Light Peak未出，Intel推更快的HSL技术

stupid · 发表于 2010-7-29 06:58

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前阵子Intel大力推展 LightPeak技术，就在大家逐渐看好其一统分歧传输接口的同时，Intel今日（7/28）却发表混合硅晶雷射（Hybrid Silicon Laser）技术，这是全球首款以硅组件为基础的光数据联机技术，传速上看50Gbs，Intel确切表示，两者虽然同是Intel大一统传输端口策略下的组件，但绝对是不同的计划，两者的目标市场与实现时间点截然不同。

事实上，过往铜导线已经到达了传输负载的极限--10Gbs，且随距离加长讯号随之递减，布建一直限制重重。随之而起的光纤虽然拥有高副载量、运送多重讯号与轻量易管理等优点，但是成本过于高昂。Intel实验室在雷射与硅领域皆有50年以上的发展历史，HSL技术结合了两者的优点，具备低成本、高弹性、高带宽、长距离的优点，更重要的是，激光技术不会受到电气讯号的干扰。

本次发表的样品，拥有发送器与接收器两个端点。发送器芯片可将四条激光束送入光学调变器编码作为光讯号，输出的速率可达50Gbs。另一端的接收芯片则将光侦测器所接收的光束转为电子讯号。采用此技术，一秒钟就可以传完一整部蓝光影片。就应用面而言，大型企业可以将原本的多条传输线路改成一条光纤，突破既有的效能瓶颈。

针对Light peak未出，就发表更快的传输技术，是否有让Intel未跑先输的隐喻？Intel表示，HSL和Light Peak虽然都隶属于Intel在传输埠的策略，但绝对是不同的计划。Light peak是近期内就会推出的应用，得以于Intel 的用户平台执行10Gbs的联机技术；而HSL的研究计划重点则是在于利用硅的整合大幅降低成本，达到TB等级的数据传输率，未来比较有机会应用于设有服务器主机群或数据中心的企业。而最现实的，两者最大的不同在于，市场传闻Light Peak年底就会有芯片问世，但关于HSL，INTEL表示，目前仅是平台样品，尚无任何量产面市的计划。

Intel Announces Laser Signaling Breakthrough
Electronic signaling using copper is officially old-and-busted—or at least Intel thinks it will be soon. The company announced today that it has constructed a silicon-based optical connection with an integrated laser that's capable of moving data at 50Gbps. The term "integrated laser" refers to the fact that the optical data connection is integrated into a microchip and interfaces with that component's circuitry.

According to Intel, its Hybrid Silicon Laser technology has multiple advantages over traditional wires. In addition to the increased bandwidth, optical signals degrade much more slowly than their electrical counterparts. As such, cables can be considerably longer and thinner and individual system components could be isolated and cooled more efficiently. It could also help alleviate server room crowding for much the same reason—non-critical components could be housed further away while the room was reserved for equipment that required its ventilation and cooling capabilities.

Like peanut butter and chocolate--two great flavors in one

"This achievement of the world’s first 50Gbps silicon photonics link with integrated hybrid silicon lasers marks a significant achievement in our long term vision of ‘siliconizing’ photonics and bringing high bandwidth, low cost optical communications in and around future PCs, servers, and consumer devices," Justin Rattner, Intel's Chief Technology Officer and the director of Intel Labs said. This 50GB link is a "concept vehicle" that allows Intel to continue testing new transmission technologies while demonstrating and researching real-world applications. Long term, Intel thinks it might be able to scale its HSL up to terrabit levels, though such performance is years away.

Intel describes the relationship between HSL and Light Peak is as follows:

This research is separate from Intel’s Light Peak technology, though both are components of Intel’s overall I/O strategy. Light Peak is an effort to bring a multi-protocol 10Gbps optical connection to Intel client platforms for nearer-term applications. Silicon Photonics research aims to use silicon integration to bring dramatic cost reductions, reach tera-scale data rates, and bring optical communications to an even broader set of high-volume applications. Today’s achievement brings Intel a significant step closer to that goal.