Marvell Extends 1.6T Connectivity Leadership With Industry’s First PAM4 Optical DSP Integrating 200 Gbps Electrical and Optical Interfaces

In recent days, Marvell Technology, the industry leader, has introduced the Marvell®Nova 2, the first-ever 1.6Tbps PAM4 optical DSP with 200Gbps electrical and optical interfaces. This innovation is poised to meet the escalating performance demands of accelerating infrastructure, generative artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing.

Impact on the Industry

Marvell's latest release, the Nova 2, is set to transform the optical communication industry by offering 200Gbps electrical and optical interfaces, effectively doubling the bandwidth of current 800Gbps optical modules. This advancement enables module manufacturers to develop industry-standard form-factor optical modules, facilitating a seamless transition to 200G interfaces in accelerating infrastructure. The doubling of optical module and interface bandwidth significantly increases network traffic manageability within the same physical space, laying the groundwork for capacity expansion and enhanced infrastructure investment returns.

Dr. Xi Wang, Vice President of Marvell's Optical Interconnect Product Marketing, emphasized the significance of the 200Gbps signal, highlighting its role in defining the next wave of artificial intelligence clusters and cloud data centers. This performance is essential for services based on generative artificial intelligence and large language models, thereby shaping the industry's transition towards the next generation of cloud data center architecture.

Advancements in Optical Technology

The Nova series leverages Marvell's fourth-generation, industry-leading PAM4 optical DSP technology. With 8 200Gbps electrical channels and 8 200Gbps optical channels, the Nova 2 supports various optical component interfaces, achieving a total bandwidth of 1.6Tbps. This capability accommodates standardized module packaging using 8 electrical channels. Nova 2 is specifically designed for the next generation of artificial intelligence (AI) network architecture, where switches, network interface cards (NICs), and accelerators will be based on 200Gbps I/O interfaces.

The key features of the Nova 2 electric-optical platform include:
- 200Gbps per channel line-side transmitter interface, supporting various high-speed lasers
- Line-side receiver with 200Gbps per channel, paired with Marvell TIA, delivering top-tier linearity and low noise
- Integrated laser drivers for optimized power consumption and transmission performance
- Latency-optimized FEC for 200Gbps traffic

Future Prospects

Marvell's plan to sample the Marvell 1.6T Nova 2 optical DSP with 200Gbps electro-optical interfaces in the second quarter demonstrates the company's commitment to driving the optical communication industry towards unprecedented advancements.

In conclusion, Marvell Technology's introduction of the Marvell®Nova 2 represents a significant leap forward for the optical communication industry. With its pioneering features and capabilities, the Nova 2 is poised to redefine the standards for optical communication technology, setting the stage for a new era of high-performance, next-generation optical communication solutions.