Point2 aims to cut data center power consumption through smart cabling

The P1B121 is suitable for a range of data center configurations, including in-rack and adjacent rack setups such as top-of-rack switch-to-server connectivity, rack-to-rack connectivity, and accelerator-to-accelerator compute fabric connectivity.

The 112G PAM4 Smart Retimer requires only 3.0W of power consumption per chip, so 6 W total for each cable. That’s half of the 25 W of traditional networking cables. It reduces cable power and cooling demands while achieving an impressive chip latency of 3ns, which is 20 times lower than DSP-based PAM4 Retimers currently available.

That can add up, Kuo notes, as a rack can have anywhere from 30 to 150 cables in it. Now multiply each cable by 12 W instead of 25 W and you’ve got a significant savings.

There is also savings on weight. To compensate for signal loss, some cable makers simply use more copper, making cabling thicker. Having retimer chips allows you to extend the cable link without having to go to a thicker gauge copper wiring.

The Point2 retimer supports the current speeds of 400 Gb/s as well as the upcoming 800 Gb products coming to market and the 1.6 Tb in the coming years, said Kuo. Point2 customers are designing cables now and will be delivering them in the first half of 2025, he added.