Lightmatter, a leader in photonic (super)computing, has teamed up with Synopsys. Synopsys excels in engineering solutions from silicon to systems. Together, they will integrate Synopsys’s 224G SerDes and UCIe IP on the 3nm process technology into Lightmatter’s Passage 3D Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) solution. This partnership will create a scalable, low-latency CPO solution. It’s designed to meet the needs of next-generation AI infrastructure. The partnership has improved the electrical-to-optical transition. This change creates smooth, high-bandwidth links between next-gen AI accelerators and Lightmatter’s 3D photonic engine.
With the growing size and complexity of AI workloads, as well as their increasing power consumption, the efficiency of data transfer between compute and optical domains has emerged as a key system-level issue. Lightmatter and Synopsys are tackling this issue head-on with this integration, providing a tightly integrated electrical and photonic solution that is ready for high-volume manufacturing and use in large-scale AI systems.
“As AI models grow in size and complexity, the efficiency of the electrical interface to the optical engine becomes a critical design factor,” said Ritesh Jain, SVP of Engineering & Operations at Lightmatter. “Integrating Synopsys’ advanced and silicon-proven 224G SerDes and UCIe IP into our Passage platform allows us to provide a comprehensive, high-performance, high-volume manufacturing (HVM)-ready solution. This collaboration will help facilitate Passage CPO integration into our customers’ XPU and switch designs to achieve maximum performance, reliability, and power efficiency.”
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Key benefits of the collaboration include:
Enhanced Bandwidth and Energy Efficiency: Optimized 224G SerDes and UCIe IP maximize bandwidth and minimize latency while complementing the inherent energy-saving advantages of Lightmatter’s 3D photonic architecture.
Reduced Design Risk: Pre-verified IP and proven design methodologies reduce complexity and uncertainty, enabling customers to confidently deliver high-performance AI silicon on aggressive timelines.
Accelerated Time-to-Market: By leveraging Synopsys’ AI-powered electronic design automation (EDA) and systems design tools-including 3DIC Compiler, the Lumerical product suite, and OptoCompiler-Lightmatter can accelerate the co-design and optimization of electrical and photonic components.
“As AI and high-performance computing systems scale in complexity and performance, electrical interfaces to advanced photonic and accelerator engines become a critical design enabler,” said Neeraj Paliwal, senior vice president of IP product management at Synopsys. “By integrating our silicon-proven 224G SerDes and UCIe IP into Lightmatter’s Passage 3D Co-Packaged Optics platform, we’re delivering a high-bandwidth, low-latency, and energy-efficient solution ready for scale up and out connectivity. This collaboration bridges silicon-centric systems and emerging 3D photonic architectures, while reinforcing Synopsys’ commitment to advancing the photonic IC design ecosystem with industry-leading tools and flows.”
Analyst Perspective on Market Impact
“The integration of industry-leading high-speed SerDes IP optimized for advanced 3D photonic interconnects is a vital step in the maturation of the CPO ecosystem,” said Alan Weckel, Founder and Technology Analyst at 650 Group. “This collaboration between Synopsys and Lightmatter addresses the critical path to market for CPO-enabled next-generation AI silicon, providing hyperscalers with a validated, high-performance roadmap to scale AI clusters beyond the limits of shoreline-bound interconnect alternatives.”
Together, Lightmatter and Synopsys are working to help accelerate the transition to photonic-enabled AI architectures, paving the way for scalable and efficient connectivity that can keep up with the ever-growing needs of AI and HPC.
