Semtech Corporation, a provider of high-performance semiconductor, Internet of Things (IoT) systems and cloud connectivity service solutions, has announced the sampling of critical physical medium dependent (PMD) building blocks that establish new performance standards for 1.6T multimode optical infrastructure in AI data centres. The FiberEdge GN1878 200G per channel vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) driver and GN1836 200G per channel 250μm pitch transimpedance amplifier (TIA) provide hyperscalers with the chipsets required to architect power-efficient 1.6T optical interconnect solutions for short-reach applications within AI training clusters.
As AI training clusters scale to support larger language models, data centre operators are exploring diverse architectural approaches to optimise both performance and power efficiency. The industry transition to 200G per channel technology, with volume manufacturing expected to begin in 2026, is creating new opportunities for power-efficient multimode implementations that offer compelling advantages for short-reach distances within data centres.
“The transition to 1.6T transceivers will drive market growth in 2026 and for the rest of this decade,” said Vladimir Kozlov, the chief executive officer and chief analyst at LightCounting. “We expect multimode solutions to capture an increasing share of short-reach applications where power efficiency and cost optimisation are critical for hyperscale operators scaling their AI infrastructure.”
“We are pleased to collaborate with Semtech on advancing 1.6T multimode innovation. Semtech’s GN1878 driver and GN1836 TIA work seamlessly with Broadcom’s 200G VCSEL and photodetector technology to enable complete 1.6T SR8 optical solutions,” said Manish Mehta, the vice president of marketing and operations for the Optical Systems Division at Broadcom. “Together, these components deliver the performance and reliability that hyperscale data centres require for next-generation AI infrastructure.”
“The 1.6T market inflection presents opportunities for diverse architectural approaches and multimode technology will play an increasingly important role alongside single-mode solutions,” said Amit Thakar, the vice president of signal integrity product marketing at Semtech. “Our established PMD solutions help customers lead this architectural evolution with maximum flexibility.”
Purpose-built PMD solutions for AI infrastructure performance
Semtech’s 200G per channel PMD solutions address the critical performance requirements driving 1.6T multimode deployments in AI data centres. As hyperscale data centres evolve to support demanding AI/ML workloads, multimode optics offers a pathway to high performance with lower cost per bit—critical for optimising AI training cluster economics.
These multimode PMD solutions complement Semtech’s comprehensive optical networking portfolio, including the DirectEdge Linear Pluggable Optics solutions announced at CIOE 2025, providing customers complete architectural flexibility across diverse data centre implementations.
Strategic advantages of Semtech’s 1.6T Multimode PMD portfolio:
- Power efficiency leadership: Enables lower power per bit consumption for short-reach applications
- 200G per channel readiness: Signal integrity for 1.6T aggregate bandwidth
- Integrated design optimisation: Purpose-built components engineered to work together
- Two decades of TIA expertise: Delivering superior bit error rate margins across multimode and single-mode applications with demonstrated reliability
- Manufacturing heritage: Trusted by hyperscale operators for mission-critical AI deployments
- Customer-driven adoption: Module manufacturers specifically request Semtech TIA components based on field-tested performance advantages
Complete signal integrity portfolio for next-generation data centres
Semtech’s investment in 200G per channel multimode technology positions customers at the forefront of this architectural evolution. The GN1878 and GN1836 represent the latest additions to Semtech’s comprehensive FiberEdge portfolio, building on decades of established performance in hyperscale environments where reliability and performance are non-negotiable.
Now available for sampling:
- GN1878: 200G VCSEL Driver, optimised for multimode applications
- GN1836: 200G TIA, 250μm pitch for high-density integration
This comprehensive multimode PMD approach reinforces Semtech’s position as the trusted choice for customers standardising on integrated optical solutions that address the complex performance, power and reliability requirements of AI infrastructure.
Semtech will showcase these breakthrough solutions at ECOC 2025, Europe’s premier optical communications conference in Booth #C3.129, taking place September 28 – October 2, 2025 in Copenhagen, Denmark at the Bella Centre.
Learn more about Semtech’s high-performance optical, analogue and mixed-signal IC signal integrity solutions at www.semtech.com/optical.
Comment on this article via X: @IoTNow_ and visit our homepage IoT Now
