Active electro-optic cable assembly for high density data transmission systems

Abstract

An active electro-optic cable assembly for a high density data transmission system is provided. An active electro-optic cable assembly may include a multi-channel copper cable array assembly connected to a small form factor connector at a processing unit. At the tail end of the copper cable array, an electrical-optical assembly can be used for converting electrical signals into optical signals. The optical signal may be coupled to an optical fiber via an optical fiber connector. The optical fiber may terminate in a multi-fiber push-in connector for pluggable or tail-plug connections.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications This patent application claims priority and benefit to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 717,500, filed November 7, 2025. The entire contents of the above application are hereby incorporated by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to solutions related to optical communications. More specifically, certain embodiments of this disclosure relate to methods and systems for implementing and utilizing active electrical-optical cable assemblies in high-density data transmission systems. Background Technology

[0003] By comparing these systems with some aspects of this disclosure set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings in the remainder of this application, the limitations and disadvantages of conventional solutions for processing optical signals (specifically, for cable assemblies in data transmission systems) will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Essentially as shown and / or described in combination with at least one of these figures, and as set forth more fully in the claims, this document provides systems and methods for active electro-optical cable assemblies for high-density data transmission systems.

[0005] These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of this disclosure, as well as the details of the embodiments shown therein, will be more fully understood from the following description and accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figure 1 Examples of active electro-optical cable assemblies with optical fibers in a parallel optical configuration are shown according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0007] Figure 2 Examples of active electrical-optical cable assemblies using optical fibers in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical configurations according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are shown.

[0008] Figure 3 Examples of active electro-optical cable assemblies using both parallel optical configurations and WDM optical configurations are shown according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0009] Figure 4 An example active electrical-optical cable assembly using a pluggable 2D connector inserted on top of a substrate is shown according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 5 Examples of active electrical-optical cable assemblies using pluggable 2D connectors inserted on the bottom of a substrate are shown according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 6 Exemplary active electrical-optical cable assemblies using replaceable pluggable 2D connectors inserted on the bottom of a substrate are shown according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 7 Different example connector and electro-optic (E / O) array layouts are shown according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0013] This disclosure relates to the fields of optical communication and high-speed data transmission. Specifically, solutions based on this disclosure relate to new and improved components for high-speed data transmission systems. In this regard, current systems and methods for high-speed data transmission (e.g., in data centers) use transceivers to convert electrical signals into optical signals. However, current transceivers and their use may have some limitations and / or pose some challenges. For example, current methods increase latency, power consumption, and complexity because these transceivers require energy-intensive retimers and digital signal processors (DSPs) to manage signal integrity and transmission speed.

[0014] Emerging solutions, such as co-packaged optics (CPO) and near-packaged optics (NPO), attempt to address these limitations and / or challenges by increasing bandwidth through closer integration of optical components with processing components, such as graphics processing units (GPUs) or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). However, such CPO and NPO systems introduce new constraints. For example, CPO and NPO systems may operate in thermally demanding environments that place considerable strain on the optical components, thereby reducing reliability and performance. Additionally, CPO and NPO designs may require high-speed electrical vias in the substrate, which substantially increases the complexity of the integration process and raises production costs.

[0015] This disclosure relates to improvements to high-speed data transmission systems, specifically by providing new designs for transceivers that facilitate and / or support high-speed data transmission, overcoming at least some of the limitations and / or challenges associated with current designs. Specifically, in various embodiments based on this disclosure, active electro-optical assemblies are provided that overcome these limitations and / or challenges, and are configured to achieve modular, efficient, and flexible data transmission paths.

[0016] Example active electro-optical cabling assemblies may include a multi-channel copper cabling assembly (or “copper array”) that connects to one or more small form factor connectors at a processing component (e.g., an ASIC or GPU), enabling data transmission over short distances via electrical signals. At the end of the copper array, an electro-optical (E / O) assembly converts the electrical signals into optical signals, which are then transmitted via optical fibers, typically terminating at multi-fiber push-in (MPO) connectors on the front panel. This modular design allows for flexible configurations, such as pluggable or tail-end connections, improving thermal management by removing the E / O assembly from high-temperature environments and facilitating easy system maintenance and upgrades while maintaining a high-density front edge near the processing component. In this respect, by directly converting electrical signals into optical signals at the cable level and transmitting them using optical fibers, active electro-optical cabling solutions alleviate the size and thermal constraints associated with data transmission to and from processing components (e.g., ASICs or GPUs). Compared to existing CPO and NPO designs, this approach allows optics to be located in less thermally demanding environments, which improves reliability while providing a pluggable, replaceable, and easily integrated solution.

[0017] Combination Figures 1 to 7 An exemplary implementation combining this active electro-optical cable structure and its associated features and details is described in more detail.

[0018] Figure 1 Examples of active electro-optical cable assemblies with optical fibers in a parallel optical configuration are shown according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 1 The diagram shows a top view of an active electrical-optical cable assembly 100 configured to provide a compact, modular solution for high-speed data transmission. The active electrical-optical cable assembly 100 includes a multi-channel copper cable assembly 101 (also referred to as a “copper array 101”) connected at an ASIC or GPU (“XPU”) 105 to a small form factor connector 103. The copper array 101 is operable to transmit data via electrical signals over short distances. The connector 103 may include a pluggable electrical connector that clamps downward to engage the copper array 101.

[0020] At the far end of the copper cable array 101, an electro-optical (E / O) component 107 is operable to convert electrical signals into optical signals. In this respect, the E / O component 107 includes suitable circuitry and / or hardware resources for converting each electrical signal into an optical signal. The E / O component 107 may include a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), an indium phosphide (InP) device, or a silicon photonics (SiP) element, optionally having an integrated laser.

[0021] Optical signals can be coupled (e.g., via fiber optic connectors) to optical fibers (e.g., single-mode (SM) fiber, multimode (MM) fiber, multimode (MM) fiber bundles, multicore fiber, etc.). Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the E / O component 107 is connected to an optical fiber in a parallel optical configuration. In this respect, as... Figure 1 As shown, in the active electrical-optical cable assembly 100, the E / O assembly 107 is coupled to the optical fiber 111 via a parallel optical connection (e.g., via an optical fiber connector). The optical fiber 111 may terminate at a multi-fiber push-in (MPO) connector on the front panel of the device.

[0022] The active electrical-optical cable assembly 100 includes a small form factor electrical connector 103 located at the XPU 105, providing multi-channel connectivity via a copper cable array 101 for short-range, high-speed data transmission. The proximity of these connections minimizes signal loss and enables high-density configuration.

[0023] The copper cable array 101 is designed to support 1D or 2D multilayer structures and is positioned close to the XPU 105. Depending on the system's signal integrity and / or link budget requirements, the cable length can range from a few centimeters to over one meter. The copper cable array 101 can be reconnected or permanently assembled to the electrical interface at connector 103.

[0024] E / O assembly 107 can be configured in 1D or 2D arrangement according to system requirements. E / O assembly 107 can connect to single-fiber or multimode fiber with configurations supporting multi-core or individual fibers. This allows for pluggable or pigtail connections to MPO or similar connectors on the front panel, enhancing adaptability and ease of integration. As described above, in the active electro-optical cable assembly 100, the connection to the optical fiber is accomplished using a parallel optical configuration.

[0025] The modular design used in the active electrical-optical cable assembly 100 allows for flexible configurations, such as pluggable or tail plug connections. It improves thermal management by removing the E / O assembly 107 from high-temperature environments and facilitates easy system maintenance and upgrades, while maintaining a high-density beachfront near the XPU 105.

[0026] Although Figure 1In the illustrated embodiment, a single data transmission path (connector 103, copper cable array 101, E / O assembly 107, and optical fiber 111) is used for the active electro-optical cable assembly 100; however, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and therefore, in some embodiments, multiple paths (each with...) Figure 1 (Similar to the path shown) can be coupled to a single processing unit (e.g., XPU 105) and used by a single processing unit (e.g., XPU 105).

[0027] Figure 2 Examples of active electrical-optical cable assemblies using optical fibers in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical configurations according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are shown.

[0028] Figure 2 The diagram shows a top view of an active electrical-optical cable assembly 200 configured to provide a compact, modular solution for high-speed data transmission. The active electrical-optical cable assembly 200 includes a multi-channel copper cable assembly 101 (also referred to as a “copper array 101”) connected at an ASIC or GPU (“XPU”) 105 to a small form factor connector 103. The copper array 101 is operable to transmit data via electrical signals over short distances. The connector 103 may include a pluggable electrical connector that clamps downward to engage the copper array 101.

[0029] At the far end of the copper cable array 101, an electro-optical (E / O) component 107 is operable to convert electrical signals into optical signals. In this respect, the E / O component 107 includes suitable circuitry and / or hardware resources for converting each electrical signal into an optical signal. The E / O component 107 may include a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), an indium phosphide (InP) device, or a silicon photonics (SiP) element, optionally having an integrated laser.

[0030] In the illustrated embodiment, the optical signal provided by the E / O component 107 can be coupled (e.g., via a fiber optic connector) to an optical fiber (e.g., single-mode (SM) fiber, multimode (MM) fiber, MM fiber bundle, multi-core fiber, etc.). Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, the E / O component 107 is connected to an optical fiber in a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical configuration. In this respect, the E / O component 107 can be coupled (e.g., via an optical fiber connector) to the optical fiber 113 in an active electrical-optical cable assembly 200.

[0031] Optical signals can be coupled (e.g., via a fiber optic connector) to an optical fiber. Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the E / O component 107 is connected to an optical fiber in a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical configuration. In this respect, as... Figure 2As shown, in the active electrical-optical cable assembly 200, the E / O component 107 is coupled to the optical fiber 113 via a WDM-based connection (e.g., via an optical fiber connector). Therefore, fewer optical fibers can exist than in the copper cable array 101, and thus, multiple electrical signals can be multiplexed onto a single optical fiber. The optical fiber 113 can terminate at a multi-fiber push-in (MPO) connector on the front panel of the device.

[0032] The active electrical-optical cable assembly 200 includes a small form factor electrical connector 103 located on the XPU 105, providing multi-channel connectivity via a copper cable array 101 for short-range, high-speed data transmission. The proximity of these connections minimizes signal loss and enables high-density configuration.

[0033] The copper cable array 101 is designed to support 1D or 2D multilayer structures and is positioned close to the XPU 105. Depending on the system's signal integrity and / or link budget requirements, the cable length can range from a few centimeters to over one meter. The copper cable array 101 can be reconnected or permanently assembled to the electrical interface at connector 103.

[0034] E / O assembly 107 can be configured in 1D or 2D arrangement according to system requirements. E / O assembly 107 can connect to single-fiber or multimode fiber with configurations supporting multi-core or individual fibers. This allows for pluggable or pigtail connections to MPO or similar connectors on the front panel, enhancing adaptability and ease of integration. As described above, in the active electro-optical cable assembly 200, the connection to the fiber is accomplished using a WDM optical configuration.

[0035] The modular design used in the active electrical-optical cable assembly 200 allows for flexible configurations, such as pluggable or tail plug connections. It improves thermal management by removing the E / O assembly 107 from high-temperature environments and facilitates easy system maintenance and upgrades, while maintaining a high-density front edge near the XPU 105.

[0036] Although Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, a single data transmission path (connector 103, copper cable array 101, E / O assembly 107, and optical fiber 113) is used in the active electro-optical cable assembly 200; however, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and therefore, in some embodiments, multiple paths (each with...) Figure 2 The paths shown are similar and can be coupled to and used by a single processing unit (e.g., XPU 105). Furthermore, in some instances, these paths can be configured differently when different paths are used. For example, in some implementations, an active electro-optical cable assembly can incorporate one or more paths utilizing a parallel optical configuration and one or more paths utilizing a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical configuration. Figure 3An example of this implementation is shown in the figure.

[0037] Figure 3 Examples of active electro-optical cable assemblies using both parallel optical configurations and WDM optical configurations are shown according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0038] Figure 3 The diagram shows a top view of an active electro-optical cable assembly 300 configured to provide a compact, modular solution for high-speed data transmission. The active electro-optical cable assembly 300 includes a multi-channel copper cable assembly 101 (also referred to as a “copper array 101”) connected at an ASIC or GPU (“XPU”) 105 to a small form factor connector 103. The copper array 101 is operable to transmit data via electrical signals over short distances. The connector 103 may include a pluggable electrical connector that clamps downward to engage the copper array 101. At the end of each copper array 101, an electro-optical (E / O) assembly 107 is operable to convert these signals into optical signals. In this respect, in Figure 3 In the embodiment shown, a combination of parallel optical configuration and wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical configuration is used, that is, as shown, one or more E / O components 107 are connected to the optical fiber in the parallel optical configuration and one or more E / O components 107 are connected to the optical fiber in the WDM optical configuration.

[0039] Optical signals can be coupled to optical fibers 111 and 113 (e.g., single-mode (SM) fiber, multimode (MM) fiber, MM fiber bundle, multi-core fiber, etc.) via fiber optic connector 109. For example, optical fibers 111 and 113 can terminate at multi-fiber push-in (MPO) connector 109 on the front panel of the device. This modular design allows for flexible configurations, such as pluggable or tail-plug connections, which improves thermal management by removing the E / O component 107 from high-temperature environments and facilitates easy system maintenance and upgrades, while maintaining a high-density front edge near the XPU 105.

[0040] The active electrical-optical cable assembly 300 includes a small form factor electrical connector 103 at the XPU 105, providing connectivity for short-range, high-speed data transmission via a copper cable array 101. The proximity of these connections minimizes signal loss and enables high-density configuration.

[0041] The copper cable array 101 can be designed to support 1D or 2D multilayer structures and positioned close to the XPU 105. Depending on the system's signal integrity and / or link budget requirements, cable lengths can range from a few centimeters to over one meter. The copper cable array 101 can be reconnected or permanently assembled to the electrical interface at connector 103.

[0042] At the far end of each copper cable array 101, an E / O component 107 converts electrical signals into optical signals. As described, this component may include a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), an indium phosphide (InP) device, or a silicon photonics (SiP) element, optionally with an integrated laser.

[0043] E / O assembly 107 can be configured in a 1D or 2D arrangement, depending on system requirements. E / O assembly 107 can connect to single-core or multimode optical fibers 111, 113 in configurations supporting multi-core or individual fibers. This allows for pluggable or tailless connections to MPO or similar connectors on the front panel, enhancing adaptability and ease of integration.

[0044] By placing one or more E / O components 107 outside the thermally demanding environment near the XPU 105, each active E-optical cable assembly 100, 200, 300 reduces the thermal load on optical fibers 111, 113, allowing for enhanced reliability and performance.

[0045] The modular design used in the active electrical-optical cable assemblies (e.g., active electrical-optical cable assemblies 100, 200, 300) implemented according to this disclosure enables easy replacement and reconfiguration of the active electrical-optical cable assemblies. The E / O assembly 107 can be integrated with the system's cooling infrastructure (such as a cold plate) using an integrated heat sink.

[0046] Unlike conventional CPO systems, in active electro-optical assemblies (e.g., active electro-optical assemblies 100, 200, 300) based on this disclosure, optical fibers 111, 113 are placed away from the high heat of the processing unit 105, resulting in increased reliability and performance of the optical components.

[0047] Furthermore, designs used in active electro-optical assemblies (e.g., active electro-optical assemblies 100, 200, 300) based on embodiments of this disclosure offer a variety of fiber optic pluggability options, enabling adaptability during system design, maintenance, and upgrades. This pluggability supports configurations compatible with parallel optical setups or wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). Additionally, by bypassing traces on PCBs or other substrates, direct E / O conversion via E / O assembly 107 eliminates intermediate transmission paths, reducing signal degradation and power requirements.

[0048] In some instances, for ease of installation and maintenance, active electrical-optical cable assemblies 100, 200, and 300 may use color-coded connectors to indicate specific optical specifications, such as WDM or parallel optical capability.

[0049] Therefore, the active electro-optical assemblies (e.g., active electro-optical assemblies 100, 200, 300) implemented based on this disclosure can provide a modular, thermally efficient solution for data transmission by achieving high-speed electro-optical conversion with enhanced pluggability, reliability, and ease of installation. Active electro-optical assemblies 100, 200, 300 can address the limitations of current transceiver and CPO / NPO designs by reducing thermal and dimensional constraints on high-speed data transmission to and from processing unit 105, maintaining a high-density front end, and providing a more adaptable and thermally managed path for high-density data transmission systems.

[0050] Figure 4 An example active electrical-optical cable assembly using a pluggable 2D connector inserted on top of a substrate is shown according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0051] Figure 4 A side view of an active electrical-optical cable assembly 400 is shown, which is configured to provide a compact, modular solution for high-speed data transmission. In this respect, the active electrical-optical cable assembly 400 is substantially similar to any active electrical-optical cable assembly 100, 200, 300, and can operate in a substantially similar manner.

[0052] like Figure 4 As shown, the active electro-optical cable assembly 400 includes an ASIC or GPU (“XPU”) 105 coupled to a connector 103, which may include a pluggable electrical connector that clamps downward to engage a multi-channel copper cable assembly (or “copper cable array”) configured to carry electrical signals. The copper cable array is connected at its distal end to an electro-optical (E / O) assembly 107, which is operable to convert electrical signals carried via the copper cable array into optical signals.

[0053] exist Figure 4 In the exemplary embodiment shown, the XPU 105 is disposed on the top of the substrate 115, and the pluggable 2D connector 103 is inserted on the top of the substrate 115, located near the XPU 105, as shown.

[0054] Figure 5 Examples of active electrical-optical cable assemblies using pluggable 2D connectors inserted on the bottom of a substrate are shown according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0055] Figure 5 The diagram shows a side view of an active electrical-optical cable assembly 500, which is configured to provide a compact, modular solution for high-speed data transmission. In this respect, the active electrical-optical cable assembly 500 is substantially similar to any active electrical-optical cable assembly 100, 200, 300, and can operate in a substantially similar manner.

[0056] like Figure 5 As shown, the active electro-optical cable assembly 500 includes an ASIC or GPU (“XPU”) 105 coupled to a connector 103, which may include a pluggable electrical connector that clamps downward to engage a multi-channel copper cable assembly (or “copper cable array”) configured to carry electrical signals. The copper cable array is connected at its distal end to an electro-optical (E / O) assembly 107, which is operable to convert electrical signals carried via the copper cable array into optical signals.

[0057] exist Figure 5 In the exemplary embodiment shown, the XPU 105 is disposed on the top of the substrate 115, and the pluggable 2D connector 103 is inserted into the bottom of the substrate 115, located below the XPU 105, as shown. The connection between the XPU 105 and the substrate 115 can be achieved via a via.

[0058] Figure 6 Exemplary active electrical-optical cable assemblies using replaceable pluggable 2D connectors inserted on the bottom of a substrate are shown according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0059] Figure 6 The diagram shows a side view of an active electrical-optical cable assembly 600, which is configured to provide a compact, modular solution for high-speed data transmission. In this respect, the active electrical-optical cable assembly 600 is substantially similar to any active electrical-optical cable assembly 100, 200, 300, and can operate in a substantially similar manner.

[0060] like Figure 6 As shown, the active electro-optical cable assembly 600 includes an ASIC or GPU (“XPU”) 105 coupled to a connector 103, which may include a pluggable electrical connector that clamps downward to engage a multi-channel copper cable assembly (or “copper cable array”) configured to carry electrical signals. The copper cable array is connected at its distal end to an electro-optical (E / O) assembly 107, which is operable to convert electrical signals carried via the copper cable array into optical signals.

[0061] exist Figure 6 In the exemplary embodiment shown, the XPU 105 is disposed on the top of the substrate 115, and the pluggable 2D connector 103 is inserted into the bottom of the substrate 115, located below the XPU 105 and extending below the XPU 105, as shown. In this respect, the connection between the XPU 105 and the substrate 115 can be accomplished via a via.

[0062] Figure 7Different example connector and electro-optic (E / O) array layouts are shown according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0063] Figure 7 Example connector and electro-optic (E / O) array layouts 700, 710, and 720 are shown. In this respect, each of these layouts can be used for any connector and electro-optic (E / O) assembly described herein—e.g., E / O assembly 107. For example, E / O array layout 700 can be a 2D aligned rectangular layout including multiple rows of connection points in the aligned layout, e.g., 32 connection points in a 2D arrangement of 4 rows and 8 connections in an aligned (orthogonal linear) layout, as shown. E / O array layout 710 can be a 2D staggered rectangular layout including multiple rows of connection points in the staggered layout—e.g., 32 connection points in a 2D arrangement of 4 rows and 8 connections in the staggered layout, as shown. E / O array layout 720 can be a 2D staggered circular (or hexagonal) layout—e.g., 30 connection points in a staggered arrangement fitted within a circular cross-section, as shown.

[0064] An example system according to this disclosure includes one or more active electro-optical cable assemblies, wherein each active electro-optical cable assembly includes a small form factor connector configured to join processing units; a multi-channel cable configured to carry a plurality of electrical signals; and an electro-optical assembly configured to convert the plurality of electrical signals into optical signals; wherein one end of the multi-channel cable is connected to the small form factor connector and the other end is connected to the electro-optical assembly; and wherein the electro-optical assembly is connected to an optical fiber for coupling the optical signals to the optical fiber.

[0065] In an exemplary embodiment, the multichannel cable includes a multichannel copper cable array.

[0066] In an exemplary embodiment, each active electro-optical cable assembly further includes an optical fiber connector configured to connect the electro-optical assembly to the optical fiber.

[0067] In an exemplary embodiment, an electro-optical component is connected to an optical fiber using a parallel optical configuration.

[0068] In an exemplary embodiment, wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical configuration is used to connect electro-optical components to optical fibers.

[0069] In an exemplary embodiment, the system includes at least a first active electro-optical cable assembly and a second active electro-optical cable assembly, wherein the electro-optical component in the first active electro-optical cable assembly is connected to the optical fiber using a parallel optical configuration, and wherein the electro-optical component in the second active electro-optical cable assembly is connected to the optical fiber using a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical configuration.

[0070] In an exemplary embodiment, the optical fiber terminates at a multi-fiber push-in (MPO) connector.

[0071] In an exemplary embodiment, the optical fiber includes at least one of single-mode (SM) optical fiber, multimode (MM) optical fiber, MM fiber bundle, and multi-core optical fiber.

[0072] In an exemplary embodiment, the electro-optical assembly includes one or more of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), an indium phosphide (InP) device, and a silicon photonics (SiP) element.

[0073] In an exemplary embodiment, the electro-optical component includes one or more integrated lasers.

[0074] In an exemplary embodiment, the system further includes a substrate, wherein the processing unit and the small form factor connector are disposed on the substrate.

[0075] In an exemplary embodiment, the processing unit is disposed on one side of the substrate, and the small form factor connector is disposed on the same side of the substrate and located next to or near the processing unit.

[0076] In an exemplary embodiment, the processing unit is disposed on one side of the substrate, and the small form factor connector is disposed on the opposite side of the substrate.

[0077] In an exemplary embodiment, the small form factor connector extends below the processing unit.

[0078] In an exemplary embodiment, one or both of the electro-optic component and the fiber optic connector that joins the electro-optic component are configured to utilize an electro-optic (E / O) array having a two-dimensional (2D) layout.

[0079] In an exemplary embodiment, the two-dimensional (2D) layout includes one of a 2D aligned rectangle layout, a 2D staggered rectangle layout, and a 2D staggered circular (or hexagonal) layout.

[0080] In an exemplary embodiment, the small form factor connector includes a pluggable electrical connector configured to removably engage the processing unit.

[0081] In an exemplary embodiment, the small form factor connector includes an electrical connector configured to engage a multichannel cable by downward clamping.

[0082] In an exemplary embodiment, the processing unit includes a graphics processing unit (GPU) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0083] In an exemplary embodiment, the system includes a co-packaged optical device (CPO) system or a near-packaged optical device (NPO) system.

[0084] As used herein, “and / or” refers to any one or more items in a list connected by “and / or”. As an example, “x and / or y” represents any element in the three-element set {(x), (y), (x, y)}. In other words, “x and / or y” means “one or both of x and y”. As another example, “x, y and / or z” refers to any element in the seven-element set {(x), (y), (z), (x, y), (x, z), (y, z), (x, y, z)}. In other words, “x, y and / or z” means “one or more of x, y, and z”. As used herein, the term “exemplary” means used as a non-limiting example, instance, or illustration. As used herein, the terms “for example” and “for example,” list one or more non-limiting examples, instances, or illustrations.

[0085] As used herein, the terms “circuit” and “circuit system” refer to physical electronic components (e.g., hardware) and any software and / or firmware (“code”) that can configure, be executed by, and / or otherwise associate with the hardware. As used herein, for example, a particular processor and memory (e.g., volatile or non-volatile memory devices, general-purpose computer-readable media, etc.) may include a first “circuit” when executing a first one or more lines of code, and a second “circuit” may be included when executing a second one or more lines of code. Furthermore, a circuit may include analog and / or digital circuitry. For example, the circuit may operate on analog and / or digital signals. It should be understood that a circuit may reside in a single device or chip, on a single motherboard, in a single chassis, in multiple housings located in a single geographic location, or in multiple housings distributed across multiple geographic locations, etc. Similarly, the term “module” may, for example, refer to physical electronic components (e.g., hardware) and any software and / or firmware (“code”) that can configure, be executed by, and / or otherwise associate with the hardware.

[0086] As used herein, whenever a circuit or module includes the hardware and code required to perform a function (if necessary), and regardless of whether the execution of the function is disabled or not enabled (e.g., through user-configurable settings, factory tuning, etc.), the circuit or module is "operable" to perform the function.

[0087] Other embodiments of the invention may provide a non-transient computer-readable medium and / or storage medium, and / or a non-transient machine-readable medium and / or storage medium having stored machine code and / or a computer program having at least one code segment executable by a machine and / or a computer, thereby enabling the machine and / or computer to perform the processes described herein.

[0088] Therefore, various embodiments of the invention can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. The invention can be implemented in a centralized manner in at least one computing system, or in a distributed manner with different elements distributed across several interconnected computing systems. Any kind of computing system or other device suitable for performing the methods described herein is appropriate. Typical implementations may include one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and / or one or more processors (e.g., x86, x64, ARM, PIC, and / or any other suitable processor architecture) and associated supporting circuitry (e.g., memory, DRAM, FLASH, bus interface circuitry, etc.). Each discrete ASIC, FPGA, processor, or other circuit may be referred to as a "chip," and a plurality of such circuits may be referred to as a "chipset." Another implementation may include a non-transient machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) medium (e.g., flash drive, optical disk, magnetic storage disk, etc.) on which one or more lines of code are stored, which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the processes described in this disclosure. Another practical approach may include a non-transient machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) medium (e.g., flash drive, optical disc, magnetic disk, etc.) on which one or more lines of code are stored, which, when executed by the machine, causes the machine to be configured (e.g., to load software and / or firmware into its circuitry) to operate as the system described in this disclosure.

[0089] Various embodiments of the invention can also be embedded in a computer program product that includes all the features capable of implementing the methods described herein and capable of executing those methods when the computer program product is loaded into a computer system. As used herein, a computer program means any expression of any language, code, or symbol set intended to enable a system with information processing capabilities to perform a particular function directly or after any one or both of the following: a) being translated into another language, code, or symbol; or b) being reproduced in a different material form.

[0090] While this method and / or system has been described with reference to certain embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes can be made and equivalents can be substituted without departing from the scope of this method and / or system. Furthermore, many modifications can be made to adapt particular situations or materials to the teachings of this disclosure without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, it is intended that this method and / or system be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that this method and / or system will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A system comprising: One or more active electro-optical cable assemblies, wherein each active electro-optical cable assembly includes: Small form factor connectors are configured as engagement processing units; Multi-channel cables are configured to carry multiple electrical signals; and An electro-optical component is configured to convert the plurality of electrical signals into optical signals; One end of the multi-channel cable is connected to the small form factor connector, and the other end is connected to the electro-optical assembly; and The electro-optic component is connected to the optical fiber and is used to couple the optical signal to the optical fiber.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The multi-channel cable includes a multi-channel copper cable array.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein, Each active electro-optical cable assembly also includes an optical fiber connector configured to connect the electro-optical assembly to the optical fiber.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The electro-optical component is connected to the optical fiber using a parallel optical configuration.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The electro-optical components are connected to the optical fiber using a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical configuration.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The system includes at least a first active electro-optical cable assembly and a second active electro-optical cable assembly. In this configuration, the electro-optical components in the first active electro-optical cable assembly are connected to the optical fiber using a parallel optical configuration, and In this embodiment, the electro-optical component in the second active electro-optical cable assembly is connected to the optical fiber using a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical configuration.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The optical fiber terminates at a multi-fiber push-in (MPO) connector.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The optical fiber includes at least one of single-mode (SM) fiber, multimode (MM) fiber, MM fiber bundle, and multi-core fiber.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The electro-optical assembly includes one or more of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), an indium phosphide (InP) device, and a silicon photonics (SiP) element.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The electro-optical assembly includes one or more integrated lasers.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a substrate, wherein the processing unit and the small form factor connector are disposed on the substrate.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein, The processing unit is disposed on one side of the substrate, and the small form factor connector is disposed on the same side of the substrate and located next to or near the processing unit.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein, The processing unit is disposed on one side of the substrate, and the small form factor connector is disposed on the opposite side of the substrate.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein, The small shape factor connector extends below the processing unit.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein, One or both of the electro-optic component and the fiber optic connector that engages the electro-optic component are configured to utilize an electro-optic (E / O) array having a two-dimensional (2D) layout.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein, The two-dimensional (2D) layout includes one of the following: 2D aligned rectangle layout, 2D staggered rectangle layout, and 2D staggered circular (or hexagonal) layout.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The small form factor connector includes a pluggable electrical connector configured to removably engage the processing unit.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The small form factor connector includes an electrical connector configured to engage the multichannel cable by downward clamping.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The processing unit includes a graphics processing unit (GPU) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

20. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The system includes a co-packaged optics (CPO) system or a near-packaged optics (NPO) system.

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