibility for up to three generations.
- Marvell's Nova family leverages four generations of PAM4 optical DSP technology, enhancing connectivity for next-generation AI networking fabric infrastructure.
- The Nova 2 electro-optics platform includes key features like 200 Gbps per lane line-side interfaces and latency-optimized FEC for 200 Gbps traffic.
- The Marvell 1.6T Nova 2 optical DSP is sampling in the second quarter of 2024, while the 1.6T Nova optical DSP is generally available.
- None.
Insights
The announcement of Marvell Technology's Nova 2, a 1.6 Tbps PAM4 optical DSP, represents a significant leap in data infrastructure technology. The ability to double the bandwidth of optical modules to 1.6 Tbps is a response to the growing demands for high-performance computing and AI applications. This development is likely to enhance Marvell's competitive edge in the semiconductor market, especially as cloud data centers and AI clusters seek more efficient and faster data transmission solutions. The market for cloud infrastructure and AI is expanding rapidly and Marvell's innovation could cater to this burgeoning demand, potentially leading to increased market share and revenue growth for the company.
Furthermore, the backward compatibility of Nova 2 optical modules could ease the transition for data centers upgrading their infrastructure, reducing potential friction in the adoption of new technology. This could result in a quicker market penetration for Marvell's new product. Investors should monitor the adoption rate post-release, as it will be a critical indicator of the product's impact on Marvell's financial performance.
Marvell's Nova 2 optical DSP is a technological breakthrough, particularly in its support for 200 Gbps per lane interfaces. This advancement is not just a quantitative increase in bandwidth but also a qualitative enhancement in network traffic management within data centers. The integration of features such as integrated laser drivers and latency-optimized FEC (Forward Error Correction) is indicative of an industry trend towards more efficient and high-performance data transmission technologies. The move towards 200 Gbps I/O interfaces in AI networking fabric infrastructure reflects a broader industry shift that stakeholders should be aware of.
For data center operators, the transition to such high-speed interfaces could result in significant cost savings over time due to improved return on investment from existing infrastructure. However, the initial capital expenditure and the need for compatible components may pose challenges. The long-term benefits of adopting such advanced technology could outweigh these initial costs, but this will depend on the broader industry's readiness to upgrade and the compatibility of existing systems.
Marvell's introduction of the Nova 2 optical DSP could have a substantial impact on its financials. The product's market positioning as the first 1.6 Tbps PAM4 optical DSP with 200 Gbps interfaces is likely to attract attention from data center operators and cloud service providers. The financial implications for Marvell include potential revenue growth from sales of the new DSP and an enhanced reputation as a leader in high-speed data transfer technology.
Investors should consider the R&D and marketing expenses associated with the roll-out of such a product, as well as the timing of revenue recognition given the sampling to select customers in the second quarter of 2024. The long-term financial outlook appears positive, assuming successful market adoption and the continued expansion of cloud services and AI applications driving demand for high-performance data infrastructure.
New Nova 2 PAM4 optical DSP enables greater performance and bandwidth density to optimize AI and cloud infrastructure
Marvell also announced that the flagship Nova optical DSP, a 1.6 Tbps device with 100 Gbps electrical and 200 Gbps optical interfaces announced last year, is now generally available. It will be showcased at the Marvell Booth (#2225) at OFC 2024 taking place this week in
A breakthrough in optical connectivity technology, 1.6T Nova optical DSPs enable module manufacturers to develop a wide range of industry-standard form factor optical modules that deliver 2x more bandwidth than current 800 Gbps optical modules for the transition to 200G interfaces in accelerated infrastructure. Doubling optical module and interface bandwidth greatly increases the amount of network traffic that can be managed within the same physical space, thereby paving a pathway to scale capacity and increase return on infrastructure investments.
"200 Gbps signaling will be a defining feature for the next wave of AI clusters and cloud data centers and provide the performance needed to deliver services based on generative AI and large language models," said Xi Wang, Ph.D., vice president of product marketing for Optical Connectivity at Marvell. "The latest advancements in our Nova product family extend our longstanding leadership in PAM4 optical DSP technology to advance the industry towards next-generation cloud data center architectures."
Optical Technology for Accelerating Infrastructure
The intensive bandwidth and performance demands of AI and cloud workloads are fundamentally transforming, and accelerating, data infrastructure architectures. Bandwidth capacity in the cloud, measured by Ethernet ports shipped, continues to increase at over
Optical DSP technology is critical for assuring signal integrity in high-speed, large and complex optical networks. The increasing need for greater connectivity bandwidth, the increasing size of AI clusters and cloud data centers, and the greater distances between nodes mean that optical DSPs are becoming more pervasive and more performant.
"Networking and connectivity are the linchpin for AI," said Alan Weckel, co-founder of 650 Group. "We are seeing increased focus on the performance of switches and optical modules by hyperscale cloud providers because they understand that networking performance is absolutely vital to the success of these new services. Nova 2 is the latest milestone for Marvell and the industry."
The Nova family leverages four generations of proven industry leading PAM4 optical DSP technology from Marvell. Newly announced Nova 2 features eight 200 Gbps electrical lanes to the host device and eight 200 Gbps optical lanes to interface with a wide range of optical components to enable 1.6T total bandwidth that can fit inside standardized module form factors utilizing eight electrical lanes. Nova 2 based optical modules support backward compatibility for up to three generations. Nova 2 is designed for next-generation AI networking fabric infrastructure where switches, network interface cards (NIC), and accelerators will be based with 200 Gbps I/O interfaces. The first flagship Nova device is designed for connecting devices based with 100 Gbps electrical I/O interfaces, used in clouds today.
"Marvell is once again bringing an industry-first 1.6T optical DSP to the pluggable optics ecosystem and delivering the connectivity speed needed to tackle the most demanding AI workloads," said Osa Mok, chief marketing officer, InnoLight Technology. "The Marvell Nova 2 DSP, combined with InnoLight's high-speed optical transceiver design and manufacturing capabilities, brings to the industry a state-of-the-art pluggable module for doubling bandwidth capacity for the growing performance requirements of data center infrastructure."
Key features of the Nova 2 electro-optics platform include:
- 200 Gbps per lane line-side transmitter interface supporting a wide range of high-speed lasers
- 200 Gbps per lane line-side receiver with companion Marvell TIAs, providing best-in-class linearity and low noise
- Integrated laser drivers, optimizing power dissipation and transmit performance
- Latency-optimized FEC for 200 Gbps traffic
Availability
The Marvell 1.6T Nova 2 optical DSP with 200 Gbps electrical and optical interfaces is sampling in the second quarter of 2024 to select customers. The Marvell 1.6T Nova optical DSP with 100 Gbps electrical and 200 Gbps optical interfaces is generally available.
About Marvell
To deliver the data infrastructure technology that connects the world, we're building solutions on the most powerful foundation: our partnerships with our customers. Trusted by the world's leading technology companies for over 25 years, we move, store, process and secure the world's data with semiconductor solutions designed for our customers' current needs and future ambitions. Through a process of deep collaboration and transparency, we're ultimately changing the way tomorrow's enterprise, cloud, automotive, and carrier architectures transform—for the better.
1.650 Group, Ethernet Switch Reports, 4Q 2023, March 4, 2024.
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