Fast electronic/optical interconnectivity for processing digital data

Highlights

• There is a growing demand to process larger volumes of digital data at ever increasing speeds plus exponential growth in performance of the basic microelectronic components
• Current interconnection network, comprising multilayered complex of parallel electrical conduits, is a major bottle neck
• Optical communication links provide effective, fast transport for large volumes of digital data over long distances in telecommunication
• Problem: electronic data is in the form of digital, parallel-electronic words while optical data is organized as a serial string of photonic bits or digital, serial-optic words – need method for cost-effective conversion.

Our Innovation

ORTA is a generic architecture for converting between digital, parallel-electronic words and digital, serial-optic words incorporating two processes:

• Conversion between parallel and serial signals by complex multiplexing or de-multiplexing; and
• Conversion between the electronic and the optic representations of the signals using fast electronic devices and optoelectronic modulators.

Key Features

• Generic architecture optimized for conversion of digital data back and forth from electrical pulses to photonic pulses
• Effective for data conversion from electronic circuit to optical fiber and vice versa
• ORTA operates at the rate of the data processing of the electronic processors without the need for ultrafast optoelectronic transmitters and receivers

Development Milestones

• Preliminary design of a specific embodiment of the ORTA concept using simulation tools.
• 12-18 months $250,000.
• Complete implantation of ORTA preliminary prototype including layout design and fabrication in a foundary. 18-24 months approximately $2,000,000