After more than 50 years of miniaturization, the transistor and Moore’s Law may be nearing their technical and economic limits. However, new innovations in silicon photonics promise to extend the evolutionary timeline into the future.  This is the eleventh in a series of articles that review leading technology trends that have had a significant impactRead More

The rescheduled, relocated DesignCon was heavily impacted by the ongoing pandemic. However, high-speed innovation appears to be unstoppable. Bob Hult shares his observations on the 26th annual event and new connector products introduced. DesignCon 2021 was unlike any of the previous 25 years’ events. The continuing prevalence of COVID-19 resulted in the rescheduling of theRead More

The rise of connected car technologies will have enormous implications for the way people and goods travel. This mass exchange of data will create business efficiencies, safer travels, and faster deliveries. But persistent challenges remain before these technologies can be fully implemented. Not so long ago, the only wireless links in a car were theRead More

In a highly successful online format, OFC presents the latest developments in 5G communications, intelligent transportation systems, AI, Industry 4.0, quantum computing, and other high-speed technologies that depend on optical networks. The OFC Conference and Exhibition has been the go-to event for the optics industry since 1979. This forum provides technologists, engineers, product managers, andRead More

Backplanes using copper conductors have come a long way over the past 50 years and will likely remain the most common form of system architecture well into the future. This is the 10th installment in the Technology Trends series by Bob Hult, a collection of articles that review leading technology trends that have had a significantRead More

Enhanced versions of pluggable I/O connectors are providing a clear migration path from current 40 and 100 Gb/s Ethernet and InfiniBand EDR specifications to 800 Gb and beyond. A spectacular escalation of data rates has been a hallmark of computing equipment over the past 50+ years. The ability to create literally billions of transistors onRead More

Bob Hult looks at how a commitment to backward compatibility, choice of copper and fiber optic media, and adoption of new signaling protocols have enabled Ethernet to keep pace with increasing bandwidth demands. This is the eighth installment in the Technology Trends series by Bob Hult, a collection of articles that review leading technology trends thatRead More

Sometimes a custom connector design will remain a limited-use product. Other times, it may become a popular proprietary connector. In some instances, the evolution continues and the connector experiences widespread use as a commercial or open-source product. This is the eighth installment in the Technology Trends series by Bob Hult, a collection of articles thatRead More

Quantum mechanics technology could not have come at a better time, as traditional chip technology is approaching its technical and economic limits. The bizarre science of quantum mechanics challenges our perception of the physical world. In his 370 BCE dialogue “The Phaedrus,” Plato wrote, “Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceivesRead More

Optimistic technologists have been predicting fiber optics would replace many copper links since the late 1990s, but designers were able to find ways to extend the bandwidth and reach of copper. Now we may be reaching the point where fiber may finally become the most practical solution in an increasing number of applications. Electrical interconnectsRead More

A new generation of the PCIe specification is arriving this year, just in time to keep up with the growing demand for data fueled by 5G, cloud computing, AI, and other data-intensive connected technologies. This seventh installment in the Technology Trends series by Bob Hult, a collection of articles that review leading technology trends thatRead More

A progression of system packaging options provide a roadmap to supporting the high speeds inherent in next-generation equipment. As 112G becomes a reality, co-packaged optics offer the best signal integrity. Since the advent of multigigabit signaling, design engineers have struggled to find ways to minimize the negative effects of conducting high-speed signals through copper tracesRead More