Tokyo-based THine Electronics, Inc. has announced the development of an optical DSP-free chipset aimed at improving short-reach optical interconnections in next-generation scale-up AI networks. The company says the solution is optimized for what it describes as “slow and wide” interconnections, a design approach increasingly relevant as AI servers scale in size and complexity.
The newly announced chipset is built around THine’s proprietary ZERO EYE SKEW® technology and targets PCI Express 6 and 7 (PCIe6/7) environments, supporting up to 2TB/s linear pluggable optics (LPO) or co-packaged optics (CPO). By eliminating the need for an optical digital signal processor (DSP), the solution claims to reduce power consumption by up to 73 percent while lowering latency by approximately 90 percent, compared to conventional DSP-based optical links.
According to THine, the absence of optical DSPs also enables higher interconnect density and a more cost-effective architecture, addressing key challenges faced by hyperscale data centers and AI infrastructure providers. Modern AI servers are increasingly being designed with hundreds of GPUs and large memory pools, placing significant demands on interconnect bandwidth, latency, and power efficiency.
As part of the chipset portfolio, THine plans to deliver samples of vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) drivers and transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs) for PCIe6 in 2026, followed by PCIe7 samples in 2027. The VCSEL drivers and TIAs have been developed with support from a grant program by Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT).
In addition, THine has introduced a companion “Sideband Aggregator” integrated circuit, designated THCS255. The device addresses the growing number of general-purpose input/output (GPIO) sideband signals used in PCIe6/7 optical interconnects, enabling these lines to be reduced by half or more through high-speed serial aggregation.
THine will showcase its DSP-free optical interconnect solutions at the 2026 Optical Fiber Communications Conference and Exhibition (OFC 2026), scheduled to be held from March 17 to 19 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Commenting on the announcement, Yasuhiro Takada, Chief Strategy Officer of THine Electronics, said the company sees strong demand for lower-latency and power-efficient optical interconnections as AI adoption accelerates globally. He added that THine plans to expand collaboration with hyperscalers, system vendors, and ecosystem partners to advance “slow and wide” optical interconnection technologies for large-scale AI systems.
