Circuit switch equipment and system with onboard direct-drive optical module

Abstract

The invention relates to a circuit switch device and system with on-board direct drive optical modules. The system comprises a plurality of node devices and at least one circuit switch device with an onboard direct-drive optical module. Wherein the plurality of node devices are in communication connection with the at least one circuit switch device; each circuit switch device is configured to selectively transmit a signal received from any one of the plurality of node devices to any one or more other node devices of the plurality of node devices.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to circuit switch equipment with onboard direct-drive optical modules, communication systems, and computing systems. Background Technology

[0002] According to OpenAI data, the computational load of artificial intelligence models is growing far faster than the computing power of computing hardware. As AI (Artificial Intelligence) accelerators continue to achieve increased computing power through process technology iterations and chip architecture innovations, the interconnect bandwidth between AI accelerators is also constantly increasing. AI accelerator interconnect networks have become crucial for improving overall computing power. The Open Compute Project (OCP) has launched the general-purpose OCP Accelerator Module (OAM), which has been adopted by leading GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) vendors. Currently, to enhance communication between computing modules, eight computing modules are fully interconnected point-to-point via PCB (Printed Circuit Board) traces. Due to the need for long PCB traces, computing modules generally require long-range (LR) SerDes interfaces similar to CEI. For full connectivity, each SerDes interface needs to access a specific single computing module, which further reduces the bandwidth between each pair of computing modules.

[0003] Furthermore, since the response of electrical channels attenuates with increasing signal rate, higher-speed interfaces often involve more complex architectures and circuit designs, introducing latency costs, consuming more power, and occupying a larger chip area, thus limiting chip I / O bandwidth. In addition, longer metal wiring distances further deteriorate the circuit loss characteristics and limit the interconnection distance between AI accelerators. As a result, the computing scale of a single system node is generally limited to 8 computing modules, thus restricting its computing power improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a circuit switch device, a communication system, and a computing system with an onboard direct-drive optical module. It adopts optoelectronic hybrid interconnection, which breaks through the bandwidth limitation between computing modules by PCB trace interconnection, can expand the number of computing modules, improve system computing power, and meet the development needs of technologies such as artificial intelligence.

[0005] On one hand, embodiments of the present invention relate to a circuit switch device with an onboard direct-drive optical module, which has:

[0006] A circuit switch having multiple input / output ports and configured to selectively transmit an electrical signal received at one of the multiple input / output ports via at least one of the remaining ports.

[0007] Multiple onboard direct-drive optical modules are connected one-to-one with at least a portion of the multiple input / output ports, and each onboard direct-drive optical module is configured to: convert a received optical signal into an electrical signal to be sent to the corresponding input / output port, and / or convert an electrical signal sent by the corresponding input / output port into an optical signal to be sent out.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, the circuit switch includes:

[0009] A circuit switching unit configured to selectively transmit an electrical signal received from one of the plurality of input / output ports via at least one of the remaining ports of the plurality of input / output ports;

[0010] Multiple electrical channel equalizers are connected between each input / output port and the circuit switching unit, and the multiple electrical channel equalizers are configured to equalize electrical signals received by the multiple input / output ports or electrical signals to be transmitted by the multiple input / output ports.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the onboard direct-drive optical module and the corresponding input / output ports of the circuit switch are communicatively connected via metal traces.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, each onboard direct-drive optical module is configured to perform at least one of electro-optical conversion, photoelectric conversion, and signal amplification, but not analog-to-digital conversion or digital-to-analog conversion.

[0013] On the other hand, embodiments of the present invention relate to a communication system comprising a plurality of node devices and at least one of the aforementioned circuit switch devices. The plurality of node devices are communicatively connected to the at least one circuit switch device. Each circuit switch device is configured to selectively transmit, individually or in cooperation with other circuit switch devices, a signal received from any one of the plurality of node devices to any one or more other node devices.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the communication system includes a plurality of circuit switching devices, each circuit switching device being configured to selectively transmit a signal received from any one of the plurality of node devices to any one or more other node devices among the plurality of node devices; wherein each node device includes at least one computing module and a plurality of second onboard direct-drive optical modules, the computing module being directly connected to the second onboard direct-drive optical modules via metal traces.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, the communication system includes a plurality of circuit switch devices; the plurality of circuit switch devices includes a plurality of first circuit switch devices, a plurality of second circuit switch devices, and a plurality of third circuit switch devices. The plurality of first circuit switch devices are communicatively connected to a first portion of the plurality of node devices and are communicatively connected to the plurality of third circuit switch devices via a first fiber optic array; the plurality of second circuit switch devices are communicatively connected to a second portion of the plurality of node devices and are communicatively connected to the plurality of third circuit switch devices via a second fiber optic array.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present invention, the communication connection between the plurality of first circuit switch devices and a first portion of the plurality of node devices includes an electrical connection; and / or, the communication connection between the plurality of second circuit switch devices and a second portion of the plurality of node devices includes an electrical connection.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present invention, a portion of a plurality of input / output ports of the first circuit switch device is directly electrically connected to its corresponding onboard direct-drive optical module, and another portion of the plurality of input / output ports is directly electrically connected to a first portion of the plurality of node devices via metal traces; and / or, a portion of a plurality of input / output ports of the second circuit switch device is directly connected to its corresponding onboard direct-drive optical module, and another portion of the plurality of input / output ports is directly electrically connected to a second portion of the plurality of node devices via metal traces.

[0018] Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention also relate to a computing system comprising a plurality of computing modules and at least one of the aforementioned circuit switching devices. The plurality of computing modules are communicatively connected to the at least one circuit switching device. Each circuit switching device is configured, individually or in cooperation with other circuit switching devices, to selectively transmit signals received from any one of the plurality of computing modules to any one or more other computing modules.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present invention, the computing system includes a plurality of circuit switching devices, each circuit switching device being configured to selectively transmit a signal received from any one of the plurality of node devices to any one or more other node devices among the plurality of node devices; wherein, each computing module is provided with a plurality of second onboard direct-drive optical modules, and the computing module and the second onboard direct-drive optical modules are directly connected via metal traces.

[0020] In some embodiments of the present invention, the computing module includes an onboard direct-drive optical module. The computing module and the corresponding onboard direct-drive optical module are packaged on a PCB board and connected via PCB board traces.

[0021] In some embodiments of the present invention, the computing system includes a plurality of circuit switching devices. The plurality of circuit switching devices includes a plurality of first circuit switching devices, a plurality of second circuit switching devices, and a plurality of third circuit switching devices. The plurality of first circuit switching devices are communicatively connected to a first portion of the plurality of computing modules and are communicatively connected to the plurality of third circuit switching devices via a first fiber optic array; the plurality of second circuit switching devices are communicatively connected to a second portion of the plurality of computing modules and are communicatively connected to the plurality of third circuit switching devices via a second fiber optic array.

[0022] In some embodiments of the present invention, the communication connection between the plurality of first circuit switching devices and a first portion of the plurality of computing modules includes an electrical connection; and / or, the communication connection between the plurality of second circuit switching devices and a second portion of the plurality of computing modules includes an electrical connection.

[0023] In some embodiments of the present invention, a portion of a plurality of input / output ports of the first circuit switch device is directly electrically connected to its corresponding onboard direct-drive optical module, and another portion of the plurality of input / output ports is directly electrically connected to a first portion of the plurality of computing modules via metal traces; and / or a portion of a plurality of input / output ports of the second circuit switch device is directly connected to its corresponding onboard direct-drive optical module, and another portion of the plurality of input / output ports is directly electrically connected to a second portion of the plurality of computing modules via metal traces.

[0024] In some embodiments of the present invention, the computing module includes a computing chip and memory.

[0025] In some embodiments of the present invention, each onboard direct-drive optical module is configured to perform processes including electro-optical conversion, photoelectric conversion, and signal amplification, but not analog-to-digital conversion and digital-to-analog conversion.

[0026] The circuit switch device of the present invention has an onboard direct-drive optical module, which can connect multiple node devices (or computing modules) via optical fiber to form a network.

[0027] Since the onboard direct-drive optical module does not perform analog-to-digital or digital-to-analog conversion on the electrical signals, it is completely transparent to the digital logic protocol and reduces system latency.

[0028] The optical signal converted by the onboard direct-drive optical module is directly connected to the port of the circuit switch device with the onboard direct-drive optical module through optical fiber. The physical connection is reconstructed through circuit switching, so that the electrical signal from one node device can reach other node devices with low latency (nanosecond level).

[0029] It should be understood that packet switches require processing data packets, are not transparent to protocols, and typically introduce high latency and high power consumption. In contrast, the circuit switch used in this invention directly regulates the physical link, saving power and reducing latency compared to packet switches.

[0030] Since both onboard direct-drive optical modules and circuit switches offer advantages such as protocol transparency and low latency, the reconfigurable interconnections between computing modules in the computing system of this invention, achieved through the use of circuit switch devices with onboard direct-drive optical modules, offer advantages of long-distance, high bandwidth, and low latency. Therefore, this invention allows for the desired expansion of the computing modules in the computing system, improving its computing power and accelerating the application of artificial intelligence.

[0031] Various aspects, features, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a circuit switch device with an onboard direct-drive optical module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 The diagram shows the principle of the circuit switch in the circuit switch device.

[0034] Figure 3A and Figure 3B They are shown respectively Figure 1 Different examples of onboard direct-drive optical modules are shown.

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a computing system (or communication system) constructed using a circuit switch device with an onboard direct-drive optical module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 5 It is shown Figure 4The diagram shows a computing module with an onboard direct-drive optical module.

[0037] Figure 6 It is shown Figure 5 The diagram shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the encapsulation structure of the computing module.

[0038] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a computing system (or communication system) constructed using a circuit switch device with an onboard direct-drive optical module according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0039] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the invention can be embodied in various different forms and should not be construed as limited to the specific embodiments shown herein. These embodiments are provided by way of example only so that a thorough and complete disclosure of the invention will be made and will fully convey to those skilled in the art various aspects and features of the invention. Therefore, processes, elements, and techniques not necessarily required for those skilled in the art to fully understand the aspects and features of the invention may not be described herein. Unless otherwise stated, similar reference numerals denote similar elements throughout the drawings and textual description, and therefore their description may not be repeated. Furthermore, features of each exemplary embodiment should generally be considered applicable to other exemplary embodiments.

[0040] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” as used herein specify the presence of the stated features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or collections thereof. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Expressions such as “at least one of…” modify the entire list of elements when preceding it, rather than individual elements of that list. Furthermore, expressions such as “first” and “second” are intended to distinguish objects of the same class, not to indicate order or priority, and in the description, only those objects need to be distinguished, and they do not necessarily appear simultaneously.

[0041] In general, the embodiments of the present invention employ circuit switching equipment with onboard direct-drive optical modules to network multiple node devices (e.g., computing modules, etc.) via optical fiber connections, and use circuit switching in the electrical domain to reconstruct transmission paths or links, thereby realizing interconnection and communication between the node devices.

[0042] Figure 1 This illustration shows a structural example of a circuit switch device with an onboard direct-drive optical module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, in an exemplary embodiment, the circuit switch device 1000 includes a circuit switch 700 and an onboard direct-drive optical module 100. The circuit switch 700 and the onboard direct-drive optical module 100 are mounted on a PCB board 800 and are electrically connected and communicate with each other via PCB board traces 801. Figure 2 As shown, the circuit switch 700 includes a plurality of input / output ports (not shown) and a circuit switching unit 604. The plurality of input / output ports are configured to receive or transmit electrical signals (e.g., high-speed electrical signals), while the circuit switching unit 604 is configured to selectively transmit an electrical signal received by one of the plurality of input / output ports via at least one of the remaining ports.

[0043] Multiple onboard direct-drive optical modules 100 are communicatively connected to multiple input / output ports of the circuit switch 700 via PCB traces 801, thereby converting optical signals received from the optical fiber or fiber array 200 into electrical signals (e.g., high-speed electrical signals), which are then transmitted to the corresponding input / output ports via PCB traces 801. And / or, the onboard direct-drive optical modules 100 convert electrical signals (e.g., high-speed electrical signals) sent from their corresponding input / output ports via PCB traces 801 into optical signals, which are then transmitted out via the optical fiber or fiber array 200.

[0044] In some implementations, such as Figure 2 As shown, the circuit switch 700 also includes a plurality of electrical channel equalizers 701 connected between each input / output port and the circuit switching unit 604. The plurality of electrical channel equalizers 701 are configured to perform equalization processing on the electrical signals received by the plurality of input / output ports or the electrical signals to be sent by the plurality of input / output ports.

[0045] It should be understood that packet switches require expensive serial-to-parallel converters (SerDes) at both input and output to demultiplex high-speed input signals from serial data links to low-speed signals. These SerDes are typically challenging to design at high speeds and occupy a large area and consume significant power in packet switches. Additionally, packet switches require packet processing units and buffers to handle packets, which often introduce high latency before circuit switching units are used to path-switch the packets. Unlike packet switches, in this invention, the circuit switch only uses a circuit equalizer 701 to equalize the signal before it enters the circuit switching unit 604. High-speed electrical signals received at one port are forwarded through an established circuit to another port on the circuit switch without packet processing. Circuit switching does not perform header checking or buffering; therefore, the signal transmission delay from one port to another is on the order of several nanoseconds. Furthermore, the hardware architecture of circuit switches is generally much simpler than that of packet switches, requiring less chip area for the same number of I / O channels, and consuming less power and cost.

[0046] Furthermore, in this invention, the onboard direct-drive optical module 100 is configured to amplify the received signals and perform electro-optical or photoelectric conversion before transmission, without performing analog-to-digital or digital-to-analog conversion, i.e., without processing the data, making it completely transparent to the digital logic protocol and reducing system latency.

[0047] In an exemplary embodiment, the onboard direct-drive optical module 100 may be in the form of a directly modulated laser or a laser combined with a modulator.

[0048] Figure 3A An example of the internal structure of an onboard direct-drive optical module (direct-modulation) is shown. In this example, the onboard direct-drive optical module 100 includes a transmit (TX) driver 101, a receive (RX) transimpedance amplifier 102, a microcontroller 103, a fiber array 200, a TX direct-modulation laser 201, and an RX detector 202. The left side of the onboard direct-drive optical module 100 receives and outputs a TX high-speed electrical signal and an RX high-speed electrical signal, respectively, while the right side receives RX optical signals or transmits TX optical signals through the fiber array 200.

[0049] The TX high-speed electrical signal, for example, originates from a circuit switch 700 or other electronic device (such as the computing module 300 described below). It undergoes electro-optical conversion via an onboard direct-drive optical module 100, for example, by directly driving a TX-modulated laser 201 via a TX driver 101. This causes the TX-modulated laser 201 to output a TX optical signal carrying the information or data transmitted by the TX high-speed electrical signal. The TX optical signal is then transmitted via a fiber array 200. Conversely, the fiber array 200 receives an RX optical signal, which undergoes electro-optical conversion and amplification via the onboard direct-drive optical module 100. For example, the RX optical signal is converted into an electrical signal by an RX detector 202 and amplified by an RX transimpedance amplifier 102 to obtain a high-speed RX electrical signal. This high-speed RX electrical signal is then transmitted via metal traces to, for example, a circuit switch 700 or other electronic device (such as the computing module 300 described below). The microcontroller 103 is configured to control the operation of the onboard direct-drive optical module 100.

[0050] As can be seen from the above, the onboard direct-drive optical module 100 does not perform analog-to-digital or digital-to-analog conversion on the TX high-speed electrical signal or the RX high-speed electrical signal. It is completely transparent to the digital logic protocol, thereby reducing system latency.

[0051] In some embodiments, the TX-modulated laser 201 may be a vertical surface cavity laser (VCSEL) or a distributed feedback (DFB) laser. In some embodiments, the fiber array 200 may be a multimode fiber array or a single-mode fiber array.

[0052] Figure 3B An example of the internal structure of an onboard direct-drive optical module (externally modulated) is shown. In this example, the onboard direct-drive optical module 100 may include a TX driver 101, an RX transimpedance amplifier 102, a microcontroller 103, a fiber array 200, a TX modulator 203, an RX detector 202, and a laser 204. Figure 3A The examples are different, Figure 3B The example does not use a directly modulated laser, but instead uses a combination of laser 204 and TX modulator 203. In this example, TX modulator 203 modulates the information or data of the TX high-speed electrical signal onto the laser generated by laser 204, thereby obtaining the TX optical signal and completing the electro-optic conversion.

[0053] In this example, the onboard direct-drive optical module 100 also does not perform analog-to-digital or digital-to-analog conversion on the TX high-speed electrical signal or the RX high-speed electrical signal, making the module completely transparent to the digital logic protocol and reducing system latency.

[0054] In some embodiments, the TX modulator 203 may be an integrated photonic modulator based on silicon, indium phosphide, thin-film lithium niobate, or polymers, and its structure may be a micro-ring modulator, a Mach-Zehnder modulator, or an electro-absorption modulator. In some embodiments, the fiber array 200 may be a multimode fiber array or a single-mode fiber array.

[0055] According to various embodiments of the present invention, the circuit switch device with onboard direct-drive optical module described in any of the above embodiments can be used to network the node devices to form various communication systems. In some embodiments, the communication system includes an information transmission system, a computing system, etc.

[0056] In an exemplary embodiment, the communication system according to the present invention includes a plurality of node devices and at least one circuit switch device 1000. The plurality of node devices are communicatively connected to the at least one circuit switch device 1000. Each circuit switch device 1000 (or its circuit switch 700) is configured to selectively transmit, individually or in cooperation with other circuit switch devices, a signal received from any one of the plurality of node devices to any one or more other node devices.

[0057] In some embodiments, each of the multiple node devices has multiple second onboard direct-drive optical modules. Each second onboard direct-drive optical module is configured to convert a received optical signal into an electrical signal to be transmitted to the corresponding node device, or to convert an electrical signal to be transmitted by the corresponding node device into an optical signal. Furthermore, the multiple second onboard direct-drive optical modules of the multiple node devices are connected to the onboard direct-drive optical module of each circuit switch device via fiber optic arrays. Each circuit switch device is configured to selectively transmit a signal received from any one of the multiple node devices to any one or more other node devices. In some embodiments, each node device includes at least one computing module and multiple second onboard direct-drive optical modules, the computing module being directly connected to the corresponding onboard direct-drive optical module via metal traces (e.g., PCB traces). It should be noted that the second onboard direct-drive optical modules have the same or different structures as the onboard direct-drive optical modules of the circuit switch device 1000; for example, they may all be... Figure 3A or Figure 3B The onboard direct-drive optical module shown, or respectively using Figure 3A and Figure 3B The onboard direct-drive optical module shown.

[0058] In other embodiments, each of the plurality of node devices may not have the second onboard direct-drive optical module. The communication system includes a plurality of circuit switching devices. The plurality of circuit switching devices includes a plurality of first circuit switching devices, a plurality of second circuit switching devices, and a plurality of third circuit switching devices. The plurality of first circuit switching devices are communicatively connected to a first portion of the plurality of node devices via metal traces and to the plurality of third circuit switching devices via a first fiber optic array; the plurality of second circuit switching devices are communicatively connected to a second portion of the plurality of node devices via metal traces and to the plurality of third circuit switching devices via a second fiber optic array. These circuit switching devices collaboratively selectively transmit signals received from any one of the plurality of node devices to any one or more other node devices. In this embodiment, the first and second circuit switching devices respectively constitute a first-layer circuit-switched network, and the plurality of third circuit switching devices constitute a second-layer circuit-switched network. The first-layer circuit-switched network is interconnected through the second-layer circuit-switched network, thereby forming a two-layer circuit-switched network that enables reconfigurable, fully interconnected communication between the plurality of node devices.

[0059] As can be seen from the above, the communication connection between the plurality of first circuit switch devices and the first part of the plurality of node devices includes an electrical connection; and / or, the communication connection between the plurality of second circuit switch devices and the second part of the plurality of node devices includes an electrical connection.

[0060] In some embodiments, a portion of the plurality of input / output ports of the first circuit switch device is directly electrically connected to its corresponding onboard direct-drive optical module, and another portion of the plurality of input / output ports is directly electrically connected to a first portion of the plurality of node devices via metal traces (e.g., PCB traces); and / or, a portion of the plurality of input / output ports of the second circuit switch device is directly connected to its corresponding onboard direct-drive optical module, and another portion of the plurality of input / output ports is directly electrically connected to a second portion of the plurality of node devices via metal traces (e.g., PCB traces).

[0061] In a computing system, the node device refers to a computing module, computing device, computing apparatus, etc., that has computing capabilities or functions. The following description uses a computing system as an example to illustrate the communication system of the present invention.

[0062] Figure 4An example of the structure of a computing system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. In the exemplary embodiment, the computing system includes multiple circuit switch devices 1000 with onboard direct-drive optical modules and multiple computing modules 2000 with onboard direct-drive optical modules, which are communicatively connected via an optical fiber array 200, thereby becoming a communication system with computing capabilities.

[0063] Each circuit breaker device 1000 includes a circuit breaker 700 and multiple onboard direct-drive optical modules 100, meaning they are all devices with onboard direct-drive optical modules. In this example, 32 onboard direct-drive optical modules 100 are provided for each circuit breaker 700.

[0064] Each computing module 2000 with onboard direct-drive optical modules includes a computing chip 300 (e.g., XPU: a processor unit) and multiple onboard direct-drive optical modules 100. In this example, eight onboard direct-drive optical modules 100 are provided for each computing chip 300.

[0065] In the illustrated embodiment, the computing system includes eight circuit switch devices 1000 with onboard direct-drive optical modules and 32 computing modules 2000 with onboard direct-drive optical modules. Figure 4 As shown, each circuit switch device 1000 has 32 onboard direct-drive optical modules 100 connected to the onboard direct-drive optical modules 100 of each of the 32 computing modules 2000 via fiber array 200. Each circuit switch device 1000 (or its circuit switch 700) is configured to selectively transmit signals received from any one of the 32 computing modules 2000 to any one or more other computing modules among those 32 computing modules 2000. Thus, through a single layer of circuit switch network, the 32 computing modules 2000 (or their computing chips 300) can achieve fully reconfigurable interconnection between each other by circuit switching and rearranging bandwidth transmission paths in the circuit switch 700.

[0066] As can be seen from the above, the onboard direct-drive optical module of the computing module 2000 is the same as or basically the same as the onboard direct-drive optical module of the circuit switch device 1000. Both of them perform signal amplification, electro-optical conversion, and photoelectric conversion processing on the received signals, but do not perform analog-to-digital or digital-to-analog conversion processing on the signals. That is, they do not process the data and are completely transparent to the digital logic protocol, thereby reducing system latency.

[0067] In an optional implementation, the computing module 2000 employs... Figure 3A The onboard direct-drive optical module shown can also be used in the circuit switch device 1000. Figure 3A The onboard direct-drive optical module is shown. In other embodiments, the computing module 2000 employs... Figure 3AThe onboard direct-drive optical module shown is used in the circuit switch device 1000. Figure 3B The onboard direct-drive optical module is shown. In other embodiments, the computing module 2000 employs... Figure 3B The onboard direct-drive optical module shown is used in the circuit switch device 1000. Figure 3A The onboard direct-drive optical module shown.

[0068] Although the above description uses 8 circuit switch devices and 32 computing modules as an example, it should be understood that the present invention does not impose any particular limitation on the number of circuit switch devices and computing modules. Any number of circuit switch devices can be configured according to actual needs to achieve reconfigurable interconnection and communication between any number of computing modules.

[0069] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a computing module with a series of onboard direct-drive optical modules is shown. Figure 6 The diagram shows the packaging structure between the onboard direct-drive optical module and the computing module. The computing module 2000 consists of a computing chip 300 and a series of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) 302 packaged on a silicon interposer 303, and then the entire module is packaged on a packaging substrate 400. The computing chip 300 with a high-speed interface is packaged on the packaging substrate 400, and the onboard direct-drive optical module 100 is plugged into the PCB board 500. The high-speed TX electrical signal on the computing chip 300 is transmitted to the onboard direct-drive optical module 100 through the traces on the packaging substrate 400 and the shorter PCB traces 304. Then, the components in the onboard direct-drive optical module 100 perform electro-optical conversion to become a TX optical signal, which is then transmitted out by the fiber array 200. The RX optical signal transmitted from the fiber array 200 is converted into a signal and amplified by the components in the onboard direct-drive optical module 100, becoming a high-speed RX electrical signal. This high-speed RX electrical signal is sent to the computing chip 300 through the traces of PCB trace 304 and packaging substrate 400.

[0070] Because the PCB traces of 304 are relatively short and have low loss, the onboard direct-drive optical module 100 can relatively easily ensure that the optical transmission system has a good signal-to-noise ratio to meet the link budget requirements.

[0071] Figure 7The illustration shows a series of computing modules (256 modules in total) fully interconnected via a series of onboard direct-drive optical modules 100 and two-layer circuit-switched devices 1000. In the illustrated embodiment, every eight computing modules 2000 are fully interconnected with four first-layer circuit-switched devices 1000 via PCB traces 304. Then, all first-layer circuit-switched devices 1000 are fully interconnected with 64 second-layer circuit-switched devices 1000 via a series of onboard direct-drive optical modules 100 and fiber arrays 200. Thus, through the two-layer circuit-switched network (i.e., the collaboration of the two-layer circuit-switched devices 1000), the 256 computing modules 2000 can reconfigure bandwidth transmission paths via circuit switching, achieving fully reconfigurable interconnection between each pair of modules.

[0072] exist Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, the computing module 2000 is connected to the first-layer circuit switch device 1000 via PCB trace 304. Therefore, the computing module 2000 may be a computing module without an onboard direct-drive optical module. In an alternative embodiment, instead of using the electrical connection via PCB trace 304, the present invention can employ any suitable communication connection in the art to interconnect the computing module with the first-layer circuit switch device.

[0073] Furthermore, it should be understood that Figure 7 The example shown is only illustrative of the invention using 256 computing modules, and the invention is not limited to this. Furthermore, the invention is not limited to reconfigurable interconnection between multiple nodes via the two-layer circuit-switched network. Based on communication requirements or computing power demands, the circuit-switched equipment can be used to construct multi-layer circuit-switched networks to connect more communication nodes or computing modules.

[0074] In various embodiments of the present invention, the architecture of the onboard direct-drive optical module is completely transparent to the protocol and does not perform data processing, thus reducing system latency. Optical interconnection via the onboard direct-drive optical module overcomes the interconnection distance limitations of PCB traces.

[0075] Because circuit-switched switches directly regulate the physical link and are completely transparent to data logic protocols, they save power and reduce latency compared to packet switches, thus saving costs.

[0076] Since onboard direct-drive optical modules and circuit switches both have the advantages of protocol transparency and low latency, the fully reconfigurable interconnection between communication nodes has the advantages of long distance, high bandwidth and low latency.

[0077] This invention optimizes the latency of the computing system by using an optoelectronic hybrid interconnect network composed of onboard direct-drive optical modules and circuit switches. The long-distance optical fiber connection can decouple the original 8-card system, similar to the NVIDIA DGX server, so that the computing power and improvement of the nodes are no longer hierarchical, and the bandwidth within and between nodes is more uniform, which is conducive to the large-scale expansion of computing modules.

[0078] This invention's configuration of an onboard direct-drive optical module combined with a circuit-switched network allows for different interconnect topologies to be configured for different artificial intelligence models and parallel mechanisms. This more effectively improves bandwidth utilization and overall computational efficiency. Compared to packet switching, circuit switching operates at the physical layer, without buffers, arbitration, or packet inspection mechanisms, meaning it can have lower latency, be cheaper, and more energy-efficient than an equivalent packet switch.

[0079] Those skilled in the art should understand that the above-disclosed embodiments are merely implementations of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent protection claimed in this invention. Equivalent variations made according to the embodiments of the present invention are still within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A circuit switch device with on-board direct-drive optical modules, comprising: a circuit switch having a plurality of input / output ports and configured to selectively send out an electrical signal received by one of the plurality of input / output ports via at least one of the remaining ports of the plurality of input / output ports; a plurality of on-board direct-drive optical modules connected one-to-one with at least a portion of the plurality of input / output ports, and each configured to convert a received optical signal into an electrical signal to be sent to the corresponding input / output port, and / or convert an electrical signal sent by the corresponding input / output port into an optical signal to be sent out.

2. The circuit switch device of claim 1, wherein, the circuit switch comprises: a circuit switch unit configured to selectively send out an electrical signal received by one of the plurality of input / output ports via at least one of the remaining ports of the plurality of input / output ports; a plurality of electrical channel equalizers connected between each input / output port and the circuit switch unit, and configured to perform equalization processing on an electrical signal received by the plurality of input / output ports or to be sent by the plurality of input / output ports.

3. The circuit switch device of claim 1 or 2, wherein, the on-board direct-drive optical modules are connected to the corresponding input / output ports of the circuit switch via metal traces.

4. The circuit switch device of claim 1, wherein, each on-board direct-drive optical module is configured to perform at least one of electro-optical conversion, opto-electrical conversion, and signal amplification, but not analog-to-digital conversion and digital-to-analog conversion. 5.A communication system comprising a plurality of node devices and at least one circuit switch device according to any one of claims 1 to 4; wherein the plurality of node devices are connected to the at least one circuit switch device; each circuit switch device is configured to selectively send a signal received from any one of the plurality of node devices to any one or more of the other node devices, either alone or in cooperation with other circuit switch devices. 6.The communication system of claim 5, wherein: the communication system comprises a plurality of the circuit switch devices, each configured to selectively send a signal received from any one of the plurality of node devices to any one or more of the other node devices, either alone or in cooperation with other circuit switch devices; and each node device comprises at least one computing module and a plurality of second on-board direct-drive optical modules, and the computing module is directly connected to the second on-board direct-drive optical modules via metal traces. 7.The communication system of claim 5, wherein: the communication system comprises a plurality of the circuit switch devices; the plurality of the circuit switch devices comprise a plurality of first circuit switch devices, a plurality of second circuit switch devices, and a plurality of third circuit switch devices; wherein the plurality of first circuit switch devices are connected to a first portion of the plurality of node devices and to the plurality of third circuit switch devices via a first array of optical fibers, The second plurality of circuit switch devices are communicatively connected to a second portion of the plurality of compute modules and are communicatively connected to the third plurality of circuit switch devices via a second fiber array.

8. The communication system of claim 7, wherein, the communicative connection of the first plurality of circuit switch devices to the first portion of the plurality of compute modules comprises electrical connection; and / or, the communicative connection of the second plurality of circuit switch devices to the second portion of the plurality of compute modules comprises electrical connection.

9. The communication system of claim 8, wherein, a portion of the plurality of input / output ports of the first circuit switch device are directly connected to their corresponding on-board direct drive optical modules one-to-one, and another portion of the plurality of input / output ports are directly connected to the first portion of the plurality of compute modules via metal traces; and / or a portion of the plurality of input / output ports of the second circuit switch device are directly connected to their corresponding on-board direct drive optical modules one-to-one, and another portion of the plurality of input / output ports are directly connected to the second portion of the plurality of compute modules via metal traces.

10. A computing system comprising a plurality of compute modules and at least one circuit switch device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4; wherein the plurality of compute modules are communicatively connected to the at least one circuit switch device; each circuit switch device is configured to selectively send a signal received from any one of the plurality of compute modules to any one or more other compute modules of the plurality of compute modules, either alone or in cooperation with other circuit switch devices.

11. The computing system of claim 10, wherein, the computing system comprises a plurality of the circuit switch devices, each circuit switch device is configured to selectively send a signal received from any one of the plurality of compute modules to any one or more other compute modules of the plurality of compute modules, either alone; and wherein, each of the compute modules is provided with a plurality of second on-board direct drive optical modules, the compute modules are directly connected to the second on-board direct drive optical modules via metal traces.

12. The computing system of claim 10, wherein, the computing system comprises a plurality of the circuit switch devices; the plurality of the circuit switch devices comprises a first plurality of circuit switch devices, a second plurality of circuit switch devices, and a third plurality of circuit switch devices; the first plurality of circuit switch devices are communicatively connected to a first portion of the plurality of compute modules and are communicatively connected to the third plurality of circuit switch devices via a first fiber array, the second plurality of circuit switch devices are communicatively connected to a second portion of the plurality of compute modules and are communicatively connected to the third plurality of circuit switch devices via a second fiber array.

13. The computing system of claim 12, wherein, the communicative connection of the first plurality of circuit switch devices to the first portion of the plurality of compute modules comprises electrical connection; and / or, the communicative connection of the second plurality of circuit switch devices to the second portion of the plurality of compute modules comprises electrical connection. The communication connection between the second plurality of circuit switch devices and the second portion of the plurality of compute modules comprises electrical connection.

14. The computing system of claim 13, wherein, a portion of the plurality of input / output ports of the first circuit switch device are directly connected with their corresponding on-board direct drive optical modules, and another portion of the plurality of input / output ports are directly connected with the first portion of the plurality of compute modules through metal traces; and / or a portion of the plurality of input / output ports of the second circuit switch device are directly connected with their corresponding on-board direct drive optical modules, and another portion of the plurality of input / output ports are directly connected with the second portion of the plurality of compute modules through metal traces.

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