The advanced low-power DSP technology enables high-performance distributed disaggregated chassis implementations.

April 02, 2021

Credo, a global innovation leader in advanced connectivity technology delivering high performance, low power connectivity solutions for 100G, 400G, and 800G port enabled networks, has announced the HiWire™ Low Power CLOS Active Electrical Cable (LP CLOS AEC). Recognizable for its distinctive purple color, the new LP CLOS AECs are 400G to 400G copper cables which integrate Credo’s patented, application specific low power DSPs and support a reach of 0.5m to 3m.

At up to 75% lower power than AOCs and 75% less bulk than DACs, LP CLOS AECs are ideal for in-rack applications replacing backplanes in Distributed, Disaggregated Chassis (DDC) implementations.

LP CLOS AECs can replace a chassis backplane to enable the plug-&-play connection of commodity 400G “Pizza Box” switches and routers. Credo’s HiWire LP CLOS AECs complement the existing families of HiWire SPAN AECs, which replace AOCs, and HiWire SHIFT AECs, which provide plug & play PAM4-to-NRZ speed shifting in-cable. The family’s first introduction was a public demonstration of a 96Tb Jericho2 / Ramon Medium Cluster DDC implementation at the Open Compute Project Global Summit in 2020.

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“Power efficiency has become the critical consideration in hyperscale data centers, with next-generation switching ASICs and low power interconnect enabling the replacement of chassis with modern disaggregated chassis solutions,” said Don Barnetson, Vice President of Product at Credo. “Our low power 400G HiWire LP CLOS AEC provides the optimal mix of low power and routability to proliferate 400G disaggregated chassis configurations at hyperscalers and service providers.”