IPtronics Develops Components for Light Peak Technology

Through a collaborative effort with Intel and other industry partners, IPtronics has developed silicon for Light Peak Technology implementation

October 1,  2009 -- IPtronics is excited to be a partner in the optical direction that the Light Peak interconnects represent. The new silicon solution from IPtronics, already sampling, enables industry partners to build Light Peak optical components.

"Intel is pleased to be working with IPtronics to make Light Peak optical components ready to ship in 2010", said Jason Ziller, Director, Optical I/O Program Office, Intel Corp. "Light Peak has high bandwidth and the ability to run multiple I/O protocols over a single cable, enabling the technology to connect to many devices such as displays, disk drives, peripherals, and docking stations."

Intel is working with the optical component manufacturers to make Light Peak components ready to ship in 2010, and will work with the industry to determine the best way to make this new technology a standard to accelerate its adoption on a plethora of devices including PCs, handheld devices, workstations, consumer electronic devices and more

Light Peak is the code-name for a new high-speed optical cable technology designed to connect your electronic devices to each other. Light Peak delivers high bandwidth starting at 10Gb/s with the potential ability to scale to 100Gb/s over the next decade. At 10Gb/s, you could transfer a full-length Blu-Ray movie in less than 30 seconds. Optical technology also allows for smaller connectors and longer, thinner, and more flexible cables than currently possible. Light Peak also has the ability to run multiple protocols simultaneously over a single cable, enabling the technology to connect devices such as peripherals, workstations, displays, disk drives, docking stations, and more.

Existing electrical cable technology in mainstream computing devices is approaching practical limits for speed and length, due to electro-magnetic interference (EMI) and other issues. However, optical technology, used extensively in data centers and telecom communications, does not have these limitations since it transmits data using light instead of electricity. Light Peak brings this optical technology to mainstream computing and consumer electronic devices in a cost-effective manner.

Light Peak consists of a controller chip and an optical module that would be included in platforms supporting this technology. The optical module performs the conversion from electricity to light and vice versa, using miniature lasers and photo detectors. IPtronics supplies the driver and receiver silicon that goes into the optical module.

"As a long time believer in optical interconnect and a strong player for the ICs for this technology IPtronics is excited to see optical interconnects move into mainstream applications such as computers and computer peripherals". Says Jesper Bek, CEO IPtronics Inc, and continues: "The recent announcement of Light Peak Technology by Intel- and supporting statements by Sony show that optical interconnect is no longer just a niche technology for high end servers and super computers, where it is already used".

The driver and receiver silicon is an essential component in the optical module. Due to IPtronics' technology and strong commitment to the market, IPtronics looks forwarding to playing a major role in Light Peak

The IPtronics silicon has been developed in close collaboration with Intel as well as optical module manufactures to in order to enable a fully functional solution to the end users within 2010. Our silicon has been proven in the application and is already shipping to industry partners.

In order to achieve cost effective solutions and capacity for the high volume market, IPtronics has partnered up with ST Microelectronics for volume deliveries of the chip set. ST brings manufacturing capabilities and leading technology to the program.

"We're excited to work with IPtronics on this. Together we offer a powerful combination of technology innovation and manufacturing strength needed for a successful and quick launch of new ICs to the computer and consumer electronics industries", says Flavio Benetti, CCI CID Marketing and Program Management Director from ST.

Please visit www.iptronics.com or contact IPtronics on sales@iptronics.com for more information.

For more information on Light Peak, please visit: www.intel.com/go/lightpeak or contact Nick Knupffer ((408) 250 7265) at Intel.