Fellow Samtec blogger David Pike recently asked the question, “Is Copper Dead?” He eloquently answers the question that copper and optical solutions still have long runways of growth.
One group driving interest in optics is the Consortium for On-Board Optics (COBO). They are focused on developing standardized specifications for on-board or embedded optics. Samtec has been a part of COBO since its launch in 2015.
COBO and its members have developed new tools to further the adoption of on-board optical modules. These solutions continue to find acceptance in the market place.
Advantages of COBO Architecture
The COBO architecture, a two-piece surface mount connector system based on Samtec’s FireFly™ Micro Flyover System™, offers many advantages over competing solutions. Size, power and flexibility all play a key part.
Arlon Martin, Marketing Director of the Samtec Optical Group, summarizes these point during the following interview from OFC 2019.
As Arlon mentions, Samtec offers the COBO Power/Control connector. The UCC8 series reduces the size of on-board optical modules while increasing port density in data center and HPC applications.
Additionally, the UCC8 series supports all low-speed signals on x8 and x16 lane full-duplex options in COBO modules. The built-in positive latching capabilities of the new connector enhance ruggedness in on-board optical modules.
COBO Compliance Boards
New standards require new test platforms. It’s funny how engineers want to test advertised performances, right? Maybe that just sounds funny for the moment. Moving on . . .
COBO and its partners have recently developed COBO Compliance Boards (CCBs). The CCBs are used for electrical and optical testing of COBO networking equipment. The CCB includes a Host Compliance Board (HCB) and a Module Compliance Board (MCB) which support 400GAUI-8 C2M interfaces.
Addition details on COBO and the CCBs are available on Samtec’s new COBO Standards page.
FireFly™ Micro Flyover System™
The Samtec FireFly™ Micro Flyover System™ is the first interconnect system that gives a designer the flexibility of using micro footprint high-performance optical and low-cost copper interconnects interchangeably with the same connector system.
Samtec FireFly™ copper and optical cable systems provide the flexibility to achieve higher data rates to 56 Gbps PAM4 and/or greater distances, simplifying board design and enhancing performance.
For more information about FireFly™, please visit our landing page at www.samtec.com/firefly of download our FireFly™ Application Design Guide. For technical support and design assistance, please contact our optical specialists at firefly@samtec.com.
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