TE Connectivity empowering AI evolution

TE is helping to empower the AI and machine learning (ML) evolution through a robust portfolio of interconnected solutions engineered for high speed and power efficiency in data centre architectures.

Developing efficient, next generation AI/ML infrastructures requires interconnected clustering and networking systems with high-performance/low-latency compute and memory capabilities and improved power and cooling distribution. TE’s product displays and partnerships at the OCP Global Summit will demonstrate how TE is driving the future of artificial intelligence and machine learning, providing cutting-edge solutions to meet today’s processing needs and anticipate tomorrow’s forward-thinking designs.

“The advent of the AI/ML era is driving a major revolution in scale, complexity, and time-to-market of compute architectures at both the data centre and at the edge. Interconnect solutions are now more critical than ever in providing low latency GPU-to-GPU clustering and connectivity; memory pooling and disaggregation; and efficient thermal management,” said Ganesh Srinivasan, vice president of product management, marketing, and business development, TE’s Data and Devices business unit. “Our latest innovations around cabled backplane, PCIe connectivity, and liquid/immersion cooled busbars are enabling our customers to build the next generation of AI systems.”

In the TE booth, the company will showcase innovative power and cooling distribution solutions for data centres with its data centre rack, featuring smart busbar connector technology, designed to predict and correct temperature-related failures within the server rack and highlighting new products (MULTI-BEAM Plus, ELCON Mini, RAPID LOCK, and MCRPS connectivity products) that address next generation system architectures’ demand for higher power distribution solutions to improve cost effectiveness, safety, high/low volume production, and reliability. Also on display, TE’s 112G and 224G portfolio solutions provide high-speed communication and networking strength. Highlighting the AdrenaLINE 224G family of products, including AdrenaLINE Catapult and AdrenaLINE Slingshot connectors, TE will demonstrate how AI and ML

architectures are using cabled backplane for high-speed and high-bandwidth connections between accelerator chips. In addition, TE will showcase its 112G STRADA Whisper cabled backplane, which supports architecture in giant-scale AI and high-performance computing (HPC) applications. This cartridge supports the industry’s first CPU + GPU superchip design and is the leading reference design for AI/ML applications.

In addition to faster, cooler connections, next generation system architectures demand cost and performance optimisations and improved efficiency. In the OCP Global Summit Experience Centre, TE will demonstrate how applications like CXL switching, disaggregated memory modules, and PCIe retimer cards enabled by CDFP connectors and cables, are enabling the use of pooled resources like compute, memory, hardware acceleration and storage. TE’s cabled receptacle solutions support the growing need for channel margin and overall channel flexibility, by helping to reduce the number of system SKUs for the end user and by helping to simplify design choices through TE’s portfolio of mechanically robust interfaces.

Alongside our robust portfolio of solutions, and in accordance with this year’s global summit theme of “Scaling Innovation Through Collaboration,” TE has aligned with several industry-leading ecosystem partners to bring new innovative solutions to market. In the Submer booth (C9), TE’s busbars help build a more efficient and flexible rack-level infrastructure for data centres using immersion cooling technology. Boasting several advancements and cutting-edge features, Submer’s SmartPod OCP ORv3 is a collaborative integrated solution featuring IT hardware density of up to 100 kW per tank. “TE Connectivity played a pivotal role in the development of Submer’s SmartPod OCP ORv3, contributing their expertise in designing efficient busbars for power distribution. Their input into this complete immersive solution is a perfect example of the advantages of the dynamic community that is the OCP and sets the essential standards for the shift from conventional air-cooled data centres to immersion cooling solutions,” said Oriol Chavanel, OCP lead at Submer.

TE has partnered with Cooler Master to provide a liquid cooled power busbar assembly. As rack level power requirements continue to increase, power busbar capacities need to follow suit. “It is very exciting to be working with TE on the liquid cooled power busbar solution for our customers. Cooler Master and TE Connectivity partnered and collaborated well together to enable a next gen power busbar solution that is reliable, durable, and enables higher current capabilities, while maintaining lower temperatures. Liquid cooling is absolutely essential to meeting the growing power requirements of the next generation data centre powered by AI technology,” said Jason Hsieh, business development manager, Cooler Master.

And in the Experience Centre, TE will demonstrate a CDFP 4m+ passive copper cable running at 64GT/s (PCIe Gen 6) driven by Marvell’s PCIe Gen 6 SerDes. “TE Connectivity and Marvell have a strong collaboration in place to provide the industry’s most innovative and cutting-edge data centre connectivity solutions to our cloud and enterprise customers,” said Venu Balasubramonian, vice president, product marketing, Connectivity BU at Marvell. “Along with our joint demonstration at OCP, TE and Marvell have released a whitepaper, “Disaggregated and Composable Solutions for Data Centres,” which addresses how the benefits of CDFP and external PCIe technologies.”

TE will also have industry experts on hand to deliver presentations throughout this year’s global summit. Chris Blackburn, principal technologist system architecture and Brian Costello, system architect, will present “Disaggregated & Composable Architectures: The Importance of Extended PCIe Cabling” Oct. 18. As part of this year’s full-day CXL Forum Oct. 19, Blackburn will discuss development activity in the CXL ecosystem through his presentation “Card Edge Interconnects – Understanding Device and Riser Card Connectivity Tradeoffs.”