Credo has detailed its 1.6T ZeroFlap active light cable (ALC), a pluggable optical interconnect aimed at AI data center scale-out and front-end networks where copper cabling runs out of reach. Credo describes the product as a row-scale, wide-parallel optical approach designed to extend link distance while prioritizing reliability and power.
The 1.6T ZeroFlap ALC uses a dense array of micro-emitters and photodetectors coupled to flexible, lightweight fiber bundles. Credo lists a target power draw of 12 W per cable-end and a targeted reach up to 50 m. The company also cites a target 100 million hours mean time between failures (MTBF) for the link.
Architecturally, the cable splits 200G lanes into multiple lower-rate optical channels and uses NRZ modulation. Credo says this avoids the power and latency costs associated with complex DSP-based signal processing. The design also includes built-in channel redundancy and ZeroFlap link monitoring intended to enable hitless failover, with Credo stating bit error rates “better than traditional optics.”
For data center engineers, the practical question is whether this kind of wide-parallel optics can realistically sit in the middle ground between short-reach copper and traditional pluggable optics for row-scale runs. If the stated 12 W per end holds in real deployments, it’s a meaningful number for dense AI fabrics where cabling choices can add up to real rack-level thermal and power consequences.
L.K. Bhupathi, associate vice president of product at Credo, said, “For decades, optical transceivers have prioritized data rate per fiber. Our 1.6T ZeroFlap ALCs are engineered with reliability as the first-order concern.” Bhupathi added that “the scale-up and scale-out links that form the densest connections in AI data centers demand higher reliability than traditional optics were designed to provide.”
Scott Wilkinson, lead analyst, optical components at Cignal AI, said, “Credo’s ZeroFlap ALC addresses this gap with a unique approach that provides row-scale reach while maintaining the reliability and low-cost benefits of AECs.”
Credo expects its 1.6T ZeroFlap active light cable (ALC) solution to ship in 2027. More information is available at credosemi.com.
Source: Credo
