TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Nvidia said Wednesday it is working with TSMC on its next-generation Spectrum-X co-packaged optics (CPO) switches, with production set to scale up later this year.
Nvidia networking senior vice president Gilad Shainer said the companies have developed the compact universal photonic engine (COUPE) silicon photonics packaging platform, per CNA. He said it integrates optical engines and switch chips into a single package to improve performance and reduce power consumption in AI data centers.
Shainer said that data transmission has become a bottleneck as AI factories scale up, with bandwidth and energy efficiency between racks now directly affecting overall system performance.
Traditional designs place optical transceivers outside the switch, but CPO technology embeds them within the same package as the switch chip, Shiner explained. This shortens transmission distances and lowers power usage.
Shainer added that TSMC plays a key role in the packaging process, with the COUPE platform enabling more flexible and reliable integration of optical components and chips into a single system.
He said Spectrum-X, with throughput of up to 400 terabits per second, is already being shipped to select partners. Production is expected to ramp up in the second half of the year.
