Techno-economical evaluation of intra-datacenter optical transceiver designs

Abstract

The evolution of data center network interconnects is based: at the component level, on cost, power, and bandwidth density; and at the system level, on cost, unit count, footprint, and implementation time. The decision for iterative vs. transformational design depends critically on the product horizon view that amortizes R&D, manufacture tooling and infrastructure preparation. An iterative platform can be implemented earlier, but it may present limited performance scalability. A transformational design can have large creation and implementation costs that are amortized over a longer time window. A framework for quantitatively capturing these variables using a new technology inventory model is developed. Scenarios for deployment of six different transceiver package platforms to meet the projected data center capacity scaling ramp are constructed. The iterative designs provide better return on investment for a 3-year time window, while the transformational designs are optimized for a 20-year window.