Credo starts open standard for parallel optical AI interconnects

Credo Technology Group launched the Short-Reach Micro-Emitter Optics workstream within the Open Compute Project on October 14. The group aims to establish interoperable specifications for optical links that use many tiny light emitters in parallel to move data between components of large AI systems.

The proposed standard will address optical link power, signaling, bandwidth density, form factors, connectors and compliance. Credo says parallel arrays of micro-VCSELs or micro-LEDs could improve reliability and energy efficiency compared with designs that push a small number of channels to very high speeds. Partners include ams OSRAM, SENKO and several component suppliers.

This is photonic data movement, not optical arithmetic. As AI accelerators scale, interconnect power and bandwidth can constrain useful computing performance just as much as the processor itself.