Mid-Board Optics and Fiber Optic Connectivity

What is Mid-Board Fiber Optic Connectivity?

Mid-board fiber optic connectivity refers to the use of fiber optic connections that are embedded within a printed circuit board (PCB) or placed close to active devices within a system. Unlike traditional edge-mounted optical interfaces, mid-board connectivity allows fiber optic cables or connectors to be positioned deep within an electronic system to support Mid-Board optics system. This technology helps improve signal integrity, reduce insertion loss, and enhance data transmission speeds over long distances without electromagnetic interference (EMI) concerns.

 

Applications and Necessity of Mid-Board Fiber Optic Connectivity

As data rates continue to surge, industries such as telecommunications, data centers, high-performance computing (HPC), and aerospace require robust, high-speed connectivity solutions. Mid-board fiber optic connectivity is needed to support ultra-high-speed interconnects for servers and storage systems by ensuring efficient fiber transmission within high-speed optical networking equipment.

Majority of system-level electronic to optical (E/O) domain conversions occur on the front panel via pluggable transceivers. Although pluggable transceiver solution is a well-established solution, it becomes a bottleneck when higher bandwidth and fiber density. Mid-board optics provide an alternative solution for making that E/O conversion away from the front panel.

The necessity of mid-board fiber optic connectivity stems from the growing need for higher data rates, reduced power consumption, and lower signal loss compared to traditional copper interconnects. As speeds exceed 100Gbps and beyond, copper traces on PCBs struggle to maintain signal integrity over long distances. Fiber optics, on the other hand, offer a viable solution by eliminating issues related to attenuation and EMI. Additionally, pushing fiber closer to the chip is crucial for achieving optimal performance, as it minimizes signal degradation and enhances overall efficiency. This also enables chips to be quickly disconnected and replaced in the event of a malfunction, reducing downtime and maintenance costs.

 

Advantages of Mid-Board Optics

Using mid-board optics for data center switches offers a significant benefit: the ability to utilize a single type of switch throughout the entire data center. The traditional front-panel transceivers approach does not provide this advantage, resulting in the market having various types of switches: leaf/edge switches with numerous thin ports (e.g., SFP+) and spine/core switches with fewer, larger ports (e.g., QFSP). However, with mid-board optics transceivers and leveraging the flexibility given by ASIC manufacturers to allocate bandwidth across their devices, it is possible to customize the number of ports and their bandwidth per switch. Consequently, a single type of switch can serve the whole data center. This switch can be reconfigured and adjusted via software to have, for example, 128 ports at 10G, 32 ports at 40G, or a combination of different port numbers and speeds. This maximizes the benefits of economies of scale and offers flexibility to adapt and improve the data center infrastructure.

 

Challenges of Mid-Board Connectivity

Deploying mid-board optical connectivity within network switches presents several challenges, primarily due to the demanding thermal and spatial constraints of these environments. Since switches generate significant heat, reliable and durable optical connectors are essential to maintain performance and longevity under continuous thermal stress. Additionally, high fiber density is a key requirement to support the increasing bandwidth demands in data centers, necessitating compact yet efficient optical interfaces.

Another critical factor is the ease of accessibility for maintenance—connectors must allow for quick mating and de-mating to facilitate the replacement of faulty optics without disrupting network operations. Balancing these requirements while ensuring signal integrity and mechanical stability remains a significant engineering challenge in advancing mid-board optical connectivity solutions.

 

Available Solutions with a Focus on SENKO’s Offering

Several companies offer mid-board fiber optic connectivity solutions, but SENKO Advanced Components stands out with its innovative approach. SENKO’s micro ferrule technology further enhances performance by enabling precise fiber alignment in an ultra-compact form factor, reducing insertion loss and improving overall connectivity reliability.

For high fiber count solutions, SENKO has the Mid-Board Multi-Connector (MBMC) MT connector with a stackable MT solution where multiple MT ferrules are needed. There is also an option to deploy AirMT ferrules for improved resilience against ferrule contamination.

Where space for fiber connectivity is highly constrained, SENKO’s Metallic PIC Connector (MPC) is also an option. The MPC is constructed from stamped metallic optical benches with micro mirror arrays which focus light beams from the optical fiber to the mid-board optics.

结论

Mid-board fiber optic connectivity is revolutionizing high-speed data transmission by overcoming the limitations of copper interconnects. As industries push for higher performance and reduced signal loss, fiber optics embedded within PCBs provide an ideal solution. While challenges exist, companies like SENKO are paving the way with advanced mid-board fiber optic solutions that ensure seamless integration, reliability, and superior performance. As demand for high-speed connectivity grows, mid-board fiber optic technology will continue to play a critical role in next-generation data communication infrastructures.