NVIDIA and Cisco unveil USFP optics for AI factories

NVIDIA and Cisco have announced plans for Ultra-Dense Small Form Factor Pluggable (USFP), a new high-density optical module for AI factories.

• The companies said USFP is designed for 400Gb/s-per-lane electrical signals, with capacity up to 12.8Tb/s, and the first planned transceivers will pack 16 full-duplex lanes in an OSFP-sized footprint supporting switches and SuperNICs.
• NVIDIA and Cisco said they are working with TE Connectivity and Amphenol on cages, connectors and modules, and plan to create an open industry specification through an upcoming community-led multi-source project.