Intel reveals 10Gbps optical wundercable

Robert Hallock (Thrax)

September 24, 2009 3:32 PM ET in News, ,

A Light Peak optical module; each cable is 10Gbps.

A Light Peak optical module; each cable is 10Gbps.

Intel has revealed that it is developing a high-speed optical cable technology designed to carry HD video,  audio and data on a single cable.

The technology is dubbed “Light Peak,” and Intel is designing it to connect a wide array of consumer electronic devices.

Intel EVP of the Intel Architecture Group Dadi Perlmutter was on hand at this week’s IDF to demonstrate the technology. The motivation for developing a new cable, he said, was primarily to end the growing clutter of incompatible cables and connectors. From a technical perspective, fiber optic connectors would end the battle with EMI–a battle which only worsens as cables are tasked with carrying more data.

The basic system uses a controller chip and optical module which work in concert to convert data from electrical impulses to light and back. Perlmutter expressed that this technology could feasibly scale to 100Gbps over the next ten years.

Another advantage of Light Peak is owed directly to the nature of fiber optics, says Intel. By changing the wavelength of the light for each type of data being transmitted, a single cable is capable of carrying multiple protocols. For example, this would allow a Blu-ray player equipped with Light Peak to transmit video, audio and Ethernet without separate HDMI and Ethernet cables.

While details remain relatively scarce, the firm said it is working with vendors to comply with existing I/O standards. Intel intends to launch Light Peak components in 2010.

10 Comments:

  1. Winfrey
    24 Sep '09, 9:47 pm

    Any way you can cut down on the clutter and add performance is a win/win in my book. The relief of going to SATA after IDE cables was very apparent.

  2. Buddy J
    24 Sep '09, 10:07 pm

    Looks cool. I'm all for smaller, better cable.

  3. lordbean
    24 Sep '09, 10:24 pm

    Multiple standards through a single cable is a huge win. Devices that require multiple wires to/from the same units are probably going to see enormous benefits from this technology once it becomes widespread.

  4. Snarkasm
    24 Sep '09, 11:04 pm

    Ironically, this is what they're trying to do with HDMI, too. The new HDMI spec calls for ethernet within the pinout, doesn't it?

  5. Thrax
    24 Sep '09, 11:14 pm

    It does, yes.

    But HDMI won't be able to connect anything but TVs and players. Light Peak is intended to serve as a replacement for anything someone decides to implement it with... Hard drives, DVD players, TVs, receivers, cameras, webcams, docks... Anything that requires data of any kind can use Light Peak if a manufacturer decides to use it.

  6. Komete
    25 Sep '09, 12:47 am

    Woa, me likey. Who says intel is good for nothing. I remember when USB and Firewire came out. Firewire was superior but there was less royalties with USB. Stingy apple. I hope this will be cheap to implement.

  7. photodude
    4 Dec '09, 2:04 am

    Heard Intel wont support USB3 until 2011.....I think this says intel doesn't care about USB3 and will be pushing 'Light Peak'

    If Intel can license and manufacture Light Peak at a low enough cost, Lightpeak will dominate the market just like USB2 has.

  8. Thrax
    4 Dec '09, 2:09 am

    I doubt that Intel is pursuing Light Peak in favor of USB 3.0. There's no financial incentive for the firm to do so given that there is absolutely zero ecosystem for the connector. The more likely answer is that they're simply waiting for their next round of chipsets, which won't appear until the company intros its new architecture in 2011. In other words, they're just riding P55 and X58 out.

  9. photodude
    4 Dec '09, 2:30 am

    Or they are also waiting for the next round of MACPro's to be released next year; since Apple seems to be the one pulling the strings on this

    Seems like Lightpeak is Apple's requested solution to firewire, SATA, USB and more

  10. Shorty
    4 Dec '09, 9:13 am

    Lightpeak is taking some of the WAN optical concepts and putting it into a small space. I actually am really keen on the idea as long as it stays in the corrrect space within a platform. We don't need another SFP iteration please Intel.

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