IPC分类号：
F21V8/00 | G02B6/26 | G02B6/42 | H04B10/50
国民经济行业分类号：
C4350 | C3874 | C4090 | C3879
当前申请(专利权)人：
NUBIS COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
原始申请(专利权)人：
NUBIS COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
当前申请(专利权)人地址：
209 CASHEL DRIVE, 07747, ABERDEEN, NEW JERSEY
发明人：
WINZER, PETER JOHANNES | ZHANG, RON
代理机构：
FISH & RICHARDSON P.C.
摘要：
A system includes a housing including a front panel, a rear panel, an upper panel, and a lower panel. The system includes a first circuit board or substrate, at least one data processor coupled to the first circuit board or substrate and configured to process data, and at least one optical module coupled to the first circuit board or substrate. Each optical module is configured to perform at least one of (i) convert input optical signals to electrical signals that are provided to the at least one data processor, or (ii) convert electrical signals received from the at least one data processor to output optical signals. The system includes at least one inlet fan mounted near the front panel and configured to increase an air flow across a surface of at least one of (i) the at least one data processor, (ii) a heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one data processor, (iii) the at least one optical module, or (iv) a heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module. The system includes at least one laser module configured to provide optical power to the at least one optical module.
技术功效语段：
[0021]The air baffle can enable a portion of the at least one optical fiber to be positioned away from a path of the air that flows across the surface of at least one of (i) the at least one optical module, or (ii) the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module, reduce an amount of obstruction of air flow, and improve heat dissipation from at least one of (i) the at least one optical module, or (ii) the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module.
[0127]Particular embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented to realize one or more of the following advantages. The data processing system has a high power efficiency, a low construction cost, a low operation cost, and high flexibility in reconfiguring optical network connections.
权利要求：
1. A system comprising:
a housing comprising a front panel, a rear panel, an upper panel, and a lower panel;
a first circuit board or substrate;
at least one data processor coupled to the first circuit board or substrate and configured to process data;
at least one optical module coupled to the first circuit board or substrate, in which each optical module is configured to perform at least one of (i) convert input optical signals to electrical signals that are provided to the at least one data processor, or (ii) convert electrical signals received from the at least one data processor to output optical signals;
at least one inlet fan mounted near the front panel and configured to increase an air flow across a surface of at least one of (i) the at least one data processor, (ii) a heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one data processor, (iii) the at least one optical module, or (iv) a heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module; and
at least one laser module configured to provide optical power to the at least one optical module;
wherein the first circuit board or substrate is at least one of (i) positioned at a distance L1 behind the front panel, and the distance L1 is less than 12 inches, or (ii) positioned at a distance L3 behind the front panel, and the distance L3 is equal to or less than one-fourth of a distance L2 between the front panel and the rear panel;
wherein the first circuit board or substrate has a first surface that defines a length and a width of the first circuit board or substrate, and the first circuit board or substrate is positioned relative to the housing such that the first surface of the first circuit board or substrate is at an angle θ2 relative to the front panel, and the angle θ2 is in a range from −45° to 45°.
2. The system of claim 1 in which the at least one laser module is positioned between the at least one inlet fan and at least one of the upper panel or the lower panel.
3. The system of claim 1 in which at least one of the at least one laser module is oriented such that an optical axis of the laser module is parallel to a front-to-rear direction.
4. The system of claim 1 in which at least one of the at least one laser module is oriented such that an optical axis of the laser module is parallel to a surface of the front panel.
5. The system of claim 1 in which at least one of the at least one laser module is oriented such that an optical axis of the laser module is at an angle θ relative to a front-to-rear direction, and 0<θ<90°.
6. The system of claim 1 in which at least 5 laser modules are positioned between the inlet fan and the upper panel.
7. The system of claim 6 in which at least 10 laser modules are positioned between the inlet fan and the upper panel.
8. The system of claim 7 in which at least 20 laser modules are positioned between the inlet fan and the upper panel.
9. The system of claim 1 in which at least 5 laser modules are positioned between the inlet fan and the lower panel.
10. The system of claim 9 in which at least 10 laser modules are positioned between the inlet fan and the lower panel.
11. The system of claim 10 in which at least 20 laser modules are positioned between the inlet fan and the lower panel.
12. The system of claim 1 in which each of at least some of the laser modules is placed in at least one of a QSFP (quad small form factor pluggable) cage, a QSFP-DD (quad small form factor pluggable double density) cage, or a COBO (consortium for on-board optics) cage.
13. The system of claim 1, comprising at least one air duct to direct warm air from the surface of at least one of (i) the at least one data processor, (ii) the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one data processor, (iii) the at least one optical module, or (iv) the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module, toward a rear direction.
14. The system of claim 13 in which at least 5 laser modules are positioned between the air duct and the upper panel.
15. The system of claim 14 in which at least 10 laser modules are positioned between the air duct and the upper panel.
16. The system of claim 15 in which at least 20 laser modules are positioned between the air duct and the upper panel.
17. The system of claim 13 in which at least 5 laser modules are positioned between the air duct and the lower panel.
18. The system of claim 17 in which at least 10 laser modules are positioned between the air duct and the lower panel.
19. The system of claim 18 in which at least 20 laser modules are positioned between the air duct and the lower panel.
20. The system of claim 1, comprising an air baffle to divide a space in a vicinity of the first circuit board or substrate into a first region and a second region, in which the first region is in a path of air flow from the at least one inlet fan to the at least one of the at least one optical module,
wherein at least one of the at least one laser module is located in the second region, and
wherein at least one optical fiber optically connects at least one optical module in the first region to at least one laser module in the second region.
21. The system of claim 20 in which the air baffle defines a cutout or an opening to allow the at least one optical fiber to extend from the first region to the second region through the cutout or opening.
22. The system of claim 20 in which the air baffle enables a portion of the at least one optical fiber to be positioned away from a path of the air that flows across the surface of at least one of (i) the at least one optical module, or (ii) the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module, reducing an amount of obstruction of air flow, and improving heat dissipation from at least one of (i) the at least one optical module, or (ii) the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module.
23. The system of claim 1, comprising an optical cable assembly that comprises a first fiber connector, a second fiber connector, and a third fiber connector, in which the first fiber connector is optically coupled to one of the at least one optical module, the second fiber connector is optically coupled to one of the at least one laser module, and the third fiber connector is optically coupled a fiber connector part at the front panel.
24. The system of claim 1, comprising a sensor that detects an opening of the front panel, and a controller that in response to detecting the opening of the front panel, reduces or turns off power to the at least one laser module.
25. The system of claim 1 in which the at least one optical module is coupled to a front side of the first circuit board or substrate, the at least one data processor is coupled to a rear side of the first circuit board or substrate, the at least one inlet fan comprises a first inlet fan and a second inlet fan, the first inlet fan is configured to blow incoming air towards the at least one optical module or the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module, and the second inlet fan is configured to blow incoming air toward the at least one data processor or the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one data processor.
26. The system of claim 1 in which the first circuit board or substrate is positioned relative to the housing such that the first surface of the first circuit board or substrate is at an angle relative to the bottom panel of the housing, and the angle is in a range from 45° to 90°.
27. The system of claim 1 in which the at least one data processor is immersed in a coolant, and the at least one inlet fan is configured to increase an air flow across a surface of at least one of (i) the at least one optical module, or (ii) the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module.
28. The system of claim 1 in which the optical module comprises a co-packaged optical module that comprises at least one photonic integrated circuit co-packaged with at least one electronic chip.
29. The system of claim 1 in which the at least one data processor comprises at least one million transistors.
30. The system of claim 29 in which the at least one data processor comprises at least ten million transistors.
31. The system ofclaim 30 in which the at least one data processor comprises at least one hundred million transistors.
32. The system of claim 31 in which the at least one data processor comprises at least one billion transistors.
33. The system of claim 1 in which the at least one data processor, the at least one optical module, and the at least one laser module are configured to consume an average of at least 100 watts of electric power for at least ten minutes during operation.
34. The system of claim 33 in which the at least one data processor, the at least one optical module, and the at least one laser module are configured to consume an average of at least 200 watts of electric power for at least ten minutes during operation.
35. The system of claim 34 in which the at least one data processor, the at least one optical module, and the at least one laser module are configured to consume an average of at least 300 watts of electric power for at least ten minutes during operation.
36. The system of claim 35 in which the at least one data processor, the at least one optical module, and the at least one laser module are configured to consume an average of at least 400 watts of electric power for at least ten minutes during operation.
37. The system of claim 36 in which the at least one data processor, the at least one optical module, and the at least one laser module are configured to consume an average of at least 500 watts of electric power for at least ten minutes during operation.
38. The system of claim 37 in which the at least one data processor, the at least one optical module, and the at least one laser module are configured to consume an average of at least 600 watts of electric power for at least ten minutes during operation.
39. The system of claim 38 in which the at least one data processor, the at least one optical module, and the at least one laser module are configured to consume an average of at least 700 watts of electric power for at least ten minutes during operation.
40. The system of claim 1 in which the system is configured to remove heat generated by the at least one data processor, the at least one optical module, and the at least one laser module so as to maintain a temperature of the at least one data processor and the at least one optical module to be not more than 160º F when ambient temperature outside of the housing is in a range from 62º F to 82° F.
41. The system of claim 1 in which the at least one data processor comprises at least a network switch, a central processor unit, a graphics processor unit, a tensor processing unit, a neural network processor, an artificial intelligence accelerator, a digital signal processor, a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a data storage device.
42. The system of claim 1 in which the at least one data processor is capable of processing data from the at least one optical module at a rate of at least 25 gigabits per second.
43. The system of claim 1 in which the at least one optical module is coupled to a second circuit board or substrate that is coupled to the first circuit board or substrate.
44. The system of claim 1 in which the optical module comprises a photonic integrated circuit that comprises at least one of a photodetector or an optical modulator,
wherein the optical module further comprises at least one of a transimpedance amplifier configured to amplify a current generated by the photodetector or a driver configured to drive the optical modulator.
45. The system of claim 44 in which the optical module comprises a co-packaged optical module comprising at least one electrical integrated circuit comprising a serializers/deserializers module.
46. The system of claim 1 in which the at least one data processor comprises a two-dimensional arrangement of at least three data processors formed on the circuit board or substrate.
47. The system of claim 46 in which the two-dimensional arrangement of at least three data processors comprises an array of at least two rows and at least two columns of data processors.
48. The system of claim 47 in which the array of data processors comprise at least three rows and at least three columns of data processors.
49. The system of claim 48 in which the array of data processors comprise at least four rows and at least four columns of data processors.
50. The system of claim 1 in which the substrate comprises a semiconductor wafer.
51. The system of claim 1 wherein the angle is in a range from −5° to 5°.
52. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one optical module is coupled to a front side of the first circuit board or substrate, the at least one data processor is coupled to a rear side of the first circuit board or substrate, and the front side of the first circuit board or substrate faces the front panel.
53. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one inlet fan comprises a first inlet fan and a second inlet fan, the first inlet fan is configured to blow incoming air towards the at least one optical module or the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module, and the second inlet fan is configured to blow incoming air toward the at least one data processor or the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one data processor.
54. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one data processor, the at least one optical module, and the at least one laser module are configured to consume an average of at least 700 watts of electric power for at least ten minutes during operation.
55. The system of claim 54 wherein the system is configured to remove heat generated by the at least one data processor, the at least one optical module, and the at least one laser module so as to maintain a temperature of the at least one data processor and the at least one optical module to be not more than 160° F. when ambient temperature outside of the housing is in a range from 62° F. to 82° F.
56. The system of claim 1, comprising a 1RU, 2RU, 3RU, or 4RU rackmount device, wherein the housing comprises the housing of the 1RU, 2RU, 3RU, or 4RU rackmount device.
57. The system of claim 56 wherein the housing and the first circuit board or substrate are configured to enable a user of the system to couple the at least one optical module to the first circuit board or substrate, and remove the at least one optical module from the first circuit board or substrate, from the front side of the housing while the rackmount device is mounted in a rack and without opening or removing the upper panel of the housing.
58. The system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of at least one inlet fan is positioned at a first distance from the front panel, the first distance is less than or equal to one-fourth of a second distance between the front panel and the rear panel.
59. The system of claim 1 wherein the housing and the first circuit board or substrate are configured to enable a user of the system to couple the at least one optical module to the first circuit board or substrate, and remove the at least one optical module from the first circuit board or substrate, from a front side of the housing.
60. The system of claim 1 wherein a first optical module comprises a two-dimensional pattern of electrical contacts positioned along a first plane that is parallel to the first surface of the first circuit board or substrate, and
wherein the two-dimensional pattern of electrical contacts of the first optical module is electrically coupled to a corresponding two-dimensional pattern of electrical contacts on the first circuit board or substrate.
61. The system of claim 60 comprising a structure configured to guide the first optical module to move along a first direction when the first optical module is moved from a first position in which the first optical module is not coupled to the first circuit board or substrate, to a second position in which the first optical module is coupled to the first circuit board or substrate,
wherein the two-dimensional array of electrical contacts are positioned along the first plane and the first plane is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.
62. A system comprising:
a housing comprising a front panel, a rear panel, an upper panel, and a lower panel;
a first circuit board or substrate;
at least one data processor coupled to the first circuit board or substrate and configured to process data;
at least one optical module coupled to the first circuit board or substrate, in which each optical module is configured to perform at least one of (i) convert input optical signals to electrical signals that are provided to the at least one data processor, or (ii) convert electrical signals received from the at least one data processor to output optical signals;
at least one inlet fan mounted near the front panel and configured to increase an air flow across a surface of at least one of (i) the at least one data processor, (ii) a heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one data processor, (iii) the at least one optical module, or (iv) a heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module;
at least one laser module configured to provide optical power to the at least one optical module; and
an air baffle to divide a space in a vicinity of the first circuit board or substrate into a first region and a second region, in which the first region is in a path of air flow from the at least one inlet fan to the at least one of the at least one optical module,
wherein at least one of the at least one laser module is located in the second region, and
wherein at least one optical fiber optically connects at least one optical module in the first region to at least one laser module in the second region.
63. The system of claim 62 in which the air baffle defines a cutout or an opening to allow the at least one optical fiber to extend from the first region to the second region through the cutout or opening.
64. The system of claim 62 in which the air baffle enables a portion of the at least one optical fiber to be positioned away from a path of the air that flows across the surface of at least one of (i) the at least one optical module, or (ii) the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module, reducing an amount of obstruction of air flow, and improving heat dissipation from at least one of (i) the at least one optical module, or (ii) the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module.
技术领域：
[0002]This document describes communication systems having optical power supplies.
背景技术：
[0003]This section introduces aspects that can help facilitate a better understanding of the disclosure. Accordingly, the statements of this section are to be read in this light and are not to be understood as admissions about what is in the prior art or what is not in the prior art.
[0004]For example, a data center can include servers installed in a rack, each server includes one or more data processors mounted on a circuit board disposed in an enclosure. Each server includes one or more optical communication modules for converting input optical signals received from optical fiber cables into input electrical signals that are provided to the one or more data processors, and converting output electrical signals from the one or more data processors to output optical signals that are output to the optical fiber cables.
发明内容：
[0005]In a general aspect, a system including a housing having a front panel, a rear panel, an upper panel, and a lower panel is provided. The system includes a first circuit board or substrate; at least one data processor coupled to the first circuit board or substrate and configured to process data; and at least one optical module coupled to the first circuit board or substrate. Each optical module is configured to perform at least one of (i) convert input optical signals to electrical signals that are provided to the at least one data processor, or (ii) convert electrical signals received from the at least one data processor to output optical signals. The system includes at least one inlet fan mounted near the front panel and configured to increase an air flow across a surface of at least one of (i) the at least one data processor, (ii) a heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one data processor, (iii) the at least one optical module, or (iv) a heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module. The system includes at least one laser module configured to provide optical power to the at least one optical module.
[0006]Implementations can include one or more of the following features. The at least one laser module can be positioned between the at least one inlet fan and at least one of the upper panel or the lower panel.
[0007]At least one of the at least one laser module can be oriented such that an optical axis of the laser module is parallel to a front-to-rear direction.
[0008]At least one of the at least one laser module can be oriented such that an optical axis of the laser module is parallel to a surface of the front panel.
[0009]At least one of the at least one laser module can be oriented such that an optical axis of the laser module is at an angle θ relative to a front-to-rear direction, and 0<θ<90°.
[0010]At least 5, 10, or 20 laser modules can be positioned between the inlet fan and the upper panel.
[0011]At least 5, 10, or 20 laser modules can be positioned between the inlet fan and the lower panel.
[0012]Each of at least some of the laser modules can be placed in at least one of a QSFP (quad small form factor pluggable) cage, a QSFP-DD (quad small form factor pluggable double density) cage, or a COBO (consortium for on-board optics) cage.
[0013]The system can include at least one air duct to direct warm air from the surface of at least one of (i) the at least one data processor, (ii) the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one data processor, (iii) the at least one optical module, or (iv) the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module, toward a rear direction.
[0014]At least one of the at least one laser module can be oriented such that an optical axis of the laser module is parallel to a front-to-rear direction.
[0015]At least one of the at least one laser module can be oriented such that an optical axis of the laser module is parallel to a surface of the front panel.
[0016]At least one of the at least one laser module can be oriented such that an optical axis of the laser module is at an angle θ relative to a front-to-rear direction, and 0<θ<90°.
[0017]At least 5, 10, or 20 laser modules can be positioned between the air duct and the upper panel.
[0018]At least 5, 10, or 20 laser modules can be positioned between the air duct and the lower panel.
[0019]The system can include an air baffle to divide a space in a vicinity of the first circuit board or substrate into a first region and a second region, in which the first region can be in a path of air flow from the at least one inlet fan to the at least one of the at least one optical module, wherein at least one of the at least one laser module can be located in the second region, and wherein at least one optical fiber can optically connect at least one optical module in the first region to at least one laser module in the second region.
[0020]The air baffle can define a cutout or an opening to allow the at least one optical fiber to extend from the first region to the second region through the cutout or opening.
[0021]The air baffle can enable a portion of the at least one optical fiber to be positioned away from a path of the air that flows across the surface of at least one of (i) the at least one optical module, or (ii) the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module, reduce an amount of obstruction of air flow, and improve heat dissipation from at least one of (i) the at least one optical module, or (ii) the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module.
[0022]The first circuit board or substrate can be positioned at a distance behind the front panel.
[0023]The system can include an optical cable assembly that comprises a first fiber connector, a second fiber connector, and a third fiber connector. The first fiber connector can be optically coupled to one of the at least one optical module, the second fiber connector can be optically coupled to one of the at least one laser module, and the third fiber connector can be optically coupled a fiber connector part at the front panel.
[0024]The system can include a sensor that detects an opening of the front panel, and a controller that in response to detecting the opening of the front panel, reduces or turns off power to the at least one laser module.
[0025]The at least one optical module can be coupled to a front side of the first circuit board or substrate, the at least one data processor can be coupled to a rear side of the first circuit board or substrate, the at least one inlet fan can include a first inlet fan and a second inlet fan, the first inlet fan can be configured to blow incoming air towards the at least one optical module or the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module, and the second inlet fan can be configured to blow incoming air toward the at least one data processor or the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one data processor.
[0026]The first circuit board or substrate can have a first surface that defines a length and a width of the first circuit board or substrate, and the first circuit board or substrate can be positioned relative to the housing such that the first surface of the first circuit board or substrate is at an angle relative to the bottom panel of the housing, and the angle is in a range from 45° to 90°.
[0027]The at least one data processor can be immersed in a coolant, and the at least one inlet fan can be configured to increase an air flow across a surface of at least one of (i) the at least one optical module, or (ii) the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module.
[0028]The optical module can include a co-packaged optical module that comprises at least one photonic integrated circuit co-packaged with at least one electronic chip.
[0029]The at least one data processor can include at least one million, ten million, one hundred million, one billion, or ten billion transistors.
[0030]The at least one data processor, the at least one optical module, and the at least one laser module can be configured to consume an average of at least 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, or 700 watts of electric power for at least ten minutes during operation.
[0031]The system can be configured to remove heat generated by the at least one data processor, the at least one optical module, and the at least one laser module so as to maintain a temperature of the at least one data processor and the at least one optical module to be not more than 160° F. when ambient temperature outside of the housing is in a range from 62° F. to 82° F.
[0032]The at least one data processor can include at least a network switch, a central processor unit, a graphics processor unit, a tensor processing unit, a neural network processor, an artificial intelligence accelerator, a digital signal processor, a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a data storage device.
[0033]The at least one data processor can be capable of processing data from the at least one optical module at a rate of at least 25, 50, 100, 200, or 400 gigabits per second.
[0034]The at least one optical module can be coupled to a second circuit board or substrate that is coupled to the first circuit board or substrate.
[0035]The optical module can include a photonic integrated circuit that comprises at least one of a photodetector or an optical modulator. The optical module can include at least one of a transimpedance amplifier configured to amplify a current generated by the photodetector or a driver configured to drive the optical modulator.
[0036]The optical module can include a co-packaged optical module comprising at least one electrical integrated circuit comprising a serializers/deserializers module.
[0037]The at least one data processor can include a two-dimensional arrangement of at least three data processors formed on the circuit board or substrate.
[0038]The two-dimensional arrangement of at least three data processors can include an array of at least two rows and at least two columns, at least three rows and at least three columns, or at least four rows and at least four columns of data processors.
[0039]The substrate can include a semiconductor wafer.
[0040]In another general aspect, a system comprises a rackmount server having an n rack unit form factor, in which n is an integer in a range from 1 to 8. The rackmount server comprises a housing comprising a front panel, a rear panel, an upper panel, and a lower panel. The system includes a first circuit board or substrate that has a first surface that defines a length and a width of the first circuit board or substrate, and the first circuit board or substrate is positioned relative to the housing such that the first surface of the first circuit board or substrate is at an angle relative to the bottom panel of the housing, and the angle is in a range from 45° to 90°. The system includes at least one optical module coupled to the first circuit board or substrate, in which at least a portion of the at least one optical module is positioned between the front panel and the first circuit board or substrate, in which each optical module is configured to perform at least one of (i) convert input optical signals to electrical signals, or (ii) convert electrical signals to output optical signals. The system includes at least one inlet fan mounted in a vicinity of the front panel and configured to increase an air flow across a surface of at least one of (i) the at least one optical module, or (ii) a heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module. The system includes at least one laser module configured to provide optical power to the at least one optical module.
[0041]Implementations can include one or more of the following features. At least one of the at least one inlet fan can blow air toward the portion of the at least one optical module that is positioned between the front panel and the first circuit board or substrate.
[0042]The system can include a first heat dissipating device that is thermally coupled to the at least one optical module. At least a portion of the first heat dissipating device can be positioned between the front panel and the first circuit board or substrate, and at least one of the at least one inlet fan can blow air towards the portion of the first heat dissipating device that is positioned between the front panel and the first circuit board or substrate.
[0043]The at least one laser module can be positioned between the at least one inlet fan and at least one of the upper panel or the lower panel.
[0044]At least one of the at least one laser module can be oriented such that an optical axis of the laser module is parallel to a front-to-rear direction.
[0045]At least one of the at least one laser module can be oriented such that an optical axis of the laser module is parallel to a surface of the front panel.
[0046]At least one of the at least one laser module can be oriented such that an optical axis of the laser module is at an angle θ relative to a front-to-rear direction, and 0<θ<90°.
[0047]At least 5, 10, or 20 laser modules can be positioned between the inlet fan and the upper panel.
[0048]At least 5, 10, or 20 laser modules can be positioned between the inlet fan and the lower panel.
[0049]Each of at least some of the laser modules can be placed in at least one of a QSFP (quad small form factor pluggable) cage, a QSFP-DD (quad small form factor pluggable double density) cage, or a COBO (consortium for on-board optics) cage.
[0050]The system can include at least one air duct to direct warm air from the surface of at least one of (i) the at least one optical module, or (ii) the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module, toward a rear direction.
[0051]At least one of the at least one laser module can be oriented such that an optical axis of the laser module is parallel to a front-to-rear direction.
[0052]At least one of the at least one laser module can be oriented such that an optical axis of the laser module is parallel to a surface of the front panel.
[0053]At least one of the at least one laser module can be oriented such that an optical axis of the laser module is at an angle θ relative to a front-to-rear direction, and 0<θ<90°.
[0054]At least 5, 10, or 20 laser modules can be positioned between the air duct and the upper panel.
[0055]At least 5, 10, or 20 laser modules can be positioned between the air duct and the lower panel.
[0056]The system can include an air baffle to divide a space in a vicinity of the first circuit board or substrate into a first region and a second region. The first region can be in a path of air flow from the at least one inlet fan to the at least one of the at least one optical module. At least one of the at least one laser module can be located in the second region. At least one optical fiber can optically connect at least one optical module in the first region to at least one laser module in the second region.
[0057]The air baffle can define a cutout or an opening to allow the at least one optical fiber to extend from the first region to the second region through the cutout or opening.
[0058]The air baffle can enable a portion of the at least one optical fiber to be positioned away from a path of the air that flows across the surface of at least one of (i) the at least one optical module, or (ii) the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module, reduce an amount of obstruction of air flow, and improve heat dissipation from at least one of (i) the at least one optical module, or (ii) the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module.
[0059]The first circuit board or substrate can be positioned at a distance behind the front panel.
[0060]The system can include an optical cable assembly that comprises a first fiber connector, a second fiber connector, and a third fiber connector. The first fiber connector can be optically coupled to one of the at least one optical module, the second fiber connector can be optically coupled to one of the at least one laser module, and the third fiber connector can be optically coupled a fiber connector part at the front panel.
[0061]The system can include a sensor that detects an opening of the front panel, and a controller that in response to detecting the opening of the front panel, reduces or turns off power to the at least one laser module.
[0062]The system can include at least one data processor coupled to the first circuit board or substrate and configured to process electrical signals provided directly or indirectly by the at least one optical module, or provide electrical signals that are directly or indirectly processed by the at least one optical module. The at least one optical module can be coupled to a front side of the first circuit board or substrate, and the at least one data processor can be coupled to a rear side of the first circuit board or substrate. The at least one inlet fan can include a first inlet fan and a second inlet fan. The first inlet fan can be configured to blow incoming air towards the at least one optical module or the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module. The second inlet fan can be configured to blow incoming air toward the at least one data processor or the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one data processor.
[0063]The first circuit board or substrate can have a first surface that defines a length and a width of the first circuit board or substrate. The first circuit board or substrate can be positioned relative to the housing such that the first surface of the first circuit board or substrate is at an angle relative to the bottom panel of the housing, and the angle is in a range from 45° to 90°.
[0064]The system can include at least one data processor coupled to the first circuit board or substrate and configured to process electrical signals provided directly or indirectly by the at least one optical module, or provide electrical signals that are directly or indirectly processed by the at least one optical module. The at least one data processor can be immersed in a coolant, and the at least one inlet fan can be configured to increase an air flow across a surface of at least one of (i) the at least one optical module, or (ii) the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module.
[0065]The optical module can include a co-packaged optical module that comprises at least one photonic integrated circuit co-packaged with at least one electronic chip.
[0066]The system can include at least one data processor coupled to the first circuit board or substrate and configured to process electrical signals provided directly or indirectly by the at least one optical module, or provide electrical signals that are directly or indirectly processed by the at least one optical module.
[0067]The at least one data processor can include at least one million, ten million, one hundred million, one billion, or ten billion transistors.
[0068]The at least one data processor, the at least one optical module, and the at least one laser module can be configured to consume an average of at least 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, or 700 watts of electric power for at least ten minutes during operation.
[0069]The system can be configured to remove heat generated by the at least one data processor, the at least one optical module, and the at least one laser module so as to maintain a temperature of the at least one data processor and the at least one optical module to be not more than 160° F. when ambient temperature outside of the housing is in a range from 62° F. to 82° F.
[0070]The at least one data processor can include at least a network switch, a central processor unit, a graphics processor unit, a tensor processing unit, a neural network processor, an artificial intelligence accelerator, a digital signal processor, a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a data storage device.
[0071]The at least one data processor can be capable of processing data from the at least one optical module at a rate of at least 25, 50, 100, 200, or 400 gigabits per second.
[0072]The optical module can include a photonic integrated circuit that comprises at least one of a photodetector or an optical modulator. The optical module can include at least one of a transimpedance amplifier configured to amplify a current generated by the photodetector or a driver configured to drive the optical modulator.
[0073]The optical module can include a co-packaged optical module comprising at least one electrical integrated circuit comprising a serializers/deserializers module.
[0074]The first surface of the first circuit board or substrate can be at an angle relative to the bottom panel of the housing, and the angle is in a range from 80° to 90°, or from 85° to 90°.
[0075]In another general aspect, a system comprises a rackmount server having an n rack unit form factor, in which n is an integer in a range from 1 to 8. The rackmount server comprises a housing comprising a front panel, a rear panel, an upper panel, and a lower panel. The rackmount server includes a first circuit board or substrate that has a first surface that defines a length and a width of the first circuit board or substrate. The first circuit board or substrate is positioned relative to the housing such that the first surface of the first circuit board or substrate is at an angle relative to the bottom panel of the housing, and the angle is in a range from 45° to 90°. The first circuit board or substrate is spaced apart from the front panel at a distance that is less than one half the distance between the front panel and the rear panel, and the front panel and the first circuit board or substrate define a first space between the front panel and the first circuit board or substrate. The rackmount server includes at least one active component, in which at least a portion of the at least one active component is positioned in the first space between the front panel and the first circuit board or substrate. The at least one active component is configured to at least one of (i) process signals that originate from one or more sources external to the housing and are transmitted through one or more paths that pass through the front panel and received by the at least one active component, or (ii) process signals that are output from the at least one active component and transmitted through one or more paths that pass through the front panel to one or more destinations external to the housing. The portion of the at least one active component positioned in the first space is configured to generate heat while processing the signals. The rackmount server includes a first air duct configured to direct air from an inlet positioned at a front portion of the housing toward the at least one active component, in which the air duct has an upper wall and a lower wall. The rackmount server includes at least one inlet fan mounted in a vicinity of the front panel and configured to increase an air flow through the first air duct toward a surface of at least one of (i) the at least one active component, or (ii) a heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one active component. The rackmount server includes at least one laser module configured to provide optical power to the at least one active component, in which the at least one laser module is positioned at at least one of (i) between the upper wall of the first air duct and the upper panel of the housing, or (ii) between the lower wall of the first air duct and the lower panel of the housing.
[0076]Implementations can include one or more of the following features. The system can include a second air duct configured to direct air carrying heat from the at least one active component toward a rear portion of the housing.
[0077]The at least one active component can include at least one optical module, each optical module can be configured to perform at least one of (i) convert input optical signals to electrical signals, or (ii) convert electrical signals to output optical signals.
[0078]In another general aspect, a system comprises a server rack and a plurality of rackmount servers installed in the server rack. Each rackmount server has an n rack unit form factor, in which n is an integer in a range from 1 to 8. Each rackmount server includes a housing comprising a front panel, a rear panel, an upper panel, and a lower panel. The rackmount server includes a first circuit board or substrate that has a first surface that defines a length and a width of the first circuit board or substrate. The first circuit board or substrate is positioned relative to the housing such that the first surface of the first circuit board or substrate is at an angle relative to the bottom panel of the housing, and the angle is in a range from 45° to 90°. The rackmount server includes at least one optical module coupled to the first circuit board or substrate, in which at least a portion of the at least one optical module is positioned between the front panel and the first circuit board or substrate, in which each optical module is configured to perform at least one of (i) convert input optical signals to electrical signals, or (ii) convert electrical signals to output optical signals. The rackmount server includes at least one inlet fan mounted in a vicinity of the front panel and configured to increase an air flow across a surface of at least one of (i) the at least one optical module, or (ii) a heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module. The rackmount server includes at least one laser module configured to provide optical power to the at least one optical module.
[0079]In another general aspect, a system comprises a server rack and a plurality of rackmount servers installed in the server rack. Each rackmount server has an n rack unit form factor, wherein n is an integer in a range from 1 to 8. Each rackmount server comprises a housing comprising a front panel, a rear panel, an upper panel, and a lower panel. The rackmount server includes a first circuit board or substrate that has a first surface that defines a length and a width of the first circuit board or substrate. The first circuit board or substrate is positioned relative to the housing such that the first surface of the first circuit board or substrate is at an angle relative to the bottom panel of the housing, and the angle is in a range from 45° to 90°. The rackmount server includes at least one optical module coupled to the first circuit board or substrate, in which at least a portion of the at least one optical module is positioned between the front panel and the first circuit board or substrate. Each optical module is configured to perform at least one of (i) convert input optical signals to electrical signals, or (ii) convert electrical signals to output optical signals. The rackmount server includes at least one inlet fan mounted in a vicinity of the front panel and configured to increase an air flow across a surface of at least one of (i) the at least one optical module, or (ii) a heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module. The system includes at least one laser module configured to provide optical power to the at least one optical module in each rackmount server.
[0080]Implementations can include one or more of the following features. Each of at least some of the rackmount servers can include at least one laser module configured to provide optical power to the at least one optical module in the corresponding rackmount server.
[0081]The at least one laser module can be external to at least some of the rackmount servers.
[0082]Each of at least some of the rackmount servers can include at least one data processor coupled to the first circuit board or substrate and configured to process electrical signals provided directly or indirectly by the at least one optical module, or provide electrical signals that are directly or indirectly processed by the at least one optical module.
[0083]The at least one data processor can include at least a network switch, a central processor unit, a graphics processor unit, a tensor processing unit, a neural network processor, an artificial intelligence accelerator, a digital signal processor, a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a data storage device.
[0084]In another general aspect, a system comprises a server rack and a plurality of rackmount servers installed in the server rack. Each of the plurality of rackmount servers can include any rackmount servers described above.
[0085]In another general aspect, a data processing system comprises any system described above, in which the at least one data processor comprises one or more network switch integrated circuits or artificial intelligence processors that have an aggregate bandwidth of at least 25, 50, 100, 200, or 400 Tbps.
[0086]In another general aspect, a data center comprises a plurality of systems, in which each of the plurality of systems includes any system described above.
[0087]Implementations can include one or more of the following features. In the data center, at least a first group of the plurality of systems can communicate with a second group of the plurality of systems through optical fiber cables.
[0088]The data center can include an air conditioning system. The server racks can be arranged to form rows of server racks with aisles between the rows, some of the aisles are configured as hot aisles, and some of the aisles are configured as cold aisles. The air conditioning system can be configured to direct cold air toward the cold aisles and retrieve warm air from the hot aisles. At least some of the server racks can be oriented such that front portions of the rackmount servers face the cold aisles, and rear portions of the rackmount servers face the hot aisles.
[0089]In another general aspect, a method of using any system or data processing system described above.
[0090]In another general aspect, a method of operating any data center described above.
[0091]In another general aspect, a method comprises: providing a housing comprising a front panel, a rear panel, an upper panel, and a lower panel; positioning a first circuit board or substrate in the housing at a distance from the front panel; positioning at least a portion of at least one optical module in a space between the front panel and the first circuit board or substrate; and processing data using at least one data processor coupled to the first circuit board or substrate. The method includes using the at least one optical module to perform at least one of (i) converting input optical signals to electrical signals that are provided to the at least one data processor, or (ii) converting electrical signals received from the at least one data processor to output optical signals. The method includes blowing air, using at least one inlet fan mounted near the front panel, to increase an air flow across a surface of at least one of (i) the at least one data processor, (ii) a heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one data processor, (iii) the at least one optical module, or (iv) a heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module. The method includes providing optical power to the at least one optical module using at least one laser module.
[0092]Implementations can include one or more of the following features. The method can include positioning the at least one laser module between the at least one inlet fan and at least one of the upper panel or the lower panel.
[0093]The method can include orienting at least one of the at least one laser module such that an optical axis of the laser module is parallel to a front-to-rear direction.
[0094]The method can include orienting at least one of the at least one laser module is oriented such that an optical axis of the laser module is parallel to a surface of the front panel.
[0095]The method can include orienting at least one of the at least one laser module is oriented such that an optical axis of the laser module is at an angle θ relative to a front-to-rear direction, and 0<θ<90°.
[0096]The method can include positioning at least 5, 10, or 20 laser modules between the inlet fan and the upper panel.
[0097]The method can include positioning at least 5, 10, or 20 laser modules between the inlet fan and the lower panel.
[0098]The method can include placing each of at least some of the laser modules in at least one of a QSFP (quad small form factor pluggable) cage, a QSFP-DD (quad small form factor pluggable double density) cage, or a COBO (consortium for on-board optics) cage.
[0099]The method can include directing, using at least one air duct, warm air from the surface of at least one of (i) the at least one data processor, (ii) the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one data processor, (iii) the at least one optical module, or (iv) the heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module, toward a rear direction.
[0100]The method can include orienting at least one of the at least one laser module such that an optical axis of the laser module is parallel to
具体实施方式：
[0272]This document describes a novel system for high bandwidth data processing, including novel input/output interface modules for coupling bundles of optical fibers to data processing integrated circuits (e.g., network switches, central processing units, graphics processor units, tensor processing units, digital signal processors, and/or other application specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) that process the data transmitted through the optical fibers. In some implementations, the data processing integrated circuit is mounted on a circuit board (or substrate or a combination of circuit board(s) and substrate(s)) positioned near the input/output interface module through a relatively short electrical signal path on the circuit board (or substrate or a combination of circuit board(s) and substrate(s)). The input/output interface module includes a first connector that allows a user to conveniently connect or disconnect the input/output interface module to or from the circuit board (or substrate or a combination of circuit board(s) and substrate(s)). The input/output interface module can also include a second connector that allows the user to conveniently connect or disconnect the bundle of optical fibers to or from the input/output interface module. In some implementations, a rack mount system having a front panel is provided in which the circuit board (which supports the input/output interface modules and the data processing integrated circuits) (or substrate or a combination of circuit board(s) and substrate(s)) is vertically mounted in an orientation substantially parallel to, and positioned near, the front panel. In some examples, the circuit board (or substrate or a combination of circuit board(s) and substrate(s)) functions as the front panel or part of the front panel. The second connectors of the input/output interface modules face the front side of the rack mount system to allow the user to conveniently connect or disconnect bundles of optical fibers to or from the system.
[0273]In some implementations, a feature of the high bandwidth data processing system is that, by vertically mounting the circuit board that supports the input/output interface modules and the data processing integrated circuits to be near the front panel, or configuring the circuit board as the front panel or part of the front panel, the optical signals can be routed from the optical fibers through the input/output interface modules to the data processing integrated circuits through relatively short electrical signal paths. This allows the signals transmitted to the data processing integrated circuits to have a high bit rate (e.g., over 50 Gbps) while maintaining low crosstalk, distortion, and noise, hence reducing power consumption and footprint of the data processing system.
[0274]In some implementations, a feature of the high bandwidth data processing system is that the cost of maintenance and repair can be lower compared to traditional systems. For example, the input/output interface modules and the fiber optic cables are configured to be detachable, a defective input/output interface module can be replaced without taking apart the data processing system and without having to re-route any optical fiber. Another feature of the high bandwidth data processing system is that, because the user can easily connect or disconnect the bundles of the optical fibers to or from the input/output interface modules through the front panel of the rack mount system, the configurations for routing of high bit rate signals through the optical fibers to the various data processing integrated circuits is flexible and can easily be modified. For example, connecting a bundle of hundreds of strands of optical fibers to the optical connector of the rack mount system can be almost as simple as plugging a universal serial bus (USB) cable into a USB port. A further feature of the high bandwidth data processing system is that the input/output interface module can be made using relatively standard, low cost, and energy efficient components so that the initial hardware costs and subsequent operational costs of the input/output interface modules can be relatively low, compared to conventional systems.
[0275]In some implementations, optical interconnects can co-package and/or co-integrate optical transponders with electronic processing chips. It is useful to have transponder solutions that consume relatively low power and that are sufficiently robust against significant temperature variations as may be found within an electronic processing chip package. In some implementations, high speed and/or high bandwidth data processing systems can include massively spatially parallel optical interconnect solutions that multiplex information onto relatively few wavelengths and use a relatively large number of parallel spatial paths for chip-to-chip interconnection. For example, the relatively large number of parallel spatial paths can be arranged in two-dimensional arrays using connector structures such as those disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/816,171, filed on Mar. 11, 2020, published as US 2021/0286140, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
[0276]FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a communication system 100 that incorporates one or more novel features described in this document. In some implementations, the system 100 includes nodes 101_1 to 101_6 (collectively referenced as 101), which in some embodiments can each include one or more of: optical communication devices, electronic and/or optical switching devices, electronic and/or optical routing devices, network control devices, traffic control devices, synchronization devices, computing devices, and data storage devices. The nodes 101_1 to 101_6 can be suitably interconnected by optical fiber links 102_1 to 102_12 (collectively referenced as 102) establishing communication paths between the communication devices within the nodes. The optical fiber links 102 can include the fiber-optic cables described in U.S. Pat. No. 11,194,109, issued on Dec. 7, 2021, titled “Optical Fiber Cable and Raceway Therefor,” and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The system 100 can also include one or more optical power supply modules 103 producing one or more light outputs, each light output comprising one or more continuous-wave (CW) optical fields and/or one or more trains of optical pulses for use in one or more of the optical communication devices of the nodes 101_1 to 101_6. For illustration purposes, only one such optical power supply module 103 is shown in FIG. 1. A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that some embodiments can have more than one optical power supply module 103 appropriately distributed over the system 100 and that such multiple power supply modules can be synchronized, e.g., using some of the techniques disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 11,153,670, issued on Oct. 19, 2021, titled “Communication System Employing Optical Frame Templates,” incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
[0277]Some end-to-end communication paths can pass through an optical power supply module 103 (e.g., see the communication path between the nodes 101_2 and 101_6). For example, the communication path between the nodes 101_2 and 101_6 can be jointly established by the optical fiber links 102_7 and 102_8, whereby light from the optical power supply module 103 is multiplexed onto the optical fiber links 102_7 and 102_8.
[0278]Some end-to-end communication paths can pass through one or more optical multiplexing units 104 (e.g., see the communication path between the nodes 101_2 and 101_6). For example, the communication path between the nodes 101_2 and 101_6 can be jointly established by the optical fiber links 102_10 and 102_11. Multiplexing unit 104 is also connected, through the link 102_9, to receive light from the optical power supply module 103 and, as such, can be operated to multiplex said received light onto the optical fiber links 102_10 and 102_11.
[0279]Some end-to-end communication paths can pass through one or more optical switching units 105 (e.g., see the communication path between the nodes 101_1 and 101_4). For example, the communication path between the nodes 101_1 and 101_4 can be jointly established by the optical fiber links 102_3 and 102_12, whereby light from the optical fiber links 102_3 and 102_4 is either statically or dynamically directed to the optical fiber link 102_12.
[0280]As used herein, the term “network element” refers to any element that generates, modulates, processes, or receives light within the system 100 for the purpose of communication. Example network elements include the node 101, the optical power supply module 103, the optical multiplexing unit 104, and the optical switching unit 105.
[0281]Some light distribution paths can pass through one or more network elements. For example, optical power supply module 103 can supply light to the node 101_4 through the optical fiber links 102_7, 102_4, and 102_12, letting the light pass through the network elements 101_2 and 105.
[0282]Various elements of the communication system 100 can benefit from the use of optical interconnects, which can use photonic integrated circuits comprising optoelectronic devices, co-packaged and/or co-integrated with electronic chips comprising integrated circuits.
[0283]As used herein, the term “photonic integrated circuit” (or PIC) should be construed to cover planar lightwave circuits (PLCs), integrated optoelectronic devices, wafer-scale products on substrates, individual photonic chips and dies, and hybrid devices. A substrate can be made of, e.g., one or more ceramic materials, or organic “high density build-up” (HDBU). The ceramic materials can include, e.g., low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC). Example material systems that can be used for manufacturing various photonic integrated circuits can include but are not limited to III-V semiconductor materials, silicon photonics, silica-on-silicon products, silica-glass-based planar lightwave circuits, polymer integration platforms, lithium niobate and derivatives, nonlinear optical materials, etc. Both packaged devices (e.g., wired-up and/or encapsulated chips) and unpackaged devices (e.g., dies) can be referred to as planar lightwave circuits.
[0284]Photonic integrated circuits are used for various applications in telecommunications, instrumentation, and signal-processing fields. In some implementations, a photonic integrated circuit uses optical waveguides to implement and/or interconnect various circuit components, such as for example, optical switches, couplers, routers, splitters, multiplexers/demultiplexers, filters, modulators, phase shifters, lasers, amplifiers, wavelength converters, optical-to-electrical (O/E) and electrical-to-optical (E/O) signal converters, etc. For example, a waveguide in a photonic integrated circuit can be an on-chip solid light conductor that guides light due to an index-of-refraction contrast between the waveguide's core and cladding. A photonic integrated circuit can include a planar substrate onto which optoelectronic devices are grown by an additive manufacturing process and/or into which optoelectronic devices are etched by a subtractive manufacturing processes, e.g., using a multi-step sequence of photolithographic and chemical processing steps.
[0285]In some implementations, an “optoelectronic device” can operate on both light and electrical currents (or voltages) and can include one or more of: (i) an electrically driven light source, such as a laser diode; (ii) an optical amplifier; (iii) an optical-to-electrical converter, such as a photodiode; and (iv) an optoelectronic component that can control the propagation and/or certain properties (e.g., amplitude, phase, polarization) of light, such as an optical modulator or a switch. The corresponding optoelectronic circuit can additionally include one or more optical elements and/or one or more electronic components that enable the use of the circuit's optoelectronic devices in a manner consistent with the circuit's intended function. Some optoelectronic devices can be implemented using one or more photonic integrated circuits.
[0286]As used herein, the term “integrated circuit” (IC) should be construed to encompass both a non-packaged die and a packaged die. In a typical integrated circuit-fabrication process, dies (chips) are produced in relatively large batches using wafers of silicon or other suitable material(s). Electrical and optical circuits can be gradually created on a wafer using a multi-step sequence of photolithographic and chemical processing steps. Each wafer is then cut (“diced”) into many pieces (chips, dies), each containing a respective copy of the circuit that is being fabricated. Each individual die can be appropriately packaged prior to being incorporated into a larger circuit or be left non-packaged.
[0287]The term “hybrid circuit” can refer to a multi-component circuit constructed of multiple monolithic integrated circuits, and possibly some discrete circuit components, all attached to each other to be mountable on and electrically connectable to a common base, carrier, or substrate. A representative hybrid circuit can include (i) one or more packaged or non-packaged dies, with some or all of the dies including optical, optoelectronic, and/or semiconductor devices, and (ii) one or more optional discrete components, such as connectors, resistors, capacitors, and inductors. Electrical connections between the integrated circuits, dies, and discrete components can be formed, e.g., using patterned conducting (such as metal) layers, ball-grid arrays, solder bumps, wire bonds, etc. Electrical connections can also be removable, e.g., by using land-grid arrays and/or compression interposers. The individual integrated circuits can include any combination of one or more respective substrates, one or more redistribution layers (RDLs), one or more interposers, one or more laminate plates, etc.
[0288]In some embodiments, individual chips can be stacked. As used herein, the term “stack” refers to an orderly arrangement of packaged or non-packaged dies in which the main planes of the stacked dies are substantially parallel to each other. A stack can typically be mounted on a carrier in an orientation in which the main planes of the stacked dies are parallel to each other and/or to the main plane of the carrier.
[0289]A “main plane” of an object, such as a die, a photonic integrated circuit, a substrate, or an integrated circuit, is a plane parallel to a substantially planar surface thereof that has the largest sizes, e.g., length and width, among all exterior surfaces of the object. This substantially planar surface can be referred to as a main surface. The exterior surfaces of the object that have one relatively large size, e.g., length, and one relatively small size, e.g., height, are typically referred to as the edges of the object.
[0290]FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of a data processing system 200 that includes an integrated optical communication device 210 (also referred to as an optical interconnect module), a fiber-optic connector assembly 220, a package substrate 230, and an electronic processor integrated circuit 240. The data processing system 200 can be used to implement, e.g., one or more of devices 101_1 to 101_6 of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 shows an enlarged cross-sectional diagram of the integrated optical communication device 210.
[0291]Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the integrated optical communication device 210 includes a substrate 211 having a first main surface 211_1 and a second main surface 211_2. The main surfaces 211_1 and 211_2, respectively, include arrays of electrical contacts 212_1 and 212_2. In some embodiments, the minimum spacing d1 between any two contacts within the array of contacts 212_1 is larger than the minimum spacing d2 between any two contacts within the array of contacts 212_2. In some embodiments the minimum spacing between any two contacts within the array of contacts 212_2 is between 40 and 200 micrometers. In some embodiments, the minimum spacing between any two contacts within the array of contacts 212_1 is between 200 micrometers and 1 millimeter. At least some of the contacts 212_1 are electrically connected through the substrate 211 with at least some of the contacts 212_2. In some embodiments, the contacts 212_1 can be permanently attached to a corresponding array of electrical contacts 232_1 on the package substrate 230. In some embodiments, the contacts 212_1 can include mechanisms to allow the device 210 to be removably connected to the package substrate 230, as indicated by a double arrow 233. For example, the system can include mechanical mechanisms (e.g., one or more snap-on or screw-on mechanisms) to hold the various modules in place. In some embodiments, the contacts 212_1, 212_2, and/or 232_1 can include one or more of solder balls, metal pillars, and/or metal pads, etc. In some embodiments, the contacts 212_1, and/or 232_1 can include one or more of spring-loaded elements, compression interposers, and/or land-grid arrays.
[0292]In some embodiments, the integrated optical communication device 210 can be connected to the electronic processor integrated circuit 240 using traces 231 embedded in one or more layers of the package substrate 230. In some embodiments, the processor integrated circuit 240 can include monolithically embedded therein an array of serializers/deserializers (SerDes) 247 electrically coupled to the traces 231. In some embodiments, the processor integrated circuit 240 can include electronic switching circuitry, electronic routing circuitry, network control circuitry, traffic control circuitry, computing circuitry, synchronization circuitry, time stamping circuitry, and data storage circuitry. In some implementations, the processor integrated circuit 240 can be a network switch, a central processing unit, a graphics processor unit, a tensor processing unit, a digital signal processor, or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).
[0293]Because the electronic processor integrated circuit 240 and the integrated communication device 210 are both mounted on the package substrate 230, the electrical connectors or traces 231 can be made shorter, as compared to mounting the electronic processor integrated circuit 240 and the integrated communication device 210 on separate circuit boards. Shorter electrical connectors or traces 231 can transmit signals that have a higher data rate with lower noise, lower distortion, and/or lower crosstalk.
[0294]In some implementations, the electrical connectors or traces can be configured as differential pairs of transmission lines, e.g., in a ground-signal-ground-signal-ground configuration. In some examples, the speed of such signal links can be 10 Gbps or more; 56 Gbps or more; 112 Gbps or more; or 224 Gbps or more.
[0295]In some implementations, the integrated optical communication device 210 further includes a first optical connector part 213 having a first surface 213_1 and a second surface 213_2. The connector part 213 is configured to receive a second optical connector part 223 of the fiber-optic connector assembly 220, optically coupled to the connector part 213 through the surfaces 213_1 and 213_2. In some embodiments the connector part 213 can be removably attached to the connector part 223, as indicated by a double-arrow 234, e.g., through a hole 235 in the package substrate 230. In some embodiments the connector part 213 can be permanently attached to the connector part 223. In some embodiments, the connector parts 213 and 223 can be implemented as a single connector element combining the functions of both the connector parts 213 and 223.
[0296]In some implementations, the optical connector part 223 is attached to an array of optical fibers 226. In some embodiments, the array of optical fibers 226 can include one or more of: single-mode optical fiber, multi-mode optical fiber, multi-core optical fiber, polarization-maintaining optical fiber, dispersion-compensating optical fiber, hollow-core optical fiber, or photonic crystal fiber. In some embodiments, the array of optical fibers 226 can be a linear (1D) array. In some other embodiments, the array of optical fibers 226 can be a two-dimensional (2D) array. For example, the array of optical fibers 226 can include 2 or more optical fibers, 4 or more optical fibers, 10 or more optical fibers, 100 or more optical fibers, 500 or more optical fibers, or 1000 or more optical fibers. Each optical fiber can include, e.g., 2 or more cores, or 10 or more cores, in which each core provides a distinct light path. Each light path can include a multiplex of, e.g., 2 or more, 4 or more, 8 or more, or 16 or more serial optical signals, e.g., by use of wavelength division multiplexing channels, polarization-multiplexed channels, coherent quadrature-multiplexed channels. The connector parts 213 and 223 are configured to establish light paths through the first main surface 211_1 of the substrate 211. For example, the array of optical fibers 226 can includes n1 optical fibers, each optical fiber can include n2 cores, and the connector parts 213 and 223 can establish n1×n2 light paths through the first main surface 211_1 of the substrate 211. Each light path can include a multiplex of n3 serial optical signals, resulting in a total of n1×n2×n3 serial optical signals passing through the connector parts 213 and 223. In some embodiments, the connector parts 213 and 223 can be implemented, e.g., as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/816,171.
[0297]In some implementations, the integrated optical communication device 210 further includes a photonic integrated circuit 214 having a first main surface 214_1 and a second main surface 214_2. The photonic integrated circuit 214 is optically coupled to the connector part 213 through its first main surface 214_1, e.g., as disclosed in in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/816,171. For example, the connector part 213 can be configured to optically couple light to the photonic integrated circuit 214 using optical coupling interfaces, e.g., vertical grating couplers or turning mirrors. In the example above, a total of n1×n2×n3 serial optical signals can be coupled through the connector parts 213 and 223 to the photonic integrated circuit 214. Each serial optical signal is converted to a serial electrical signal by the photonic integrated circuit 214, and each serial electrical signal is transmitted from the photonic integrated circuit 214 to a deserializer unit, or a serializer/deserializer unit, described below.
[0298]In some embodiments, the connector part 213 can be mechanically connected (e.g., glued) to the photonic integrated circuit 214. The photonic integrated circuit 214 can contain active and/or passive optical and/or opto-electronic components including optical modulators, optical detectors, optical phase shifters, optical power splitters, optical wavelength splitters, optical polarization splitters, optical filters, optical waveguides, or lasers. In some embodiments, the photonic integrated circuit 214 can further include monolithically integrated active or passive electronic elements such as resistors, capacitors, inductors, heaters, or transistors.
[0299]In some implementations, the integrated optical communication device 210 further includes an electronic communication integrated circuit 215 configured to facilitate communication between the array of optical fibers 226 and the electronic processor integrated circuit 240. A first main surface 215_1 of the electronic communication integrated circuit 215 is electrically coupled to the second main surface 214_2 of the photonic integrated circuit 214, e.g., through solder bumps, copper pillars, etc. The first main surface 215_1 of the electronic communication integrated circuit 215 is further electrically connected to the second main surface 211_2 of the substrate 211 through the array of electrical contacts 212_2. In some embodiments, the electronic communication integrated circuit 215 can include electrical pre-amplifiers and/or electrical driver amplifiers electrically coupled, respectively, to photodetectors and modulators within the photonic integrated circuit 214 (see also FIG. 14). In some embodiments, the electronic communication integrated circuit 215 can include a first array of serializers/deserializers (SerDes) 216 (also referred to as a serializers/deserializers module) whose serial inputs/outputs are electrically connected to the photodetectors and the modulators of the photonic integrated circuit 214 and a second array of serializers/deserializers 217, whose serial inputs/outputs are electrically coupled to the contacts 212_1 through the substrate 211. Parallel inputs of the array of serializers/deserializers 216 can be connected to parallel outputs of the array of serializers/deserializers 217 and vice versa through a bus processing unit 218, which can be, e.g., a parallel bus of electrical lanes, a cross-connect device, or a re-mapping device (gearbox). For example, the bus processing unit 218 can be configured to enable switching of the signals, allowing the routing of signals to be re-mapped. For example, N×50 Gbps electrical lanes can be remapped into N/2×100 Gbps electrical lanes, N being a positive even integer. An example of a bus processing unit 218 is shown in FIG. 40A.
[0300]For example, the electronic communication integrated circuit 215 includes a first serializers/deserializers module that includes multiple serializer units and multiple deserializer units, and a second serializers/deserializers module that includes multiple serializer units and multiple deserializer units. The first serializers/deserializers module includes the first array of serializers/deserializers 216. The second serializers/deserializers module includes the second array of serializers/deserializers 217.
[0301]In some implementations, the first and second serializers/deserializers modules have hardwired functional units so that which units function as serializers and which units function as deserializers are fixed. In some implementations, the functional units can be configurable. For example, the first serializers/deserializers module is capable of operating as serializer units upon receipt of a first control signal, and operating as deserializer units upon receipt of a second control signal. Likewise, the second serializers/deserializers module is capable of operating as serializer units upon receipt of a first control signal, and operating as deserializer units upon receipt of a second control signal.
[0302]Signals can be transmitted between the optical fibers 226 and the electronic processor integrated circuit 240. For example, signals can be transmitted from the optical fibers 226 to the photonic integrated circuit 214, to the first array of serializers/deserializers 216, to the second array of serializers/deserializers 217, and to the electronic processor integrated circuit 240. Similarly, signals can be transmitted from the electronic processor integrated circuit 240 to the second array of serializers/deserializers 217, to the first array of serializers/deserializers 216, to the photonic integrated circuit 214, and to the optical fibers 226.
[0303]In some implementations, the electronic communication integrated circuit 215 is implemented as a first integrated circuit and a second integrated circuit that are electrically coupled each other. For example, the first integrated circuit includes the array of serializers/deserializers 216, and the second integrated circuit includes the array of serializers/deserializers 217.
[0304]In some implementations, the integrated optical communication device 210 is configured to receive optical signals from the array of optical fibers 226, generate electrical signals based on the optical signals, and transmit the electrical signals to the electronic processor integrated circuit 240 for processing. In some examples, the signals can also flow from the electronic processor integrated circuit 240 to the integrated optical communication device 210. For example, the electronic processor integrated circuit 240 can transmit electronic signals to the integrated optical communication device 210, which generates optical signals based on the received electronic signals, and transmits the optical signals to the array of optical fibers 226.
[0305]In some implementations, the photodetectors of the photonic integrated circuit 214 convert the optical signals transmitted in the optical fibers 226 to electrical signals. In some examples, the photonic integrated circuit 214 can include transimpedance amplifiers for amplifying the currents generated by the photodetectors, and drivers for driving output circuits (e.g., driving optical modulators). In some examples, the transimpedance amplifiers and drivers are integrated with the electronic communication integrated circuit 215. For example, the optical signal in each optical fiber 226 can be converted to one or more serial electrical signals. For example, one optical fiber can carry multiple signals by use of wavelength division multiplexing. The optical signals (and the serial electrical signals) can have a high data rate, such as 50 Gbps, 100 Gbps, or more. The first serializers/deserializers module 216 converts the serial electrical signals to sets of parallel electrical signals. For example, each serial electrical signal can be converted to a set of N parallel electrical signals, in which N can be, e.g., 2, 4, 8, 16, or more. The first serializers/deserializers module 216 conditions the serial electrical signals upon conversion into sets of parallel electrical signals, in which the signal conditioning can include, e.g., one or more of clock and data recovery, and signal equalization. The first serializers/deserializers module 216 sends the sets of parallel electrical signals to the second serializers/deserializers module 217 through the bus processing unit 218. The second serializers/deserializers module 217 converts the sets of parallel electrical signals to high speed serial electrical signals that are output to the electrical contacts 212_2 and 212_1.
[0306]The serializers/deserializers module (e.g., 216, 217) can perform functions such as fixed or adaptive signal pre-distortion on the serialized signal. Also, the parallel-to-serial mapping can use a serialization factor M different from N, e.g., 50 Gbps at the input to the first serializers/deserializers module 216 can become 50×1 Gbps on a parallel bus, and two such parallel buses from two serializers/deserializers modules 216 having a total of 100×1 Gbps can then be mapped to a single 100 Gbps serial signal by the serializers/deserializers module 217. An example of the bus processing unit 218 for performing such mapping is shown in FIG. 40B. Also, the high-speed modulation on the serial side can be different, e.g., the serializers/deserializers module 216 can use 50 Gbps Non-Return-to-Zero (NRZ) modulation whereas the serializers/deserializers module 217 can use 100 Gbps Pulse-Amplitude Modulation 4-Level (PAM4) modulation. In some implementations, coding (line coding or error-correction coding) can be performed at the bus processing unit 218. The first and second serializers/deserializers modules 216 and 217 can be commercially available high quality, low power serializers/deserializers that can be purchased in bulk at a low cost.
[0307]In some implementations, the package substrate 230 can include connectors on the bottom side that connects the package substrate 230 to another circuit board, such as a motherboard. The connection can use, e.g., fixed (e.g., by use of solder connection) or removable (e.g., by use of one or more snap-on or screw-on mechanisms). In some examples, another substrate can be provided between the electronic processor integrated circuit 240 and the package substrate 230.
[0308]Referring to FIG. 4, in some implementations, a data processing system 250 includes an integrated optical communication device 252 (also referred to as an optical interconnect module), a fiber-optic connector assembly 220, a package substrate 230, and an electronic processor integrated circuit 240. The data processing system 250 can be used, e.g., to implement one or more of devices 101_1 to 101_6 of FIG. 1. The integrated optical communication device 252 is configured to receive optical signals, generate electrical signals based on the optical signals, and transmit the electrical si