Updated

Updated · IndexBox, Inc. · Aug 13

Synopsys Unveils First 112G Linear PHY IP for AI Optics as Interconnects Draw 27% of Data Center Power

Updated

Updated · IndexBox, Inc. · Aug 13

Synopsys Unveils First 112G Linear PHY IP for AI Optics as Interconnects Draw 27% of Data Center Power

2 articles · Updated · IndexBox, Inc. · Aug 13

Synopsys said its new 112G PHY IP is the first to fully comply with the OIF-CEI-112G-LINEAR-PAM4 standard, validating DSP-less host-to-module optical links for AI and hyperscale systems.
112 Gb/s-per-lane linear optics shift signal processing from optical modules to the host SerDes, removing DSPs and retimers that add power, latency, heat and cost as networks move to 800G and 1.6T.
Test results showed transmit metrics including VMA, jitter and eye closure met or exceeded OIF thresholds, while receive-side JTOL testing showed stable data recovery under injected jitter and realistic channel distortions.
The launch targets a growing bottleneck in AI clusters, where interconnects already consume about 27% of total data center power after rising 46-fold since 2010.
Synopsys framed 112G compliance as a bridge to broader linear-optics adoption, with OIF already advancing 224G and 448G work and co-packaged optics moving toward production.

Sources

With the industry already racing toward 224G, will Synopsys’ breakthrough 112G linear PHY become obsolete before reaching mass deployment?

Since DSP-less optics require intense host calibration, could the hidden complexities of linear links undermine their promised efficiency?

By stripping DSPs from optical modules, are data centers truly saving power or just shifting the thermal burden elsewhere?

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