Intel’s Light Peak Will Replace Copper Wires
Vice President, Dadi Perlmutter, Intel’s Mobility Group, hopes to send an optical cable, called Pico de la Luz in 2010. Light first peak is introduced in the market as being capable of transferring data at 10 gigabits per second. Future versions will be capable of transferring data at 40 and 100 gigabits per second as the manufacturing process becomes cheaper.
A single peak light cable will be able to carry multiple types of data simultaneously, such as transfer of data to a hard drive, Internet access and video transfer.
Each end of the cable will be connected to Pico Light chips containing light output devices, data encoding and transmitting data. The chips also extend the data and convert light into electrical signals.
The researchers hope that silicon photonics eventually replace copper wires on motherboards and microprocessors, connectors making high bandwidth cheaper.
The first generation of electric cables Peak will use the same type of chips used in optical telecommunication devices today. Intel may reduce the cost of these chips, because the manufacturing standards are less strict.
The lasers and detectors inside chips are not required to be high performance. The chips do not need to transmit data over long distances to the provisions of the telecommunications industry.
Intel is working with other companies to form partnerships. Sony is supportive of Light Technology Intel peak, with more upcoming.
Additional information can be found at Intel’s Tech Research
Via: Technology Review
Tags: cable, chips, data, gigabits per second, intel, peak, transfer data
