By Sarrah Querelle-Halverson, Elizabeth Sullivan and Zachary Hoyt
To manage the greater data bandwidth needs inherent with 4k rich media streaming, machine learning, data mining, and analytics, next-generation hyper-scale and cloud-scale datacenters are transitioning to the 400 gigabit ethernet (GbE) standard. While higher-speed switching and routing is necessary to manage 5G network traffic volumes, this move creates challenges for the resulting temperature rise in pluggable optical transceiver modules (POMs). In a common POM class Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable (QSFP), for example, power dissipation requirements have increased from a typical 4-5W in a QSFP-28 (100 GbE) to 15-20W for the latest-generation 400 GbE QSFP- Double Density (QSFP-DD) modules, and more than 20W for 400ZR Data Center Interconnect (DCI) links. Given the rise in power per module, effective heat management is required to deliver optimal performance; unfortunately, conventional thermal interface material (TIM) approaches are not ideal.
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Resources for BERGQUIST® microTIM micro-thermal Interface coatings for pluggable optical modules:
