Wormhole Backplane Optical Routing for Ultra-High Fiber Density
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current optical interconnect devices are expensive, bulky, and limited in density, hindering the scalability and cost-effectiveness of optical computation solutions, particularly in high-density datacenter environments.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of wormhole structures using 3D printing technology to create ultra-high density optical routing systems, including wormhole backplanes and connector bars, which utilize microsleeves and elastomeric structures for precise fiber alignment and self-cleaning capabilities, along with hydraulic pressure for uniform mating forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If current optical connectors and looms are used, then optical interconnect functionality is provided, but cost exceeds $5,000-$10,000 per sled and density is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The optical interconnect system is divided into modular components: individual wormhole backplanes that can be independently manufactured and assembled, connector bars with integrated alignment features, and sled modules. This segmentation enables cost-effective mass production of individual components while achieving high overall density through modular assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple optical fibers are nested within wormhole-shaped channels in the backplane structure. The connector bars nest into corresponding receptacles, with microsleeves nested within the connector structures. This nested arrangement achieves ultra-high density routing by efficiently utilizing three-dimensional space.
2Quantity of substance
If optical connector density is increased, then more fibers can be routed, but alignment accuracy becomes increasingly difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple alignment functions are merged into the connector bar structure: alignment keys, alignment grooves, and mechanical positioning features are integrated directly into the connector bar and receptacle assembly. This merging ensures that all alignment functions work together as a unified system, maintaining precision even as fiber count increases to ultra-high density levels.
Solution Approach 2:
Microsleeves act as intermediary components between the optical fibers and the connector bar. These microsleeves provide precise positioning and alignment for individual fibers within the dense connector structure, enabling accurate fiber-to-fiber coupling even when the overall connector density is extremely high.
3Quantity of substance
If more optical fibers are routed through the backplane, then interconnect density increases, but the structure becomes bulkier and harder to manage
Solution Approach 1:
The wormhole backplane transitions from traditional two-dimensional surface mounting to three-dimensional volumetric routing. Wormhole channels extend through the thickness of the backplane, allowing optical fibers to be routed in the third dimension. This enables ultra-high fiber density while keeping the backplane footprint compact and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The wormhole backplane structure uses thin-walled, flexible-like channels that can be molded into complex three-dimensional wormhole shapes. This allows dense fiber routing through compact volumes while maintaining structural integrity and enabling cost-effective manufacturing through molding processes.
4Ease of operation
If traditional cable management solutions are used, then basic connectivity is achieved, but cleaning and maintenance become extremely difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The connector bar and receptacle structures include pre-integrated cleaning features: capillary channels for fluid delivery, built-in cleaning paths, and self-cleaning geometries. These cleaning functions are built into the connector structure before use, enabling easy maintenance without requiring external cleaning equipment or complex disassembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
Capillary channels and fluid delivery paths are integrated into the connector bar and receptacle structures. These hydraulic/capillary features enable automated cleaning by delivering cleaning fluids through the connector internals, making maintenance simple even as connector density increases to ultra-high levels.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and methods employing wormhole structures supporting ultra-high density optical routing systems. Microstructures comprising wormhole tunnels are formed in optical looms with wormhole openings arranged in patterns, such as a high-density XY grid. Optical fibers are inserted into respective wormhole tunnels, and sleeves are used to precisely align fiber ends. A rack loom comprising a wormhole backplane is fabricated in a similar manner, with wormhole openings arrayed in the same patterns. The sleeves comprise plug-receptacle sleeve pairs, where when an optical loom (or connector bar of the optical loom) face urged toward the front face of the rack loom, the plug and receptacle sleeves are mated, resulting in precise alignment of the optical fiber ends in the pairs of sleeves. Palpebral structures may also be fabricated to provide a self-cleaning function with optional lubrication. The solutions provide more than an order of magnitude improvement over current fiber connector densities, while substantially reducing costs.